In a recent interview with The Independent for International Women’s Day, Rina Sawayama shared her struggles with sexism and misogyny in the music industry and expressed that she is unable to release her next album “under my current conditions.” Sharing her experience, Sawayama admitted her “mental health has been awful” in the past year and that she feels “really trapped and don’t know what to do.” She further revealed that she faced intense racist misogyny since the summer of last year, leading to her feeling gaslit, disrespected, ignored, and cyber-bullied for calling out racist and sexist behavior.
Sawayama’s public battle with her label Dirty Hit, co-founded by The 1975’s manager Jamie Oborne, continues to create controversy. Each member of The 1975 has a stake in Dirty Hit, with Matty Healy serving as creative director before stepping down from the role in April 2023. At Glastonbury 2023, Sawayama called out Matty Healy during her set, as he owns her masters. She has also shared that women are being punished for holding a mirror up to men who are not willing to be held publicly accountable.
Despite her struggles, Sawayama continues to work towards her mission of making the world a fairer, safer, and kinder place to live in. In a recent update, she dropped her remix of ‘Imagining’ with Amaarae, showcasing her dedication towards her work despite the challenges she’s facing. The world is watching, and it is crucial that the music industry addresses these issues and works together to create a safe and supportive environment for all artists
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