[27/11/20] Hugo Valentine unpacks childhood nostalgia and the difficulties of life in his latest pop-rock single, ‘Change’. It’s Valentine’s final offering this year amidst a string of releases following on from ‘My Friend’, a tender and emotionally flooded tribute, and ‘Rule the World’, a rich, uplifting and brooding piano-led number.

Adhering to his well-loved style of emotive songwriting, Valentine presents fans with a contemplative and bittersweet ballad-esque single, which ebbs and flows with fulfilling builds, all beautifully delivered by his distinctively smooth, husky vocals. ‘Change’ sees Valentine delicately retell his experiences facing the harsh realities of adulthood and its many sobering moments over his signature piano chords and punchy, impactful drum patterns. Written several years ago in a sudden moment of clarity and inspiration, ‘Change’ still means the same to Valentine today as it did back then.

Here, the professional singer-songwriter and pianist recalls that moment of conception:

“In a rare situation for me, they [the lyrics] came pretty much immediately, with coherent meaning. I think the message for me was clear from the outset - grow up, change, be who you want to be, but don't forget who you really are. It sounds corny but has been such an important thread in my life, something so pertinent. I went to the studio later that day to lay down the demo. Beyond the core message of the song, it's also a song about realising that things are not as they seemed when you were a child. It's a moment to reflect on those childhood memories and view them from your adult self's perspective. Most children are very impressionable, as I certainly was, but there comes with that a sort of bliss of life, a lack of knowledge and understanding of the difficulties and complexities of life - 'Do you remember the strange days, when we were young and free' - this feels bittersweet when you reflect on it as an adult.”

A poignant and rather reflective release from the avid storyteller as we bid our farewells to a truly difficult year, ‘Change’ fills us with hope as we look ahead to the new year unfolding before us.

Born and raised in London, Valentine’s musical taste is both vast and varied much like the city he calls his home. He cites British artists from Elton John and Arctic Monkeys to Tom Odell and David Bowie as his influences, all of which infuse a unique flavour and sound to Valentine’s musical resume. Having grown up musically gifted, Valentine began piano lessons at his London home at four, after his grandmother bought him his first piano. By the age of 10, Valentine was accepted into the Royal College of Music where he trained for four years in classical music and of course, the piano.

Fast forward to present day and ‘Change’ is now the seventh release from the multi-instrumentalist so far, and Valentine’s fourth release of 2020. His previous releases have been incredibly well received by fans and press alike, gaining him the attention of top music publications like Earmilk, Cultr and FAME Magazine, as well as a loyal following of over 20,000 monthly listeners on Spotify alone.

Judging by the roll that Valentine has steadily been on since his official musical debut in 2019, ‘Change’ with its powerful instrumentation, commanding melody and heartfelt, and inspiring lyrics is set to follow the same trajectory and makes for a poignant end of year release. Hugo Valentine continues to make music that is both vulnerable yet simultaneously encouraging and it’s in this that the strength of his songwriting lies. 2021 will see even more excitement for Hugo as he prepares for his debut EP release.