Rina Sawayama has shared her new power ballad “Phantom,” the latest single from her upcoming album, Hold the Girl.
Starting off with acoustic guitar and synths, “Phantom” builds up to a requisite electric guitar solo, but instead of addressing a romantic relationship, Sawayama advises her younger self “not to rush.” The Japanese-British singer also reveals she needs to embrace her inner child more than ever.
“I need you now, I need you close,” Sawayama sings. “How do you hold a ghost?/ Inner child, come back to me/ I want to tell you that I’m sorry, I’m sorry.” Stream “Phantom” via the official visualizer below.
The Artist of the Month alum further broke down the meaning of “Phantom” in a statement. “I realized as an adult that I have spent my whole life pleasing other people and not realizing it — constantly pushing my boundaries and not realizing the difference between what I wanted to do and what other people wanted from me,” she explained. “Through the lyrics in the verse I’m trying to tell this story and then in the choruses I’m morning the loss of my real self.”
“Phantom” serves as a companion to Sawayama’s last single “Hold the Girl,” in which the artist revealed the “girl” as herself. Hold the Girl is out on September 16th via Dirty Hit; pre-orders are ongoing. The follow-up to 2020’s SAWAYAMA — one of the best albums released that year — also features Song of the Week “This Hell” and “Catch Me in the Air.”
Sawayama will take Hold the Girl out on a US tour beginning in November. Grab your seats via Ticketmaster.