Song of the Week: “This Hell” by Rina Sawayama

Rina Sawayama – “This Hell”

Rina Sawayama, a Japanese-British singer-songwriter, released the first single from her upcoming sophomore album Hold the Girl. “This Hell” is a celebratory 80s-style dance pop track with a country twang.  Despite the upbeat mood of the song, the lyrics deal with important topical issues.  Sawayama states:

It’s an important song for me given the human rights that are being taken away from minorities at a rapid rate in the name of traditional religious beliefs, more specifically I was thinking about the rights being taken away from the LGBTQ community when I wrote this song. When the world tells us we don’t deserve love and protection, we have no choice but to give love and protection to each other. This Hell is better with you. – The A.V. Club

 

Song of the Week 2022

January

• “Colonizer” by Tanya Tagaq
• “Empties” by Pigeon Pit
• “Who Has Seen the Wind” by David Byrne and Yo La Tengo
• “Kurunba” by Rokia Koné & Jacknife Lee

February

• “Hunting Doves” by Rachel Sumner
• “Floating Garden” by The Nunnery
• “On My Way” by A La Una (feat. Kimmortal)
• “Dry” by Kendra Morris

March

• “King” by Florence + the Machine
• “It’s Over, If We Run Out Of Love (Featuring Raven Violet)” by David Holmes
• “Famously Alive” by Guerilla Toss
• “Peace With The Damage” by Deer Scout

April

• “All the Good Times” by Angel Olsen
• “Where’s the One?” by Congotronics International
• “About Damn Time” by Lizzo
• “snake” by Sadurn

May

• “This Is A Life” by Son Lux with Mitski and David Byrne
• “Elevate Us” by SiLVA
• “Stay On It” by wild Up