Step into the Portal

At the Split Sides West Comedy Club, Evergreen's very own Valentina hosted her very first release party and took the stage captivating an enthusiastic audience debuting her first single, Portal. With openers Chanelle Grayson, J CLOWD, Ashleyn Spot, and Lylli Lux, the audience were kept captivated, attentive, and thoroughly entertained.

In a city where new artists often struggle to make an initial mark, Valentina's debut was like a breath of fresh air. Truly a testament to the power of authentic talent and heartfelt artistry. Fans and critics alike will undoubtedly be watching her closely to see how the rest of her promising musical career unfolds.

Having the chance to interview Valentina after the show was so meaningful and eye opening for what the song really means to her.

J: Thanks for taking the time to speak to me! What was the writing process of Portal like?

V: For me the writing process was definitely a journey. I got some help from a friend named Lestor Funkopop, who helped me make sense of what I was writing. He understood the story and the direction I was going with and cleared up a lot of my bad writing. Without him honestly, the song wouldn't be what it is lyrically. I can't give him all the credit because I also received help from Elayna Lucchese. She helped me understand that syllables are so important with how you sing versus how you write. You can write everything that you have at the top of your head, but when you're trying to sing it and you're trying to stick with the beat, it's so much more difficult. In the end, I learned that you have to be more precise with the syllables.

J: What inspired the artwork?

V: I actually created the artwork myself for portal with the inspiration definitely being transversing into a new world. You can see the grass in the background is purple, my favorite color is purple, and I feel like it definitely took some inspiration from different references like the Anodite from Ben 10, and Planet Hair from Doja Cat. This outfit was actually curated by the designer ZouYou, who you can find at Tumblr Boutique and I chose this specific outfit, called the Wings of Dust-free. I thought it was very eye-catching and I wanted to have something in reference to my first ever demo, which was Angel Eyes. To put it all together and be so captivated in the world I created for the artwork, I honestly was so proud of how it came out.

J: What does Portal mean to you?

V: For me, Portal was actually inspired by this person on Spark who asked me to go to the fishing tournament and never showed up. Then at the fishing tournament I ended up falling into the ocean and waking up in the hospital. The feeling of losing your life and waking up again was so inspiring. But lyrically, “Portal" is about going into new territory, meeting and finding new people, and going into their world instead of sticking to your own ideologies.

J: Do you have specific lyrics throughout the song that resonate the most with you?

V: “It’s not our fault, it’s who we are” Stuck with me and resonates the most because at the end of the day, not everything can be blamed on you. Think about it like this. Certain aspects of your life, such as your upbringing, can define you as a person and I think that people who blame themselves for things that aren't in their control need to understand that “it's not your fault, but it's what has brought you to this point." I think taking self-accountability for that and also understanding that you grew up in an environment or the environment you're in, can turn you into the person you are. You just need to build yourself back up to change that.

Picture taken by Kara deLavigne

J: How are you feeling now that the song is out for the world to enjoy?

V: I feel like a weight has been lifted off my shoulders. I definitely think that the song, although to some it may not sound like my best work, is a special project and I wouldn't have had it any other way. I love both versions of the song; from the demo mixed by a friend from back home, which was very sweet of them to do, to the final version of the song, mixed by Lestor Funkopop. It definitely has been a journey for the song. From being a demo back in June to now being a song that is mixed and out on all streaming platforms. Would I do it again? Abso-fucking-lutely, but do I have the funds to? Absolutely not. If you're an artist wanting to do music, have some funds ready to put to the side. As fun as it is to do music, it can be a pretty penny if you're not prepared.

J: I appreciate all the answers this far. Your work means a lot to you, and I respect that so much. Last question and then I'll let you go. What's next for Valentina?

V: I want to continue the journey of finding my voice and finding my sound. I'm hoping that in the future, when I get better with my craft, some of these labels will see that I'm definitely worth fighting for, and I pique their interest. I personally believe that I am improving myself and I feel like I proved to myself that I can do this independently. With that said, yes it was hard to get promotion for a last-minute event, but all the planning for the release party took me 24 hours. From finding a venue, to finding openers through close friends and family, and then making the poster. Wholeheartedly, I cannot wait to publicly thank the people who helped me, such as the openers, Chanelle Grayson, J CLOWD, and Ashelyn Spot (who I also did a song with, wrote and released called Doubt Me) and my daughter Lylli Lux. I would also like to thank my friends from Rockford Records, such as Dakota Todd-Suarez, Felix Fox, Xavier Amaretto, and Maliq Rashad. Without them, I wouldn't have had the event be so protected and without Dakota hosting, I probably would have done a horrible job of trying to run the event while also trying to make sure that it, you know, wasn't getting shot up. The next thing I am working on is getting the beat to angel eyes. It'll be coming out with my EP that's in the works called, Rosario. Hopefully y’all can hear it by the end of the year. Stay tuned for Halloween and Christmas. I do have a few jingles that I am working on.

Calling all collectors! In other exciting Valentina news, she's also collaborating with Rex's Diner with a new combo called, "The Rosario Meal" which includes a limited time item, exclusive to the combo, a Shattered Mirror. This combo is available only at Rex's Diner, and only for a limited time, so grab one while you can!

We're eager to see and hear what's coming. In the meantime, we'll be streaming Portal, out now, on all platforms!

Check out the music video for Portal:

Valentina Rosario - Portal (Official Music Video) (youtube.com)