Rina Sawayama breaks free in new ‘Hold the Girl’ music video

Words: Alastair James; pictures: Attitude

Rina Sawayama is breaking free in the new music video for her song, ‘Hold the Girl’. 

The video for the song released last week sees Rina dressed in period wear and trying to escape from an old house in the middle of the country.

However, again and again, she finds herself pulled back. 

“Reach inside and hold you close/I won’t leave her on your own/Teach me the words I used to know/Yea I forgot them long ago/I wanna remember/She is me and I am her,” Rina sings in the chorus.

Eventually the house begins to split open and we see Rina reach for herself before she’s finally able to leave the house and break out into dance with a group of dancers in the wide open countrside. 

The song ends with Rina on her knees embracing herself.

As quoted by Rolling Stone UK when speaking about the song recently Rina said: “‘Hold the Girl’ was the first song I wrote for the record at the end of 2020 – I had gone to therapy and had a revelation, so I decided to write this song…that was the start of it. I was crying before going into the studio to write about it.”

Speaking to Time last year the ‘Chosen Family’ singer said writing the album during lockdown had “healed” her.

Rina’s next album – Hold The Girl – is due to be released on 16 September and will include the previously released singles ‘This Hell’ and Catch Me in the Air’.

The Attitude September/October issue is out now.