“This Hell” by Rina Sawayama
As to be expected of an artist coming out of the UK these days, Rina Sawayama is pro-LGBT and holds a disposition akin to traditional religious beliefs, which are generally against homosexuality, rather being the issue, in terms of inhibiting free love. Such a sentiment stands as the premise behind his piece.
But what’s going down here is in a lot of ways based on said beliefs. Or rather, what the vocalist is putting forth is that she’s not privy to being judged. In other words, how religions usually go about encouraging people to follow their teaching is via threats of hell, i.e. damnation in the afterlife, if they don’t do so. And what Rina appears to be saying is that if such is the case, then she is taking those who judge her to “this hell” with her.
I Shan’t Go Down Quietly!
It is not abundantly clear what she means in that regard. But all things considered, it would seem that what the vocalist is saying is that she’s not going down quietly. Or viewed from a different angle, if someone tells her that, based on her lifestyle, she’s damned, then she’s the kind of person who is likewise willing to make them uncomfortable.
Or put differently yet again, it can be said that no one wants to be told that their soul is on the verge of burning in hell. Being put under such an impression can definitely take you out of your comfort zone. So Rina has theoretically resolved to likewise make those who transmit such statements feel angsty themselves.
At least that’s one logical way of interpreting all that’s going down. In her tirade, if you will, the vocalist even mentions the likes of “Britney (Spears)… Lady Di(ana) and Whitney (Houston)”, apparently as well-known examples of women who’s lifestyles were judged in a similar fashion.
But all of that noted, these lyrics are heavily infused with religious terminology. So whereas the singer is obviously pissed off at those who make her feel like a sinner, it’s more or less up the listener to determine just what she means by sharing “this hell” with said individuals.
Who is Rina Sawayama?
Rina Sawayama is a singer from Japan who tracing her come-up to time spent in the United Kingdom, where she has also managed to make a name for herself in the modeling circuit. Thus far she has released one full-length, 2020’s “Sawayama”, which performed impressively on the UK Indie Albums Chart.
“This Hell”
“This Hell”, which Dirty Hit put out on 19 May 2022, is the lead single from her second studio LP, a project titled “Hold the Girl”.
Rina wrote this song with Lauren Aquilina, Vic Jamieson and Paul Epworth. And Epworth, another musician from England, produced the track with Clarence Clarity.
