[INTERVIEW] Sarina Says, “Music is ultimately something that should propagate joy”

Talking about her love for music, Sarina sits down to answer some questions for our HypnoticAsia readers. Fueled by a passion for self-expression, Sarina is an artist who is continuously on the road to discovery and creation. Already establishing her own genre-less, borderless musical skills and creativity, she applies that to her own artistic activities.

The Japanese-Lebanese artist is currently based in Tokyo, Japan. Sarina started out releasing original music on Instagram where she became popular. Hitting over 2.3 million views with 1 video, her follower count increased from 13.6K to 130K organically within just two weeks. Since then, Sarina has been steadily garnering worldwide attention from Asia, US and UK as a musician, as well as increased activity as a model and influencer. 

Check out the interview with singer-songwriter, Sarina! Also, check out this cute THIS OR THAT video she recorded just for our readers.

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HYPNOTICASIA: Please introduce yourself to the readers of HypnoticAsia.

Hi, I’m Sarina 🙂 I’m a singer/songwriter based in Tokyo. Although I grew up here, I was actually born in Hawaii to a Lebanese mother and a Japanese father.

HYPNOTICASIA: How did you get into music? Inspirations?

I’ve been passionate about performing and storytelling for as long as I can remember, and started writing music from age 12. I got better at it over time and I personally consider my actual songwriting to have started closer to 14-15. I’m inspired by a lot of different things. Sometimes it’s how I’m feeling, sometimes it’s just a vibe I wanna try and capture!

HYPNOTICASIA: Is there a track you would recommend for those who want to check out your music?

That’s such a hard question because all of my music is telling a different side of me! Identity is my Melodic rock song with Evanescence vibes, ‘Atlas’ is my cinematic Warrior Anthem, and “Yuu-utsu na Michi (Melancholy Roads)” Is my anime-style Jpop song. ‘Sometimes I Wanna Cry :(‘, coming out on the 17th, is probably my favourite so far as well. Can I tell them to listen to everything??

HYPNOTICASIA: You have a new single entitled “‘憂鬱な道’/‘Melancholy Roads’” that was just released! Tell us all about it.

Yuu-utsu na Michi (Melancholy roads) is my anime style song about following your dreams! I wanted it to feel kind of Jpop but have the lyrical depth of my other music so far as well. The song is about following your dreams no matter how lonely or scary it may seem. I focused a lot on descriptions and painting a picture of what the feeling looked like, felt like, and what it inspired. I’m really proud of this song because it was the first song I ever wrote completely in Japanese. It really is a bittersweet song as it is an illustration of how warm and bright your passion and your dream are, but also how isolating it can feel sometimes.

HYPNOTICASIA: From the new music video, we saw that it has a mixed vibe of Anime, cyberpunk, and Alice in Wonderland. Where did the inspiration for this mix of concepts come from?

It honestly came from a bridge in Tokyo called “Rainbow Bridge”. I was in a car driving over the bridge at night looking up at those big bridge towers and out at the sparkling city beyond and all I could think was how beautiful it must look from all the way up there. The wind and stars are your only company as you stare at that city so far below and beyond. It must be lovely but maybe also lonely to be so far removed. As I thought that I remembered my song and I let it play in my mind as I pictured that scene. That’s all it took really. I felt that the concept of that image matched the song so well and I immediately wanted it to be animated (especially since I wanted a very specific visual aesthetic and I wanted to sit on top of the bridge tower but I doubted the production team would be thrilled with that request).. Unfortunately animation is incredibly expensive and far beyond the budget… SO! I thought up some *problem solving techniques*. I ended up remembering a TikTok trend where people used the 3X film feature to record themselves in slow motion so that when they sped up the film it looked like claymation or stop motion. It was a risk to film the whole thing like that but It ended up working really well so I’m happy.

HYPNOTICASIA: Any fun stories from the music video filming? What was it like, acting in your own music video?

The filming was really fun! The most fun part, for me, was actually the night before! I got it in my head to include “Alice in Wonderland” motifs in different costume parts and characters so I ended up staying up late to craft a bunch of props! I painted drumsticks and hats, spray painted a skirt, and made a little graffiti spray paint bottle. It was fun! I enjoyed coming up with the ideas and I had fun with the fluorescent paint as well 🙂 Acting was actually my first passion before songwriting. Acting has always been one of my big goals and I think that comes out in my music videos as well. I always want to play a character, to act, to tell a story. Although every video has its own challenge, I can’t imagine doing a video without it. In Melancholy Roads it was extra challenging because I had very little time to convey a different character while still looking like myself.

HYPNOTICASIA: Also heard you have 2 more songs being released soon. One in February and then another in March. What was the reason for the 3 consecutive releases and are there any hints you can drop about them? Should we be expecting an EP soon?

