Photos by Samantha Sutcliffe / Words by Willa Rudolph
Out just yesterday, Valley Latini’s new dance pop drop “Lucky,” produced by Dov, is an energetic and vibey electronic track. The sounds infiltrating your ears are sharp and perfect, clicking in that utterly satisfying way, while Valley’s sweet and taunting vocals tease you in your ear, “Pictures on my IG, pictures on my IG...”
“How do I feel about my whirlwind love life?” Valley asks in the very beginning of the song. Then, her vocals drop in, “Lucky!” she repeats over and over. The catchy verse puts you in a trance, and the repetitive chorus has the power to pump through your veins and make you dance. It’s sexy, for sure. Personally I want to listen to it in the car with my girlfriends on the way to a party, headlights zooming past us.
“I wanted to create a song that transmutes the mental illness of narcissism and self absorption that social media apps like Instagram can create. Online culture glorifies and rewards mental illness and self obsession” says Valley. While the song definitely does encapsulate this phenomenon, it doesn’t feel totally dark. You can either treat the track as ignorance-is-bliss escapism, or you can listen to it with that little cultural analysis in mind and ponder your own complicity.
Last year, I wrote up her single “Dark Corners,” and I definitely think “Lucky” gives us more context for understanding Valley’s world. She’s a DJ, a baddie, a little quirky and unique, loves a good time, while also thinking very consciously about her artistic decisions, making sure each one is made with intention.
