Bringing a collaborative playlist for her fans to engage with online, Thai-Italian singer-songwriter Valentina Ploy brought “Heartbreak Club” into life in her first Philippine show.
Two years since the COVID-19 pandemic happened, the 28-year-old international artist finally made it in the country for her first ever Manila showcase of “Heartbreak Club” on September 14 at The Commune, Makati City.
In this exclusive event, some of Valentina’s Filipino fans gathered around to warmly welcome her with smiles and gifts. But before the “Berlin” singer stepped onto the stage, Arthur Miguel kicked off the show with performances of his songs “Dito sa Ilalim ng Buwan,” “Leron,” and “Sa Wakas.” He then finished his act with a solemn performance of “Kupido,” creating soulful energy in the room, just in time for Valentina’s act.
As soon as she stepped into the stage, she was greeted with cheers and a vibrant energy from the fans. Valentina also returned the same energy, and even serenaded them with some of her hit songs, namely “Bla Bli Blu,” “Berlin,” and her latest single, “Camera Roll.”
She also performed a snippet of her upcoming track “I Miss My Friends,” a song in collaboration with fellow Thai singer Phum Viphurit. Valentina shared that “I Miss My Friends,” which will drop on November 11, is dedicated to her closest friends in Italy who she didn’t get the chance to see for quite some time due to the pandemic.
Valentina ended her set by performing her debut track “See You in Life.” Despite the melodramatic vibe of her last song, the show ended with a blast as fans got the opportunity to meet Valentina up close for the meet-and-greet session.
POP! also got the chance to catch up with Valentina during her roundtable media interview, where she expressed her excitement to meet her Filipino fans (whom she calls her “jowas”) who have embraced her ever since the start of her musical journey.
She also explained the meaning behind “Heartbreak Club,” the name of her Manila showcase which was derived from the playlist she and her fans created. “This [“Heartbreak Club”] is for everybody who feels heartbroken. The idea of this is for me and my fans to share something that we [probably] have experienced together,” she shared.
She then continued that she and her fans added tracks that speak to them, which made her realize that they share the same taste in music. “It’s very interesting to me that we all have the same taste. There are many songs that they add there that I love!”
And of course, “Heartbreak Club” won’t be the playlist for the broken-hearted without Valentina’s latest heart-wrenching track“Camera Roll.” According to Valentina, this melodramatic song is about the beautiful memories of a lost relationship.
“Sometimes, when you lose someone, the memories of them stay forever in the films, pictures, and videos in our camera roll,” she explained. “And for me, that’s comforting, [so] that’s how the song came about.”
When asked about what would most likely be seen in her camera roll right now, Valentina beamed and shared that her camera roll is filled with photos of her grandmother, photos of people she loves, of herself, and of the skies.
With her many years of experience under her belt, it’s no surprise that the international artist has accomplished many things in life. But as the old adage goes, “Simplicity is the final achievement.” Valentina considers the simplest thing in life her proudest one. Such as when someone praises her songs, she feels the proudest.
“When a person tells me, ‘Oh my god! Your song has made me feel better,’ I feel proud [because] that’s what I ultimately do it for. [It’s] the best feeling ever, and those little moments are what I’m proudest of,” Valentina said.
Her appreciation for simpler things also shows that her onstage persona is no different from her real-life one. Valentina shared: “When I’m on stage, sometimes I can be weird, and that’s just part of [the real-life me] and my music. I want to be more human and let people embrace being human [because] that’s totally perfect.”
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Known for her profound sound and heartfelt lyrics, Valentina first rose to prominence after participating in X-Factor Italia and The Voice Thailand. Apart from these musical competitions, the 28-year-old artist also joined Miss Universe Thailand 2018, where she finished off as a runner-up. And shortly after her successful, albeit short, stint as a beauty pageant contestant, she went back to her first love: music.
Valentina Ploy received international recognition in 2019 when her debut single “See You in Life” was released, which accumulated over 18 million streams.
Since then, she continued to dominate the charts and capture everyone’s attention with her singles, “Wire” and “Let Go,” and her first extended play (EP) “Satellite.” Even during the onslaught of the COVID-19 pandemic, Valentina garnered more success after releasing her singles “Really Wanna Know Ya,” “Drunk Sleeping in Taxis,” and “Extra Life.”
With her successful trajectory, Valentina’s career was elevated to new heights as she signed with Warner Music Asia after forming a strategic alliance with her label What the Duck. To this day, her success still extended to her singles “Bla Bli Blu,” “Berlin,” and “Camera Roll.”
Listen to Valentina Ploy’s latest single “Camera Roll” below and get to know more about her on our POP! Hangout here.
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