For any ‘90s kids who grew up on the sights and sounds of Destiny’s Child, TLC, and Aaliyah, you can’t fail to appreciate the nostalgic aura of Rina Sawayama’s February tribute ‘Valentine (What’s It Gonna Be)’. The romantic mood has all the hallmarks of a ‘90s lovestruck song with the artist’s scaling vocals, a seriously catchy verse and that classic refrain to make room for elongated notes and vocal harmonies. More than R&B imitation, Sawayama to scales the heights of extroverted production akin to Jai Paul and SOPHIE, with sharp sounds informed by the young Londoner’s gaming obsession. Despite this nod to the virtual world, ‘Valentine’ actually marks a change for this artist, moving away from her exploration of online life (as heard with ‘Cyber Stockholm Syndrome’) and in the realm of reality. And what’s more real than love, right? - HT