New Music: Sarina – Obsession

Japan-based alt-rock star Sarina exposes difficult emotions and explores dark themes within the daring, sweeping tones of Obsession.

The Hawaii-raised Tokyo-resident artist takes an eclectic line around Obsession: the gothic/symphonic feel of the production showcases the intimate and expansive twists and turns of her vocal style, leaving the lyrics clearly heard, understood, and most importantly, felt.

As much as Sarina’s performance will move you, Obsession is equal to the task, a sound that is ready to fill stadiums (Sarina is set to tour soon) and hearts, blessed with a chorus that will linger in your memory. I can imagine some will find the topic of the track – the grey areas between love and obsession, affirmation and toxicity – uncomfortable at times, but Sarina comes at them from a place of contemplation and empowerment. Alongside record producer and Escape the Fate guitarist Kevin Thrasher (known for his work with Panic! At The Disco, Blink-182, and Avril Lavigne) Sarina has achieved a perfect mix of rock, pop, and punk here.

Says Sarina about the track’s genesis, “Obsession is one of those feelings that hits you like a kick in the chest. The all-consuming need to crawl into someone’s skin just to be close to their heart. It’s bloody and gory and altogether unhealthy, but sometimes, it feels impossible to resist. If it’s pain, then why does it taste like pleasure? If it’s toxic, then why does it feel like love? Being a prisoner in your own mind, aware of the pattern and yet unable to stop yourself from reaching for that tantalizing forbidden fruit.”

“Obsession is addictive because in the throes of that passion we convince ourselves the object of our desires is a god. We tell ourselves they hold our soul in their hands and in doing so give our own grotesque bastardization of devotion the power to eat us alive. That constant reminder in the back of our minds that this isn’t the love you think it is.”

“But in the hands of someone we can fool ourselves into thinking is “the one”, it’s hard to listen to the voice of reason. Sometimes we just need a reminder. It’s not love, it’s not need, it’s a sickness we were foolish enough to idolize as a paragon of twisted love.”

Obsession is out now on SyrenSong and can be heard on SoundCloud and Spotify – for more streaming options, plus album and tour updates, connect with Sarina on her Instagram and TikTok socials.

Header image by Andrea Hunter