Rina Sawayama goes full-on boss babe for her Tiny Desk (Home) Concert, commanding a string quartet and band in sheer hot-pink tights. The powerhouse vocalist and pop star performs stirring renditions of “Dynasty,†“XS,†and “Chosen Family,†from her 2020 debut album Sawayama. “Yes, I am the CEO,†she says as she flips her ponytail, sitting on her “big, powerful office table.†“Anyway, my final song is really special to me because it’s about my family, my chosen family. So many people around the world are not accepted by their parents or their family for who they are, whether it be because of their sexual orientation or gender identity or anything else. I just wanted to write a very pure and honest love song to my friends, a.k.a. my chosen family, who have gone through those experiences.†This version of “Chosen Family†features the music Elton John wrote for their new remix of the emotional ballad. In December, Rina Sawayama told Vulture that Elton John was one of the artists she most wanted to collaborate with, alongside Chloe x Halle, Lady Gaga, Miley Cyrus, and Dua Lipa. Since we’re making dreams come true, do Chloe x Halle next. Celebrate a year of Sawayama with her instantly iconic Tiny Desk (Home) Concert above.
