Rina Sawayama announces release date for second album Hold The Girl

16th May 2022

POP MUSIC EMERGENCY ALERT: Rina Sawayama has announced the title and release date for her second studio album.

On 16 May, the star revealed over social media that Hold The Girl will be released 2 September. It is expected to include the fan-favourite track Catch Me In The Air, which has been performed on Rina’s Dynasty Tour since November 2021.

Over the past week, Rina has been teasing its release with the hashtag, “#RinaIsGoingToHell,” which fans have predicted is the title for the album’s lead single.

Rina’s self-titled 2020 debut received widespread critical acclaim upon release for its blend of 00s-inspired R&B, rock, nu-metal and experimental pop, and for exploring topics such as queer love, friendship and identity.

The album features singles such as STFU!, Comme Des Garçons (Like The Boys), XS, Bad Friend and Chosen Family.

Since releasing the album, Rina has collaborated with various icons such as Elton John, Pabllo Vittar, Lady Gaga and Charli XCX. Her collaboration with the latter, Beg For You, became her first ever top 40 hit on the UK Singles Chart.

Last year, Rina was named the recipient of the GAY TIMES Honour for British Excellence in Music – presented by SKITTLES®.

“Whether it’s calling out the capitalist beast of the industry or the inner industry microaggressions and racism she faced as an artist, Rina has proven herself a force to be reckoned with,” we wrote at the time.

“Releasing one of the most critically acclaimed albums of the year, as well as delivering an accompanying tour of the same calibre, Rina personifies British Excellence in Music and we can’t wait to see what she does next.”

In 2023, Rina will make her acting debut in the action blockbuster John Wick 4, directed by Chad Stahelski from a script by Shay Hatten and Michael Finch.

Stahelski – who directed the first three John Wick instalments – called Rina “an incredible talent who’ll bring so much to the film.”

The first three films star Keanu Reeves as the title character, a retired hitman who, after seeking vengeance for the killing of his dog and the theft of his car, becomes hunted by a section of the criminal underworld known as the High Table.

The franchise has been lauded for the Reeves’ leading performance, visual style and the intense fight choreography.

At the box office, all three John Wick films have accumulated a collective gross of more than $587 million worldwide – becoming one of the highest-grossing action franchises in history.

Watch the teaser for Rina’s second studio album, Hold The Girl, here or below.