When I ask Rina how she got her start, she laughs—a genuine, slightly nervous laugh.
“Honestly? I was bored during a graveyard shift at a 24-hour diner,” she admits. “I recorded ‘Sweatpants in the Rain’ on GarageBand using a headset mic from 2012. I uploaded it as a joke. Now it has 4 million streams.” rina ellis interview
Rina Ellis has been labeled hyperpop , glitchcore , and even digicore . When I ask which label fits, she winces. When I ask Rina how she got her
If you’ve been scrolling through TikTok or digging through Spotify’s Hyperpop playlists recently, you’ve likely stumbled into the glitter-covered, emotionally charged world of Rina Ellis . She’s the voice for the overstimulated, the under-loved, and the digitally native. I had the chance to sit down with her last week ahead of her upcoming EP, "LUCID LOSS," and what transpired was a conversation about vulnerability, viral fame, and why she refuses to be put in a box. “I recorded ‘Sweatpants in the Rain’ on GarageBand
@rinaellis.raw | Spotify Have you listened to Rina Ellis yet? Drop your thoughts on the new single in the comments below!
“Stop optimizing for ‘engagement,’” she says firmly. “I see kids changing their album covers because the contrast ratio wasn’t right for the algorithm. Don’t do that. Your art isn’t a thumbnail. Make something that makes you cry in the car first. Worry about the playlist later.”
"LUCID LOSS" drops October 27th. If the singles are any indication, Rina Ellis isn't just an interview subject. She’s the future of what pop music sounds like when it finally stops caring about the rules.