REVIEW: To Grief and Goodbyes: La Valentina’s “ASHO” is a Celebration in Moving On
REVIEW
REVIEW
☆ BY STARLY LOU RIGGS ☆
IT’S ONE THING TO PERFORM, AND ANOTHER TO FEEL IT DEEP IN YOUR GUT. - La Valentina’s latest funk-infused single, “ASHO,” makes it clear that she’s not afraid to wear her heart on her sleeve as she tenderly reaches out for connection, showcasing the melancholic truth of longing. In Portuguese, “acho” means “I think” or “I guess." But alongside La Valentina’s powerful sound, it’s clear that she’s not guessing anything; she’s here to confront her past and step forward. She’s walking her own path, dancing a little along the way.
Living in Paris and sticking true to her Colombian roots, La Valentina sings and raps in both French and Spanish. She studied at Conservatoire de Paris, eventually leaving ballet behind at 21 to focus on a career in music. Her first release came to light in 2022—mixtape ENCANTADA—with a debut EP DEL AMOR Y OTROS DEMONIOS two years later. Working closely with manager and producer Tonio 8cho, La Valentina has been building her image authentically, showcasing her dynamic dual-cultural identity and powerful performative energy. Under a color palette of deep blues and reds, she is bold, serious and playful all at the same time.
“ASHO” comes fresh from the ashes of the blazing fire that was CRIMEN Y CASTIGO Vol. 1, an EP released earlier this year centered around reclamation and the strength that comes from vulnerability. Giving rise to La Valentina’s latest persona, RODION, she’s showing the world that it can take letting go in order to really find the power within oneself.
“ASHO” is a dark club banger that’s provocative, yet somber. While La Valentina has proven herself a beast on the mic in many a rap battle, including on Netflix’s rap competition show Nouvelle École, she slows it down in “ASHO,” bringing her sultry voice to the forefront and begging listeners to sway their hips to the dulcet tones. Atop the melancholic electronic samples and Brazilian-style funk beat sit lyrics like, “Si al cielo le pido / es que tengo miedo a estar sola / El amor es un lío, baby / hoy esquivo las horas” (If I ask heaven / it's because I'm afraid of being alone / Love is a mess, baby / today I avoid the hours”), melodically shifting to her signature darker Latin-inspired beats. Lyrically and sonically, her songs fill a cavern in the chest—seeing beauty in the pain.
Poetically driven, La Valentina speaks to grief and goodbyes. It’s so utterly human to not want to be alone, yet sometimes it’s precisely that loneliness that can help us find how resilient we are. Upon a long awaited return to her roots—25 years in the making—the video for “ASHO” documents a playful and sincere journey to La Valentina’s home country of Colombia. Under lines like “Ah, asho / Que una quiere estar sola” (“I think that one wants to be alone,”) La Valentina is basking on the beach at sunset, dancing at clubs, eating delicious food and laughing with friends. In the midst of heartache and revelation, it turns out that La Valentina is not entirely alone. We are all here by her side, moving to the music.
