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The word that jumps to mind when hearing Sofía Valdés’s music for the first time is “yearning”. The
Panamanian songwriter makes pop music as a means of meditation–a way of navigating the world around
her. Last year’s debut EP Ventura explores the turbulence of her emotions, unfolding with heartfelt
expression, introspection and exploring her connection to her culture. As time passed, this
vulnerability has quickly earned her a devoted audience, with Ventura accumulating over 18 million
Spotify streams and widespread support. Sofía’s upcoming EP is a natural progression, doubling down
on this intimacy. It reckons with the loss of a relationship, threaded together by stories of angst,
healing and self-realization. Dabbling in familiar folk and bossa nova influence, Latin music, and
the swirling neons of alt-pop, the set is a colorful canvas for Sofía’s emotions. “I don’t think
that anyone likes to live in a box,” Sofía explains from LA, where she’s currently based. The urge
to live outside of the box goes back to Sofía’s childhood, spent in Panama up until she was 15. From
a young age, Sofía knew that she wanted to create music. Her Dad would have The Beatles in rotation,
and they soon became one of her biggest influences. Later on she discovered Motown, Bossa Nova and
Cuban music, all of which resonated deeply. Surrounded by an eclectic and vibrant mix of sounds,
Sofia unsurprisingly felt music’s pull from a young age, beginning to learn guitar at eight years
old, and a few years later had written her first song (“It was about a ghost in my house; his name
was Kevin”). Moving alone at 15 to study in Michigan, university in Liverpool at 18, and now
residing in LA, Sofia’s sound draws on her changing environments and the nature of adapting to each.
But, ultimately, it’s Panama which she is most drawn to. “I want girls from Panama to look at me and
be like oh, I can do this type of music. It’s giving space for other people to do whatever they
want,” she says. “I hope I can also inspire other people from where I'm from to see that it is
possible to make a living from it. That it’s not easy but it can become possible.”
