Rina Sawayama

Rina Sawayama uses her music not only to express herself but also to address themes that are significant to the LGBTQ community, such as the found-family dynamic present in many queer people’s lives and the struggle to understand one’s identity.

In her song ‘Cherry,’ she explores her first experience of attraction towards a woman and the process of trying to understand what it means and who she is. Rina is a pansexual singer who continually strives to celebrate diversity and express her pansexuality in the conservative music industry.

In an interview with Gay Times, she explained: “I understand that when you’re with a label or a publisher it’s hard to turn down those people, but as women, and especially as queer people, we need to say no to things and be heard and stick our head above the water.”