The Valentina Story is a 21-year-old singer-songwriter from South London with Italian and Filipino heritage. Growing up surrounded by a wide range of musical influences, from jazz and soul to R&B, classical and Italian music, she developed a love for expressive vocals, live instrumentation and storytelling. Inspired by artists such as Amy Winehouse, Adele and RAYE, her music blends traditional musicianship with contemporary sounds, without being confined to a particular genre. Alongside developing her original music, The Valentina Story has gained experience performing at venues including Ronnie Scott’s, COYA Mayfair, and Bardo St James’s, as well as performing to thousands at a music festival in Italy. These experiences have helped shape her approach to music, with live performance and storytelling remaining central to the artist she is becoming.

With her debut single, “Our Head,” out now, we took some time to hear from The Valentina Story. Read below to learn more about The Valentina Story, the story behind “Our Head,” and what’s to come.

Hi The Valentina Story! Let’s start with how did you choose your stage name?

My artist name is actually just Valentina, which is my middle name. The Valentina Story is slightly different. That’s the name that you’ll see across all of my socials, and I suppose it’s become the world around the music rather than my actual stage name.

When I started thinking about releasing my own music, I knew I wanted everything to feel really personal. Much of what I write comes from my own experiences, different versions of myself, and what I’ve gone through, so The Valentina Story felt like a way to bring it all together.

I also don’t want each song to feel like a completely separate moment. I’m working toward my first album, and ultimately I want that body of work to tell a much bigger story about who I am and what has shaped me. So when people come across The Valentina Story, they’re essentially coming into that story as it’s still being written.

I like that I’m at the very beginning of it, too. There are chapters that I haven’t lived yet, let alone written about.

What city are you from, and where are you based now?

I’m a South London girl through and through. I was born and raised here, and I’m currently based in Croydon.

Italy is my second home, though. We have a family home there, and I’ve spent my summers there since I was born, so I’ve always felt like I have one foot in London and one in Italy.

At what point in your life did you decide to pursue a career in music? How did you get started?

I’ve been singing for as long as I can remember. I genuinely don’t remember a time when I wasn’t singing, so I think, on some level, I always knew. It was more about working out whether I was brave enough to make a career out of it.

I went to a really academic school and was surrounded by people going off to become doctors, lawyers and follow much more traditional career paths. My sister went to Oxford, so I definitely had this idea in my head that I needed to choose a “proper” career too.

I applied to the BRIT School at 16 and got rejected, which felt like the end of the world at the time. I took it as confirmation that maybe I just wasn’t good enough and actually stopped singing for a while.

Then, in a slightly rebellious moment, I secretly applied to do a diploma in music without telling my parents. My sister was completely in on it and helped me with the application. I got in, which meant I then had the slightly awkward job of telling my parents that I’d applied to music school behind their backs and wanted to leave my A levels.

Thankfully, they were incredibly supportive. I went on to study music, but it still took me a few years after that to fully back myself. Earlier this year, I finally left my job to give music my full attention.

Looking back, it’s funny that I spent so long trying to figure out what I wanted to do when I’ve basically been doing it my whole life. It was always going to be music.

How has your upbringing played a role in shaping who you are and defining your sound?

Music was always everywhere in my family growing up, but it came from completely different directions.

My mum introduced me to loads of 90s R&B, as well as huge ballad singers like Whitney Houston, Mariah Carey, and Christina Aguilera. We also had Filipino family karaoke nights all the time, so singing was a normal part of growing up for me.

Then my dad and my nonno introduced me to a completely different world of music. My nonno was an opera singer himself, so I was surrounded by Italian and classical music, and singers like Andrea Bocelli. My Italian family is huge, and because none of my Filipino family lives here, we mostly celebrated big family events in the UK with the Italian side. You could pretty much guarantee old Italian singers would be playing somewhere in the background.

We also went to the theatre a lot as a family when I was younger, which probably sparked much of my love for performing. I loved the whole spectacle: the live musicians, big bands, orchestras, and massive voices filling a room.

What was the first stage that you ever performed on?

Technically, I think it was a dinner table in Italy!

When I was about two years old, we were all having dinner in the basement kitchen underneath our family’s apartment building in Italy. I was listening to High School Musical on my MP3 player and decided it was the perfect opportunity to put on a performance.

So, I climbed onto the table and started singing “What I’ve Been Looking For,” strutting up and down in front of my entire family, my MP3 player in one hand and a slice of watermelon in the other. Quite the combination!

I was obviously too young to remember it properly, but my family has never let me forget it. I think it’s safe to say that I’ve always had a slightly dramatic side, although performing on the dinner table probably wasn’t quite what my parents had in mind!

How would you describe your sound?

I actually find this question really difficult because I don’t necessarily think of my sound as a genre; it’s more about a feeling.

