“I just get bored quickly,” states Rina Sawayama, aka future pop's brightest superstar. She's talking about her frenetic new single, the Korn-meets-JoJo pop blitzkrieg that is STFU!, the first taster from her forthcoming debut album, and her first release since she signed with Dirty Hit, home to The 1975, Wolf Alice and No Rome. “I always want to go where no one else is going – that's what the artists I love always do,” she continues. For Rina, no genre is off-limits, be it the early 00s boyband-era pop bangers that peppered 2017's critically-acclaimed mini-album, RINA; the crystalline R&B of breakthrough single Cyber Stockholm Syndrome or 2018's soulful pansexual anthem, Cherry. It's this daring attitude that's seen her join the upper echelons of left-field pop's current premiere league, a move augmented via support slots with Years & Years and Charli XCX. 2020 is when Rina Sawayama goes fully interstellar, however. “STFU! is there to wake people up,” she says, smile beaming.

While Rina is a forward-facing, modern popstar – part of the reason she signed with Dirty Hit is their track record regards sustainability, with eco-friendly touring and merchandise top of their agenda, something Rina is super passionate about too – she's also old school in terms of her passion for music and making it as perfect as possible. She could have chucked out a bunch of one-off singles over the last two
years, but chose to return with a proper, story- telling album. That album will also have no guest features because she didn't want to dilute the message. And, central to everything, is the recipient of the music. “I wanted to make sure it was the debut I wanted to make” she says, “and I wanted it to be an experience. I want this album to take people on a journey.” Strap in, things have only just begun.