Stripe's Song of the Day: Rina Sawayama - Phantom

The paean to the person she used to be cuts sharp enough to leave fresh wounds or reopen old ones

Fabian Hasan Khan
Published : 10 Feb 2023, 08:30 AM
Updated : 10 Feb 2023, 10:30 AM

Stripe's Song of the Day is a regular feature showcasing the music currently stuck in our heads. Every week, contributors will string together their daily picks, and a playlist of the week's tracks will be available on Friday.

Even if you’ve never heard ‘Phantom’ before, you know this song. If you’ve ever had an ‘emo’ phase, a day you put Evanescence’s ‘Bring Me to Life’ on repeat, or just liked the overwhelming earnestness of a song about having too many emotions, Rina Sawayama’s track is all too relatable. With the full orchestra, blaring electric guitar, and hard-hitting drums, it’ll remind you of all the songs that took up that formative place in your brain. Be warned though, some of the lyrics might hit too close to home. 

Sawayama sings about how she gave away little pieces of herself to make her way in the world and now she has nothing of her old self left. The little girl she was no longer exists, and she desperately wants her back. 

At some point in our lives, we’ve all faced something that has changed us irreparably. The old version of us who was so secure and happy in their own identity is gone. ‘Phantom’ is about that loss.

The lyrics read like a page from a diary and cut sharp enough to leave fresh wounds. Or maybe they just reopen old ones. We will never outgrow the children we used to be, no matter who we become. Here Sawayama tries to act as her own role model, nudging the listener to look after their inner child too.

Listen to it here:

And here are all the songs of the day from the entire week in one playlist for your listening pleasure:

This article is part of Stripe, bdnews24.com's special publication focusing on culture and society from a youth perspective.