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After offering the chords and lyrics to fans early and calling on them to submit their own interpretations, Rina Sawayama returns to share the official song – “Chosen Family”. Produced by Danny L Harle and written by Rina, Danny, and Jonny Latimer, the powerful ballad is an emotional ode to her LGBTQ+ family. The track will be followed by a video on Rina TV dropping tomorrow where Rina teaches her fans how to play the song.

Speaking on the inspiration behind the track, Rina says: ” ‘Chosen Family’ is a very special song for me. The concept of a chosen family is, to me, a queer one – people are often kicked out of their homes or ostracized by their family, friends, and community after coming out. This can be an incredibly painful experience that can be remedied by finding a new ‘chosen’ family. The chorus lyrics ‘We don’t need to be related to relate, we don’t need to share genes or a surname’ is an invitation for anyone that feels that sense of otherness to find their chosen family, where they can truly be themselves and feel loved. I dedicate this song to my queer friends who I now consider family – it’s essentially a big thank you to them, as I love them so much and I genuinely don’t think I would be alive right now if it weren’t for them.”

Listen to ‘Chosen Family’ – BELOW:

Rina’s debut album SAWAYAMA, out April 17th via Dirty Hit, is an intimate look into Rina’s world. The album encompasses her most personal music yet sharing, “The album ultimately is about family and identity. It’s about understanding yourself in the context of two opposing cultures (for me British and Japanese), what ‘belonging’ means when home is an evolving concept, figuring out where you sit comfortably within and awkwardly outside of stereotypes, and ultimately trying to be ok with just being you, warts and all.” The album includes previously released singles ” STFU!,” ” Comme Des Garçons,” and ” XS.”

Born in Japan, Rina and her family emigrated to the UK when she was five years old. During her teenage years she discovered her love of music and academics, the latter leading to a place at Cambridge University where she also began to notice the cultural differences and ostracization amongst different races. These experiences allowed Rina to carve out her own identity, entwining her culture with her western life, evolving into an artist who defines her own unique style of pop.