The visually stunning music video for “Where U Are” by Rina Sawayama, released February 17th on YouTube, is an entertaining look at female anxiety in the digital age. The video uses bright colors, low lighting to heighten the starkness of the light coming from the two laptops and phone on the bed, and subtitles to tell a story about people’s toxic relationship with social media. When talking about the production of “Where U Are,” Sawayama previously said, “We live in a culture of self-surveillance that makes us forget who we really are, and what we really should be doing with our time. We want to be where they are, where future-you will be, where past-you was, but not pay attention to where you are now.” This message is humorously portrayed in the video while still landing strong, possibly due to the fact that Sawayama not only produced and sung the track, but also directed the music video.
Synth, offbeat guitar, handclaps, and Sawayama’s amazing voice come together in the song and video to create a futuristic vibe that sets the stage for an intelligent, self-aware reflection on the effects of the digital age. Sawayama’s music seems to be heavily inspired by the greats of pop, like Michael Jackson and David Bowie, but I imagine she will soon make her own unique mark on the musical world. “Where U Are” and her previously released single “Tunnel Vision” will be part of Sawayama’s upcoming EP, Alone Together.
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