I want to make music that makes you feel something. Music that lets you connect with your emotions, whether that’s something sad, happy, uncomfortable, or something you haven’t really known how to put into words yourself. So I suppose the easiest way to describe it would be soulful music. Not necessarily “soul” as a genre, but music that has soul and means something.

A lot of the music I love is from before my time, and I think you can hear that in what I make. I love big vocals, live instruments, real musicianship and songs that still mean something years after they were released. But I don’t want my music to sound like it belongs to another era. I want to take what I love about older music and make it feel like me, now.

I also have a real love for cinematic and orchestral music, and I want to explore it more as I release more.

Who are some of your main musical influences?

When I was younger, I had Amy Winehouse, Adele, and Sam Smith on repeat. Those were probably the three artists I listened to more than anyone else. I loved how distinctive their voices were, but more than that, I believed every word they sang. Their music felt really personal.

I also grew up listening to singers like Whitney Houston, Mariah Carey and Christina Aguilera through my mum, so I’ve always loved huge voices and singers who really know how to use them.

As I’ve got older, my influences have broadened. I listen to a lot of older soul and R&B, but then I also love what artists like RAYE and Olivia Dean are doing now. They feel current without losing the musicianship and emotion I love in older music.

I think that’s probably what connects most of my influences. They’re all very different artists, but there’s something about them that feels completely their own. You hear their voice, their writing or the way they tell a story, and you know exactly who you’re listening to. That’s something I really admire.

If you could collaborate with any artist, who would it be?

I actually have two artists in mind, for quite different reasons.

First would be Craig David. My mum was absolutely obsessed with him when I was growing up, and she still is! His music was constantly playing in our house. I think he’s a distinctive artist, and I’ve always loved his voice and how he blends different genres. I’ve always wanted to experiment with UK garage, which is quite different from what I’m making right now. I’d love to step outside my comfort zone and see what kind of garage-inspired track we could come up with together.

My second choice would be Sam Smith. I’ve loved his music for years, and I’ve always admired how much emotion he brings to his performances. He has such a beautiful voice, and his songs are some of my favourites to sing myself. I think our voices could complement each other really nicely.

Do you have any hobbies outside of music? What do you do to stay creative?

Cooking is a big one for me. My grandparents used to own a restaurant, and my dad and his siblings all worked there from a really young age, so food and cooking have always been a big part of our family. I find it really therapeutic now. I actually love having the house to myself because I can pour myself a glass of wine, take my time, and cook without anyone bothering me.

I’m also really big on self-care and spending time by myself. My perfect Sunday is honestly cleaning my whole room, changing my sheets, taking a long shower, styling my hair, trying out new skincare, getting into fresh bedding, lighting some candles, and reading a book. I love psychological thrillers, so I usually read those.

I’m getting back into fitness, too. I did martial arts growing up, trained for a few years, and now I’m back in the gym. I’ve also recently started yoga and Pilates, and I’m really enjoying them.

I really value having time to myself, switching off, and doing things that make me feel good.

Now onto your release, “Our Head.” What inspired this song? What is “Our Head” about?

“Our Head” came from how much noise there is in our lives now. There’s always something to think about: social media, AI, how you look, what you’re doing with your life, where you should be by a certain age, what the future will look like. It can be a lot.

But, I don’t want the song to come across as me saying all of those things are terrible or that we should all throw our phones away. I’m 21, I use social media, I’m on my phone far too much. I’m just as much a part of it as everyone else.

The song is more about what we do when all of that gets a bit too loud. Sometimes you need to switch off, sit with someone, talk about what’s going on or do something that gets you out of your own head for a while. You don’t have to work everything out there and then.

That’s really what “Our Head” is about for me. We’re all trying to figure things out while the world around us is changing ridiculously quickly, and none of us really knows exactly what we’re doing. Sometimes it’s nice to remind yourself of that and know you’ll be alright.

What was the inspiration behind the cover artwork for “Our Head?”

The artwork has a double meaning. The cover is a photograph showing only half my face, and that was intentional.

The first meaning relates to the message of “Our Head.” One thing the song explores is how little we sometimes know about what other people are going through. We tend to see only what’s on the surface, but so much more is happening in someone’s life that we know nothing about. I wanted the artwork to reflect that idea, that you’re only ever seeing part of the picture.

The second meaning is a little more personal and relates to me as an artist. Although I absolutely love jazz and it’s a big influence on my music, I wouldn’t necessarily define myself as a jazz singer. I want to explore so many other styles, sounds, and themes, and I don’t want my first release to define everything that comes after it.

In that sense, the artwork shows that people have only seen one side of me as an artist so far. “Our Head” is just the beginning, and there’s still another side of my music and who I am that I’ve chosen to keep hidden for now. I suppose the mystery is what that other half will look and sound like when I release my next song.

What was the creative process like when making “Our Head?”

The song actually went through quite a transformation from the original demo to the finished record. When I first recorded it in May, it was much more stripped back and understated, almost like something you could play quietly in the background.

