Alone Together is an unreleased extended play by Rina Sawayama, written and recorded from 2014 to 2016. The EP was programmed to be released in 2016,[1][2][3] but it was canceled for unknown reasons. Sawayama eventually released her debut EP Rina in 2017.
For the project, Sawayama released two singles: "Tunnel Vision" and "Where U Are". A third release titled "Love Tonight", was canceled along with its recorded music video, directed by Ali Kurr.
Background[]
Sawayama revealed the "concept extended play" title in an interview for Babyface. She said it is "based around similar themes of our 21st century life online."[3]
In a February 2016 interview with Dazed magazine, Sawayama revealed that she would be releasing the extended play soon that year. "It's not finished yet – I'd say it's about 80% done, but it keeps going back and forth because I'm being a perfectionist."[4]
Sawayama told to i-D that the EP is mostly about "how we sit spending time on our phones, contextualized into a love story."
Studies have shown that young people are more depressed and anxious and have lower self-confidence than generations that grew up without the internet. It's really interesting because there's no musician talking about it. There's a lot of 'internet music' out there, but it only sounds like the internet technologically. I wanted to make music that was inspired by the unashamed pop I listen to from the early 00s like Mariah and Justin Timberlake, but that still means something. Maybe it's because I studied politics, but I always feel like everything has to have real meaning.[5]
Title[]
Alone Together book copy in the "Where U Are" music video.
The EP title might be inspired after the book Alone Together by American author and sociologist Sherry Turkle, published in 2011.[6] In the book, Turkle explores how technology is changing the way people interact.
A copy of the book owned by Sawayama can be seen in the music video of "Where U Are", song about living in a digitally-driven world focused on ego and social media.
Recorded songs[]
| † indicates released song |
- † "Tunnel Vision"[1]
- † "Where U Are"[1]
- "Love Tonight" – A reworked version of the song titled "Alterlife", produced by Clarence Clarity, was released in September 2017 as the second single off of Sawayama's debut EP Rina.
- † "Tokyo Takeover"[7] – It was eventually released as a Japanese bonus track on her debut studio album, Sawayama.
See also[]
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 "Rina Sawayama streams “Where You Are”". Northern Transmissions (2 February 2016). Retrieved on April 23, 2021. ““Where U Are” is set for release alongside “Tunnel Vision” later this year as part of the Alone Together EP.”
- ↑ Vogue. "Women Artists by Simone Steenberg".
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Babyface. "Rina Sawayama".
- ↑ Dazed. "The digi-pop singer turning her online insecurities into art".
- ↑ "i listened to the future and it sounded something like this". i-D (27 April 2016). Retrieved on July 9, 2021.
- ↑ Rina Sawayama (@rinasawayama) (26 August 2018). "RINA SAWAYAMA on Twitter". Retrieved on April 20, 2021.
- ↑ Urquijo Zobel, Monica (20 July 2015). "Tokyo Tourguide: Rina Sawayama". Suitcase Magazine. Retrieved on June 20, 2021.