Photo: Raph_PH / CC BY 2.0 (source: Wikimedia Commons)
My Take
I have such a soft spot for Rina Sawayama, because she's basically proof that you can refuse to pick a lane and win anyway. Born in Niigata, raised in London, and somehow she came out of all that sounding like nobody else, stitching together early-2000s nu-metal crunch, slick R&B, and shameless pop hooks like it's the most natural thing in the world. The Cambridge degree always makes me grin too, because you can hear that brain working in how thoughtfully she writes about family, identity, and being caught between two countries. And then she just casually shows up swinging in John Wick, like, okay, save some talent for the rest of us. She doesn't pander or coast on a single image, she just keeps building her own thing at her own pace, and I quietly root for her every time.
This take was written by generative AI, one per person, from publicly reported facts (editorial policy). It is a reading of the record, not reporting.
Overview
Rina Sawayama is a Japanese-born singer, songwriter, model, author, and actress originally from Niigata Prefecture, Japan. Born on August 16, 1990, she pursued higher education at the University of Cambridge. She is active on the international stage, with an official presence at rina.online and across major social media platforms.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Rina Sawayama
- Name (Japanese)
- リナ・サワヤマ
- Reading
- りな・さわやま
- Born
- August 16, 1990 (age 36)
- Origin
- Niigata Prefecture, Japan
- Occupation
- Singer / Songwriter / Model / Author / Actress
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Leo / Horse
- Active years
- 2013 -
2. Background
- University
- University of Cambridge
3. Works & records
Works summary
- Appearances
- 25 (2013–2023)
- By year (titles with a known year)
- 2013: 1, 2016: 2, 2017: 4, 2018: 3, 2019: 1, 2020: 6, 2022: 6, 2023: 1, year unknown: 1
- Debut work
- Sleeping in Waking
Filmography / notable works
| Category | Title | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Single | This Hell | 2022 |
| Single | Catch Me in the Air | 2022 |
| Single | Hold the Girl | 2022 |
| Single | Phantom | 2022 |
| Single | Hurricanes | 2022 |
| Single | Frankenstein | 2022 |
| Single | Comme des garçons (like the boys) | 2020 |
| Single | XS | 2020 |
| Single | Chosen Family | 2020 |
| Single | Bad Friend | 2020 |
| Single | Lucid | 2020 |
| Album | Sawayama | 2020 |
| Single | STFU! | 2019 |
| Single | Valentine (What's It Gonna Be) | 2018 |
| Single | Cherry | 2018 |
| Single | Flicker | 2018 |
| Single | Cyber Stockholm Syndrome | 2017 |
| Single | Alterlife | 2017 |
| Single | Tunnel Vision | 2017 |
| Album | RINA | 2017 |
| Single | Where U Are | 2016 |
| Single | This Time Last Year | 2016 |
| Single | Sleeping in Waking | 2013 |
4. Links
5. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
Only publicly available facts are listed; non-public or unconfirmed items are omitted. Base data was compiled from Wikidata from June 2026 onward; ages are recalculated daily and deaths are checked against Wikidata on an ongoing basis. Works and profile fields sourced from Wikipedia reflect content as of 2026-08-26. English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.
Frequently asked questions
When was Rina Sawayama born?
Rina Sawayama was born on August 16, 1990 and is 36 years old.
Where is Rina Sawayama from?
Rina Sawayama is from Niigata Prefecture, Japan.
What does Rina Sawayama do?
Rina Sawayama works as Singer, Songwriter, Model, Author, Actress.
Where did Rina Sawayama study?
Rina Sawayama attended University of Cambridge.
How long has Rina Sawayama been active?
Rina Sawayama has been active since 2013.
What is Rina Sawayama known for?
Rina Sawayama's notable works include This Hell, Catch Me in the Air, Hold the Girl.
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