It wasn’t until we started recording the live instruments that we realised the song could be something much bigger. The arrangement started taking on a life of its own, and it got to the point where the original vocals no longer quite matched the music’s energy.

So, we went back into the studio and re-recorded them, bringing more personality into the performance. The more we played around with it, the more we realised how much further we could take the song. I’ve always loved big-band arrangements, jazz, and live instrumentation, so it was exciting to hear all those elements come together.

The contrast between the lyrics and the music was actually quite intentional. Although the song touches on things that can feel overwhelming, I never wanted it to leave people feeling sad or weighed down. The whole message of “Our Head” is about finding ways to step away from those thoughts for a while, so I wanted the music to reflect that sense of freedom and enjoyment. I wanted people to relate to the lyrics, but also put the song on, dance, and enjoy themselves. I think there’s something nice about addressing a serious subject without making the song itself feel serious.

If you listened to the original demo and the finished record back to back, I think you’d be surprised they were the same song.

How long did it take to complete “Our Head?”

Technically, it took a few months, but the finished song came together in a couple of weeks, which sounds crazy. My producer is a madman who seemingly doesn’t sleep, so once we decided “Our Head” would be the first release, everything moved really quickly.

I first recorded it around May as one of about seven or eight demos we were playing around with that week. I’d never even sung the song all the way through before recording it, so it was really rough and casual. We left it there and moved on to other music.

Then, in August, we came back to it and decided “Our Head” would be the first single. That’s when we properly got to work on it, and we finished the final mix by August 20th.

So, it had technically existed since May, but the “Our Head” that people actually hear was made in a bit of a whirlwind at the end.

What is your favorite lyric in “Our Head” and why?

My favourite lyric is probably, “we just need a thread to get out of our head.” It’s such a simple line, but it pretty much sums up the whole song.

The “thread” can be anything, and I like that I never actually say what it is. It could be the gym, music, your friends, going out, having a conversation with someone, just anything that gets you out of your own head for a bit.

Because I think we all do it. One thought turns into another, and suddenly you’re thinking about your future, your job, how you look, something you saw online, something embarrassing you did three years ago, literally anything. And sometimes you need something to break that cycle. It doesn’t have to solve whatever you’re worrying about; it just needs to pull you out of it for a minute.

I also really love, “show me where it aches, all your worst mistakes, I will trade you mine, read between the lines.” That part is about vulnerability. It basically says, tell me what’s really going on with you, and I’ll do the same. You don’t have to pretend everything is fine or that you’ve got everything figured out.

And, I guess the two lyrics connect quite nicely because sometimes that “thread” is another person. Sometimes you need someone to talk to who can get you out of your own head for a while.

What do you hope fans take away from “Our Head” and your music in general?

I want people to listen to “Our Head” and be reminded that we all have things going on beneath the surface. Some people are really open about what they’re feeling, and others find it much harder to talk about, and that’s okay.

I’m not saying I’ve had this incredibly difficult life, because I haven’t. But I’m only human and, like everyone, I’ve been through things that have affected me. They don’t define me, but I’d be lying if I said they don’t still affect me sometimes. I’ve always found that talking about things is what helps me process them.

I think people sometimes keep things to themselves because they worry they’re bothering someone or putting their problems on someone else, and I really don’t want anyone to feel that way. There’s nothing wrong with being open about how you feel. You don’t always need someone to give you advice or fix the problem either. Sometimes you need somebody to listen.

I’m definitely that person with the people in my life. If someone needs to talk, I’ll always make time to listen, and I hope Our Head feels a little like that too. Not me pretending I have all the answers, but more like someone sitting on the other side of the conversation saying, “Tell me what’s going on.”

And with my music generally, I want that same honesty to be there. Some of my favourite songs are the ones where someone I’ve never met has managed to put a feeling into words that I couldn’t. If I can do that for somebody else and make them feel understood, or even just a little less alone in whatever they’re going through, that would mean a lot to me.

What’s next? Are you working on any upcoming projects, or do you have any upcoming shows that we should be on the lookout for?

I’ve got quite an exciting few months ahead! Right now, I’m focusing on performing as much as possible and working my way around the live music circuit, while also spending plenty of time in and out of the studio.

I’m working on a project I’m really excited about, though it’s still a little too early to share details.

One thing that I can share is that next summer I’ll be performing in Tuscany, Italy, to an expected audience of 25,000 people – my biggest audience to date! I’m also hoping to spend more time in Italy over the coming year, exploring opportunities to perform and introduce my music to audiences there. I’d love to gradually build a presence in Italy alongside what I’m working towards here in the UK, so I’m really looking forward to developing that.

Where can we follow you on social media?

Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Spotify and Apple Music: @thevalentinastory

Official website: https://www.valentinaofficial.co.uk

Thank you for the great interview; wish you much continued success!