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bolivianfem · 3 years

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Rina Sawayama Critiques Socetial Gender Norms Through Empowering Synth-Pop Bop

Rina Sawayama’s song, “Comme Des Garçons (Like the Boys)” has been on my playlist for a while now, and I thought her and this song were great topics to highlight today! I not only love the song for its upbeat, synth-pop, strut-inducing tune, but also for its clever way of critiquing societal gender roles. More specifically, it takes a look at the way men, women, and non-masculine identifying folks are socialized so differently into the world.

Sawayama is a Japanese-British singer and songwriter, who makes amazing, danceable music with powerful messages. Another one of my favorite Rina songs is “XS,” which talks about our consumer habits and our want for excess things, while also hinting at the pay gap that a capitalistic society carries forth. Both “XS” and “Comme De Garçons (Like the Boys)” are tracks off of her first full length studio album Sawayama, released on April 17, 2020.

“Comme De Garçons” translates to “Like the boys” or, “Like Boys Do” in French. Comme De Garçons is also the name of a high end fashion brand, which is popular in today’s current fashion trends. Sawayama uses this particular phrase as a way to challenge the way men and women are told to exude confidence in such differing ways. Boys and men are commonly associated with confidence, and are encouraged to be proud of their achievements and boast their innate sense of confidence. However, girls and women are told differently, and to act humble and downplay their displays of confidence. Essentially, confidence is associated with masculinity. Sawayama uses this phrase and turns the tables, singing, “Like the boys, like the boys, Comme des garçons, I'm so confident. Excuse my ego, Can't go incognito, Every time you see me, It's like winning big in Reno” (Sawayama). She takes something associated with masculinity, and makes it her own. In the music video, she reverses the roles, and kicks things up a notch by elevating herself on a turning platform. At her feet are a group of shirtless men trying to reach her status. I love this part of the video, because she claims her power as a confident woman, while the men are visibly and literally below her. (I’ve included a gif at the top of the post of this particular moment.)

In an interview for Pitchfork, Sawayama stated, “The idea that the socially acceptable version of confidence is in acting “like the boys,” otherwise as a woman you get called a bitch—but in the club, we reclaim the word “bitch” as a sign of ultimate confidence (“yes bitch,” “work bitch”)” (Pitchfork). Here, she explains the message behind her song, mentioning how masculinity and confidence are so often connected, and how women and non-masculine folks should adopt masculine traits to be seen as confident. “Comme Des Garçon” does a fantastic job at simultaneously creating an enjoyable track and critiquing the different experiences men and women have with confidence. She also sings the lyrics, “Girl it’s okay, you should never be ashamed to have it all” (Sawayama). This specific line is another way Sawayama helps uplift women by saying directly that they shouldn’t be afraid to be and feel confident, blurring the lines between gender and confidence. Go Rina!

Link to Rina’s music video:

youtube

Link to Pitchfork article referenced: https://pitchfork.com/news/rina-sawayama-announces-tour-and-debut-album-shares-new-song-listen/?utm_social-type=owned&utm_brand=p4k&utm_source=twitter&mbid=social_twitter&utm_medium=social

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