RINA SAWAYAMA: There must be a moment where we harmonize with
each other --
JESSIE WARE: (SINGING) This is my You-- no, I'm joking.
Imagine?
OK, so sorry, what did you want us to say?
[MUSIC PLAYING]
Hi, I'm Jesse Ware.
RINA SAWAYAMA: And I'm Rina Sawayama.
And today we're going to be sharing everything
we love about YouTube.
JESSIE WARE: Rina, I feel like you
use YouTube in a very different way to me,
but will you tell me how you use it?
RINA SAWAYAMA: Well, it's definitely my TV.
I'll just project YouTube onto my TV.
So now because my algorithm just knows me so well,
so it will show up carpet power cleaning to recipes
to random documentaries, like about minimalism or whatever.
So yeah, I use it for everything.
JESSIE WARE: I feel like university
was quite a defining time for me with YouTube
because it became that sociable situation where
everyone would--
it would be like tune for tune, YouTube for YouTube.
It would be kind of like, oh if you had that one,
then you go into this spiral.
And you don't know where it's going to go.
But it was always quite fun.
RINA SAWAYAMA: So how do you think YouTube's added
to your music career?
JESSIE WARE: Well I think if people
had listened to me on the radio, they
wouldn't have known what I looked like.
They wouldn't have seen interviews with me,
potentially.
It becomes a fountain of knowledge for a potential fan
to be able to understand the artist better.
RINA SAWAYAMA: Yeah, I think YouTube--
you can be-- have a real connection with the fans.
I've been doing this thing called Rina TV.
So I finally became a YouTuber.
Woo.
I got my 100,000 subscribers plaque.
I was so happy.
JESSIE WARE: How many subscribers do you have?
RINA SAWAYAMA: Now I got 100,000, which is not a lot.
But I was-- at the beginning of--
before I did it, it was way lower.
And then it grew after doing YouTube videos.
Enough about me.
What do you use YouTube for?
JESSIE WARE: I think initially it was like a sociable tool
to make friends with at university, and it was that.
And then when I started as an artist, very much
it became a source of reference points,
whether it was watching a performance by Sade
or looking at fashion.
And then, also, what I've really enjoyed is the cooking.
I find it so therapeutic as well.
RINA SAWAYAMA: I'm so interested to see
which cooking ones you watch.
JESSIE WARE: So there's this person--
Nino's Home--
RINA SAWAYAMA: Yeah.
JESSIE WARE: He's cheeky.
I like his subtitles--
RINA SAWAYAMA: --on a souffle.
That is so bouncy.
JESSIE WARE: I've seen these.
I've seen these.
RINA SAWAYAMA: That cat!
JESSIE WARE: Yeah, the cat is always there.
This--
RINA SAWAYAMA: --No, I love--
JESSIE WARE: --is the greatest thing.
Did you know about --
what's he call it-- an egg vomiter.
Like a chicken vomiter.
RINA SAWAYAMA: Oh my god.
It comes out of the mouth?
JESSIE WARE: Yeah, but it's so you only get the egg white.
RINA SAWAYAMA: Oh, my god, that is amazingly cooked.
JESSIE WARE: Look at that-- the wobble.
RINA SAWAYAMA: Boing.
JESSIE WARE: Oh!
RINA SAWAYAMA: That is amazing--
JESSIE WARE: And it looks really doable.
RINA SAWAYAMA: Did you make it?
JESSIE WARE: Not yet, but I liked watching it five times.
So Rina, you've seen my eclectic mix.
So please show me--
RINA SAWAYAMA: No, it's just mine is very chaotic.
Lots of different content creators, which
I think a lot of people don't know about
and I really want to highlight them because they're sick.
So there's this thing called The Black Experience Japan.
And Japan is like something like 95% ethnically Japanese.
- Living in America, living in the United Kingdom,
living here in Sapporo as a Black person,
this is the safest that I have ever felt in my life.
I've always grown up hearing the notion you
have to put on your armor, and armor up
before you leave the house.
RINA SAWAYAMA: And it's really interesting,
because you see some African Americans moving to Japan
and what their experience with race, because America
is way more diverse.
But their experience in Asia has been better
for a lot of people.
So yeah.
So are there any videos that's really touched you
or just had a real effect on you?
JESSIE WARE: Have you ever watched P.S. 22 chorus?
RINA SAWAYAMA: No, what's that?
JESSIE WARE: You haven't lived.
They're the best chorus--
RINA SAWAYAMA: I know Little Dragon.
JESSIE WARE: They're a school in New York or Brooklyn
and Little Dragon came to meet them.
So she sings with the kids.
Now there's nothing better than children singing together.
But look how they performed.
Can you turn the music up?
[MUSIC - LITTLE DRAGON, "TWICE"]
JESSIE WARE: They're all so into it.
RINA SAWAYAMA: Aw.
JESSIE WARE: I love it.
Anyway, I can watch them all the time.
So you need to get into P.S. 22 chorus.
And I am tempted to move to New York
when all this mess is all over just so my children can sing.
Anything that's had a profound impact?
A YouTube clip that has had a profound impact on you?
RINA SAWAYAMA: So I'm bisexual, pansexual.
And I only came out to the world,
I guess, maybe a year and a half, two years ago.
Time moves so quickly.
But I really, really remember this YouTube record,
Ingrid Nilsen.
And she was one of the beauty YouTubers.
And she did probably one of the most watched
coming out videos on YouTube.
- I'm gay.
It feels so good to say that.
RINA SAWAYAMA: This was such an incredible moment.
And I remember when this was trending.
It really touched me.
And I was like oh my god, I feel so seen.
And this is amazing that she feels brave enough
to be able to do this.
There's lots of different things that
can make you feel very marginalized growing up.
And I think YouTube can definitely
make you feel very seen.
The thoughts that are in your head
are being echoed by someone else really famous--
JESSIE WARE: She has control.
RINA SAWAYAMA: She has control over her narrative.
JESSIE WARE: Yeah.
RINA SAWAYAMA: Exactly.
And that's really important for people
who are marginalized, to be able to have
control over their narrative.
JESSIE WARE: I've learned a lot about you, Rina.
You've opened my eyes to a whole different part of YouTube
that I feel like I was unaware of.
I was taking YouTube as a form of escapism and art and fun,
which I think it totally can be and should be as well.
But I think you've just opened my eyes
to so much more content.
RINA SAWAYAMA: Well, I mean, through seeing your watch
history, you're very classy.
JESSIE WARE: Oh, please, you're kidding me.
RINA SAWAYAMA: You are.
JESSIE WARE: You're sweet.
RINA SAWAYAMA: [INAUDIBLE] so many cultural references
that I didn't know about, and it's actually
made me more of a fan of your music.
JESSIE WARE: Oh, you're so cute.
But it's funny, I feel like we met somewhere in the middle
with some of the food content.
RINA SAWAYAMA: Definitely, we need
to share some food-- some recipes with each other.
JESSIE WARE: I'm Jessie.
RINA SAWAYAMA: And I'm Rina.
[OVERLAP]
and this is my YouTube.
[MUSIC PLAYING]