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People of color are constantly stigmatized for their names, whether from biased hiring managers or teachers who butcher pronunciation while reading attendance sheets. These moments are often demeaning, like one of the most fundamental elements of someone's identity is burdensome or atypical. But on “Flicker,” the latest single from the Japanese-British artist Rina Sawayama, such experiences are transformed into an ecstatic, self-assured pop song meant to uplift people who, in her words, are “misunderstood for who [they] truly are.”
“Flicker” reflects on Sawayama’s experience of having a “difficult” name herself; in the process, she subtly critiques social constructs that dictate what a “normal” name is. Over fluorescent synths and jittery drums, she urges listeners to take pride in their names and remember that they are better than the homogeneous faces on TV screens. “They flicker but they ain’t gonna shine like us,” she croons in the catchy, jubilant chorus, establishing that this is a song specifically for her community. People of color are so often expected to minimize their differences for those unwilling to engage with experiences unlike their own. With “Flicker,” Rina shines in spite of that pressure.
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