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Artist News Releases
Rina Sawayama releases chords and lyrics for as-yet-unheard new single
By Andy Malt | Published on Tuesday 24 March 2020
Rina Sawayama has released the chords and lyrics for her upcoming new single, ‘Chosen Family’, giving fans a chance to record their own version of the song before she puts out her recording of it next month. So that’s something to keep you occupied during lockdown today.
“I wanted to offer my fans the chance to get creative and come up with their own melody to ‘Chosen Family’ while we’re self-isolating”, she says. “When I wrote ‘Chosen Family’, I wrote it thinking of it as a gift to my own chosen family, a way to understand and take on some of the pain that they were going through. So I hope this distracts you from this anxiety-filled time, and that by being creative we can stay connected, alone and together”.
Explaining the song further, she goes on: “‘Chosen Family’ is a very special song for me. The concept of a chosen family is, to me, a queer one – people are often kicked out of their homes or ostracised by their family, friends, and community after coming out. This can be an incredibly painful experience that can be remedied by finding a new ‘chosen’ family”.
“The chorus lyrics ‘We don’t need to be related to relate, we don’t need to share genes or a surname’ is an invitation for anyone that feels that sense of otherness to find their chosen family, where they can truly be themselves and feel loved”, she continues. “I dedicate this song to my queer friends who I now consider family – it’s essentially a big thank you to them, as I love them so much and I genuinely don’t think I would be alive right now if it weren’t for them”.
Fans are invited to submit their versions of the song in video or audio formats. She will share some of her favourites in a video on her YouTube channel. And then she’ll release her version of the song on 3 Apr. The same day she will also post a video tutorial showing how to play the song as she intended, so that’s another thing to occupy you while you ponder when to take your daily trip outside.
Peruse the lyrics and chords for ‘Chosen Family’ here:
