RINA SAWAYAMA.

“There’s no references to heteronormativity or heteronormative love on this album,” Rina Sawayama refreshingly admits down the phone. “I’m just… very bored by it.” (She’s not alone.) This April, the British singer-songwriter will release her longa-waited debut album, an album that is (in this journalist’s opinion) one of the most exciting and innovative debuts in recent memory. Oh, and we have to add: queer as hell. While a lot of artists tend to cater to what radio stations will play with mainstream Max Martin, Stargate and Greg Kurstin-esque produced pop anthems to achieve chart success with their first record (no shade, we stan all three), Rina has continued to flip the metaphorical script with a string of personal and socially conscious bops. “You only get a debut album once,” she responds, when we question why she hasn’t ventured down the typical pop-girl route. “I want to see a bit of a change in the musical landscape and I wanted to be a bit tongue-in-cheek. I’ve always wanted to make songwriting better.”