Matthew Patania Newcomer Valencia Grace’s sophomore song “Goodbye” is charged with unadulterated, honest emotions that hits like a direct punch to the heart, divinely delivered by vocals that feel incredibly homely.
The opening bars of her new single, recall the fragile beauty of her debut song “It Was You,” but then she calls out, “I’m scared I’ll miss my chance to hold you / And feel you wrapped around me one last time.” It was the first song Valencia wrote addressing the breakdown of a family relationship: “It was so difficult because it was about saying goodbye to someone who’s still right in front of you.” There are many lessons that Valencia has learned even at 18 years old, and she is unafraid to channel her story into art. For Valencia, the process of songwriting is therapeutic, an escape, but it’s also clear she’s on a mission to be a voice for other girls. You can see it in her posture, and the way she carries herself; she’s here to make an impact.
One of the most impressive qualities of Valencia’s music is the clear influence she takes from other artists with strong, powerful voices, such as Etta James, Aretha Franklin, and Amy Winehouse. “I’m inspired by these women who were unapologetically themselves,” she says. “What I love about an artist like Amy is, watching clips of her performing live, it’s like she’s in a trance – she’s so caught up in how she’s feeling. I feel this particularly throughout the Motown era too. It’s all I listen to!” Inspired by these incredible women, Valencia discovered the powers of her own voice and how it can connect her with people around the world. “You don’t have to be perfect,” she says.“You just have to feel the music.”
The richness of her journey is evident in her music, amassing a bank of eclectic and equally poignant songs that she will release leading into a project later this year.
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