I do!!!!! I’M SO EXCITED AHH!!!!!!! These next two songs were written recently so they feel much more personal! Up until now, the songs we released were written a while ago.. Like years ago.. I have way too many songs ><

BUT!! My next single (coming out February 17th) “Sometimes I Wanna Cry :(“ was written in December of 2022 after a quick clip of just the chorus went viral on Instagram! The song coming out in March is called “Melancholy Roads (No More)” And it is a sort of continuation or answer song to “Yuu-utsu na Michi (Melancholy roads)”. I wrote it in the summer of 2022. They are definitely more representative of the “New age of Sarina!”

I honestly just want to get a bunch of music out for people to listen to and enjoy! I am for sure planning to release an EP soon!! I already have a concept planned for it too! I’m so excited, like you have no idea. I’M SO EXCITED!!!

Sometimes I Wanna Cry 🙁 Is the new pop/punk emo anthem. I’m calling it right now. If you weren’t born early enough to be a part of the Scemo Scene Then this song is for you!! I got into it way too late but I feel such a strong connection to that age of music! LISTEN TO THE SONG!!!! IT’S UNIRONICALY MY FAVOURITE SONG RIGHT NOW!!!

HYPNOTICASIA: Is there an artist you would like to collaborate with that you have not had the chance to work with yet?

Oh my goodness there are so many. I hope it’s okay that I just list? I’m just gonna write out the huge list of artists I respect and would love to work with in no particular order:

• Simple Plan
• My Chemical Romance Stephen Schwartz Ethan Bortnick
• Lana Lubey Laufey AURORA
• IDKHow But They Found Me Yungblud
• Roe Kapara Jackson Wang Billie Eilish Sub Urban Bella Poarch Rory Webley Lovejoy Loveless
• Imagine Dragons

I’m counting Riot Games as an artist because I want to work with them so insanely badly you have NO IDEA. I play League of Legends an Ungodly amount and read the lore for fun.

• Maneskin Loic Nottet SZA
• Au/Ra
• BeabadooBea

I’ll leave it at that for now. There’s so many more though.

HYPNOTICASIA: What is the songwriting process like for you?

It’s honestly different every time. Sometimes I’ll have a specific chord progression I want to use (Em, C, B7 is forever my favourite chord progression and I will take that to my dying day) Or a time signature (¾ aka walts time is my all time favourite time signature). At times It’s a line or a melody or a hook. Maybe its a concept or an image. It’s always different!

HYPNOTICASIA: As a songwriter, have you ever written music for others or thought of doing so? Any specific artists in mind if yes?

As of now, I don’t think I’d feel comfortable giving away one of my songs for someone else to sing just because they are all so personal to me and my view of the world… but I’d love to write a song for a collaboration or to have someone cover one of my songs officially. I’ll spare you the huge list of artists again but I’d be happy to collab with any of the artists I follow and respect.

HYPNOTICASIA: If you were not doing music, what do you believe you would be doing instead?

It’s hard to picture my life without music. I think I could be doing any number of things. Acting, modeling, I wanted to study Fashion at one point since I cosplay and sew my own clothes as a hobby, I started writing novels and short stories when I was around 8- 9 and my love of reading and literature could have easily led me to be an author or an editor, I also seriously considered pursuing a PhD in clinical psychology. I honestly have a huge range of interests but I think creating and performing are the passion of my heart.

HYPNOTICASIA: What can we expect to see from you in the future?

I’m going to continue to elevate the music I make and things I produce. I have plans. I have mighty grand plans and I am doing what I can to make those plans come to fruition. I want to do so many things, I want to take the colours of the world and paint. I want to grasp the strings of what we know and weave a picture that is lasting and new.

HYPNOTICASIA: For a tour in the future, is there a country you’d like to visit/perform?

Honestly anywhere and everywhere. Any place people would want to see me I’d be happ

HYPNOTICASIA: We’re based in the USA! Any state you want to visit/perform in?

I’d love to go to California and perform there! Or maybe a smoky rooftop cafe/bar in New York, I also LOVE Boston!! Honestly anywhere people want to see me!

HYPNOTICASIA: What advice would you give to someone who wants to do music?

Don’t let your goal be your reason. Music is ultimately something that should propagate joy. Even when you are writing sad songs and expressing sad feelings, it’s because we need that place to express it. Ultimately those sad songs ease some of the weight from our shoulders. Music and creativity is a soldier of happiness and I think as long as you derive Joy from music, you’ll never get tired of it. Listen to music that makes you feel things, write music you want to hear and sing.

HYPNOTICASIA: Is there anything you’d like to say to your fans/listeners?

Thank you for all of the love and support you have shown me! I promise not to squander this opportunity you are giving me and I hope you will like all of the versions of me I present to you! The songs I write are a window into how I see and feel the world, and there is no greater honour than when people say “This made me feel it too”. So all I can say is thank you.

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Stay tuned for more music by the talented artist!