Q&A: Sofia Valdés Shines Bright, Cementing Her Star Power with Self-Titled Album
INTERVIEW
INTERVIEW
☆ BY CHARLOTTE ISIDORE ☆
BALANCING THE SOFTNESS OF HER VOICE WITH THE STRENGTH OF HER SOUL-DRIVEN, CONFIDENT LYRICS — singer-songwriter Sofia Valdés sets herself apart as a rising force in modern music. “I just want to make music that’s me at my core” — her artistic vision is both grounded and collaborative, blending her own sound with the unique styles of her peers. Drawing from a rich tapestry of influences, including her legendary relatives Silvia De Grasse and Miguelito Valdés, as well as Finnish-Bolivian R&B artist Bobby Oroza, Valdés incorporates reverence for her heritage with innovation. Her self-titled debut album marks a bold evolution from her 2021 EP, Ventura, combining ‘60s Motown, Brazilian rhythms, and baroque pop into a richly textured sonic experience.
Valdés isn’t one to back down from a challenge. Faced with paralyzing self-doubt, immigration struggles, and intense pressure to prove her worth, she drowned out the outside noise and honed in on her project. Pouring her heart into the songwriting process, she built a body of work as honest as it is polished, blending raw emotion with razor-sharp artistry.
She rediscovered her creative voice through a deep creative relationship with producer Michael Uzowuru, as well as collaborations with Alex Goose, Carter Lang, Ryan Hahn of Local Natives, and composer Rob Moose. These connections grounded Valdés in her creative goals and enabled her to build confidence in her vision. With songs crafted over the past several years, this album is a scrapbook of Valdés’s young adult life. “Silvia” celebrates her defiant great-grandmother, “Barbed Wire” untangles her struggles with trust, and "Midnight Freak-Out" encapsulates her culture shock in Los Angeles, highlighting her ability to weave personal stories into mesmerizing soundscapes. In “How’s That Working Out,” Cuco’s quirks shine while complementing Valdés’s distinct artistry. Meanwhile, her duet with DannyLux on “Lento” showcases an effortless vocal harmony rooted in shared creative chemistry. Through it all, Valdés stays laser-focused on her mission: making music that’s unapologetically her.
Luna sat down with Sofia to discuss her inspirations and motivations for the album. Read below to learn more about this rising star!
LUNA: Congratulations on the release of your self-titled debut album. How does it feel to have it out in the world?
VALDÉS: It's interesting because the songs were all done and written by the beginning of 2023. I still listen to it after two years [and] I stand by it. I'm [constantly] writing and [now] I don't feel that crazy fear of “this is [only] mine.” I'm happy to share it. I like releasing music and growing with it because I feel like that's how I see my growth. It’s like when one album came out, and I was this person, and now this album came out, and I'm in this area of my life. I don't really go by years — I go by albums or projects. I feel like now I'm aware of who I am and who I'm not — so that's nice to know.
LUNA: You partly co-produced this album, therefore you were involved in every aspect of the record production process: the writing, the producing, and the performing.
What advice would you give other artists who have a clear vision for their art, but may not feel comfortable taking charge in session rooms?
VALDÉS: I used to find it really scary, but not anymore. I think it has to do with being comfortable and being vocal and saying what you want to say. I'm lucky with the people I've worked with; they’ve always been intentional with hearing me — asking me what I want and what sounds I like.
It has to do a lot with the producer. There are two kinds of producers: there are ones that don't take direction, and then there are ones that want to make sure that you're being heard and respected. Musicians are so introverted and usually have issues with conflict. We write because it's our way of being able to finally communicate and say something that we mean. So I think it's in the hands of the producer to help nurture artists.
I [like to] see music making as a form of service to people. The music you're making is of course, for yourself, but at the end of the day, you're putting it out for a reason…for other people to connect with it. I think the artist serves the audience in a way. When you're performing it's not about you, it's about the other people. Thinking of it like that takes a lot of pressure off. So for producers, their role is in service to the artist.
It's always important to do what you think is best. But going through the ups and downs of being in music is so gut-wrenching. So when you see it as “I'm going through this because there's a purpose,” it changes everything. I'm speaking up and I'm growing because there's a purpose. I'm trying to help someone get through something.
LUNA: During your writing process, you often returned to this mantra: “Make everything with purpose and intention—say what you mean, mean what you say, and have conviction while you do it.” This is an incredibly empowering statement that I believe young musicians need to hear. How did you come up with this mantra?
VALDÉS: I'm not the most confident person out there, but I do believe in those words.
That was said to me repeatedly by Michael Uzowuru. I’d be like, “what should I do?” And he'd be like, “I don’t know, what do you want to do?” Then I would have to really go in and understand where things are coming from, what I wanted, and what the big purpose of it is. I’d ask myself “why am I doing this? What am I trying to portray here?
So that's something that Michael would say — not the whole phrase but the “mean what you say” part. Diana Gordon said the same thing to me, in different words. These are two of the people I look up the most to in my life. They are so strong in what they believe in what they think. They have strong opinions, and it takes a long time to get to those because it's [all about] confidence. The people that I look up to the most, believe in me. I'm lucky that I have that reassurance, but I think, it's a process.
LA is not an easy place to be, especially if you're making music because everyone's making music. So if you're not doing great, you want to compare. You see something doing well, and think, should I be doing that? It’s better to ignore literally everything around you and sit with yourself.
Go back through your playlist [from] when you were 13 and [try to] remember what connected you with music in the first place. Create from that feeling. As artists, we are very sensitive and very creative and, therefore very jealous. It's normal for all of us to be going through it together, but that's the thing — we're all going through it too!
LUNA: Who in your life, besides Michael and Diana, helps you build the confidence to follow your intuition, and to make things with conviction?
VALDÉS: I think it started with them, and then I just had to try to pick it up for myself.
I spend a lot of time alone. I think a lot. I know what I like — it's important to know what you like. It’s important to fall in love with what you like and take people’s opinions out of the equation. I think a lot of it is just jumping in and going for it, even if you don't know where things will land.
LUNA: According to Luminate’s 2024 Midyear Music Report, Latin is the fastest-growing genre in the US. Who of your Latin music peers do you draw motivation from?
VALDÉS: The Marias! I've been listening to them for years. They were always this cool underground indie band with insane visuals and a lot of the songs she sings in Spanish. So to finally see them blow up the way they did, with a song with Bad Bunny and stuff, is amazing. They stayed so true to themselves with their sound and with their visuals. They are very strong [and grounded] artistically and it paid off. So for me to see them [succeed], I'm like, “I'll just keep going!” I literally jump out of excitement whenever I see something that they're doing and it's doing well.
LUNA: Who is your dream musician, producer, or songwriter - alive or dead - to collaborate with?
VALDÉS: Honestly, OutKast.
