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REVIEW #1: 83/100

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Described as her "debut long form release", "RINAPUNK" serves as Rina Sawayama first EP release and the orginal soundtrack to CD Projekt's highly anticipated game, Cyberpunk 2077. Known for her certified single, "Tokyo Narita", the singer has teamed up with several producers, such as Clarence Clarity, to release a punk-tinged record with heavy pop influences and themes that are not usually discussed in the music nowadays, such as capitalism, the propsects of the future and a dystopian society, all fitting with the Cyberpunk world.

The EP opens with "No Future", which also serves as the material's lead single. Mixing the futuristic themes with a break-up, the song encompasses some references to the Cyberpunk universe. The song shines the best when it comes to world-building, as it manages to use the theme of heartbreak to illustrate the hopelessness of the world the characters live in. "Love has no future, this is the future" she sings over an experimental production. Overall, the song is a great choice for the single, as it is the most accessible out of all the songs on the record. The lyrics use tons of references to a dysotpian future, which perfectly highlights the idea of falling out of love. "Burn Corpo Shit" is next. An anti-capitalism anthem, the song goes into a far more experimental and dark direction than its predecessor, touching on subjects relevant to both the game and the day to day life. The start of the song is a bit clumsy, making the listener feel like they are hearing a voicenote from an upset friend complaining about their horrible boss. However, as it progresses, we are immersed into Rina's views on the stance and her solution for the abusive nature of capitalism: to burn it down. The pre-chorus and chorus are not only extremely catchy, but also very well written, as they manage to make the song go from extremely specific to incredibly relevant. The second verse might be the best lyricism on the EP so far. "Take your sick leave on your death bed, find green roses, paint them red again" she sings before the narrative goes back into the kitchen. Thus, what seemed like a weak first verse gets a new meaning. The overall song in itself turns into a take on the "money machine" from the perspective of a blue collar worker. The production does the song even more favors, as its trippy sound grabs the attention and pushes the message into a both current and futuristic environment.

On "Heavy Metal Beauty Queen", Sawayama hits us with a literal... heavy metal track. Written from the perspective of a robotic entity, the song seems to be one that is entirely relevant to the Cyberpunk world. Lyrically, the song is excellent and straight to the point. "Look me in the eye and tell me what you see. Are you staring back at our mortality?" she sings, as she's about to touch on the human race's desperation for finding a way of staying immortal, even if it implies becoming a machine. Towards the chorus, the song takes a different turn, as the robotic Rina engages in Sex. The song is for sure one of the most uncoventional songs out there right now and it keeps the pace of the EP perfectly. The bridge feels like a chant coming from the Big Bad People in the world of Cyberpunk, tying the song even more with the game while also bringing another note of originality to "RINAPUNK".

When "Tyger Claws" starts, its production already lets the listener know they are about to hear something different from the previous songs. One of this song's greatest strengths is the highly descrptive nature it bears. "I saw blood on the rock of the playground, dead eyes and collapse of the human mind; we’re desensitised" Sawyama sings. Accompanied by brooding production with various Japanese instruments scattered in the instrumental, the track is a perfect palette cleanser after the heaviness of the previous one. Though it is far from being a bad song, its specific nature feels rather forced for a listener that is not interested in the game. Nevertheless, the song still manages to keep the streak and momentum of the EP. The closing track, "Sinnerman", takes things down a notch, even more than "Claws" did. Over a somber electrpop track that slowly builds up into a credits-like finale, Rina talks about a side quest in the Cyberpunk world. Lyrically, the song is pretty much simple and has quite a few repetitive sections, but it portrays the story of a man sacrificed to be a martyr to those in need of one. Although the production is impeccable, the song doesn't expand further on the story and it pretty much just makes the listener aware of it. The story in itself gives so many opportunities for storytelling, yet the song remains in a single lane, making it feel like an afterthought. That being said, it doesn't ruin the experience of the EP.

"RINAPUNK" came out of nowhere, but it was a wonderful surprise. Featuring heavy Cyberpunk 2077 influencs and tying in perfectly with the game, the extended play is worth a listen. Merging futuristic sounds with an experimental production, the final product still has some bump in the roads. But nothing that's not fixable. All in all, Rina Sawayama's first output tells the world something: I am here and I am here to stay. All that through a vocoder and displayed on the screen of a dystopian city.

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REVIEW #2: 72/100

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There have been quite a few daring surprises for debut releases in the last few years, but releasing what is essentially a soundtrack as a debut is a new feat that belongs to one miss Rina Sawayama. The up and comer has previously released a single that did decently well but didn’t ultimately make much of a splash, so this release comes as something of a surprise (literally). Dropped with no prior announcement, the five track EP serves as a support to the recently released Cyberpunk 2054 video game release. The game itself was launched to a heavily polarizing response earlier this year but was certainly a big talking piece. The game itself is notably innovative and risky which is reflected in the songs that Rina has supplied for it, but does the project follow in the game’s polarizing footsteps any further? 

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Yes and no. 

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The EP is full of personality to be sure. The production work is decidedly unconventional, the approach to songwriting is against the grain, and the incorporation of different genres and styles into the mix means that there’s variety to everything. This approach, while interesting, works sometimes and fails other times. On their own, the songs tend to work but when you put them all together to form one project, you’re left with some whiplash. The songs are individual to a fault, making the project feel scattered and unfocused sonically despite a pretty consistent hook lyrically. The intention behind the purposefully conflicting styles is to mirror the different influences of the game but what may work in a visual medium doesn’t always work in a sonic medium, a trap that many artists have fallen into over the years. 

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Rina has done a pretty decent job of making the project stand up even if the listener has no experience with the game, ubt it cannot be denied that the experience is improved if you do as the songs are filled with references and easter eggs to the game that inspired it. If you haven’t played the game, you’ll be able to follow along though. The themes and ideas Rina’s chosen to work with are relevant to today and are pretty relatable to boot which works in her favor. 

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There are definite peaks and valleys in the project. No Future and Tyger Claws are both sublime pieces of work that blend brilliant production with unique and affecting lyricism on Rina’s behalf. The songs click into place wonderfully and create something memorable, especially the Japanese influences that come out in Tyger Claws. However, in songs like Heavy Metal Beauty Queen and Sinnerman the elements don’t completely connect and the songs come across as the weakest on the project. Heavy Metal Beauty queen is a halfhearted attempt at an aggressive sound that doesn’t entirely mesh with the sci-fi leaning elements. Sinnerman meanwhile presents interesting ideas but is lyrically fairly shallow and doesn’t delve into the concept to the extent that it probably could and should have. The remaining track, Burn Corpo Shit, falls somewhere in the middle featuring solid production and a terrific concept as well as lyrics that are occasionally brilliant (“Happiness isn’t practical/We pledge allegiance to decimals”), occasionally hamfisted and cheesy (“I reject the money machine”), and occasionally just clunky and awkward (“Bald headed five foot six man/Telling me I’m not doing as good a job as I can”). 

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Rinapunk is an interesting opening act for this new and interesting artist, but like many debuts it’s not without its faults. The decision to make this a soundtrack to a pre-existing work seems to stifle her reach, tying her down to a specific tone and set of themes rather than letting her chase after something more expansive. Within this constricted space, she got a lot of mileage and worked with a variety of different sounds but while this adds variety it also breeds inconsistency. It’s a roller coaster, and not always in the best possible way. But, all things considered, when it works it works. The peaks are high for a debut and the valleys are not as low as some other artists sink on their debut. The project makes one excited for what Rina has to offer in the future, being a great stage set for the main show ahead. And for that, it does it’s job.

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