Valencia James Takes On Tough Times With “All the Waves”
New York born/Sydney raised Valencia James brings a timely new release all about rising above your struggles, “All The Waves”. Drawing on personal trials and emotions, James aims to bring listeners something organic and true through her music – her latest single being no exception.
“All the Waves” has the same I’ll-show-them attitude as moody pop releases from the likes of Halsey, Avril Lavigne, and Marina and the Diamonds. Bringing her defiance in the face of adversity to light, her lyrics focus heavily on water imagery. The chorus’ closing lyrics speak to standing firm to overcome challenges, both for yourself and others: “And when the doubt and fear rush in, I will anchor us / All the waves keep on crashing, they won’t take us down.” Matched to a moody arrangement, there’s an overarching inspirational tone within the single.
Sharing her inspiration for the song, James says that it stems from “a really long, hard season I was going through…and it’s become even more relevant with everything going on in 2020. It’s my way of comparing my fear of the waves to how I feel about situations in my life and the hits that I’ve taken…” Her vulnerability and feelings of despair show through her lyrics, but ultimately, optimism and hope come through as well, as she sings “Here we are the pressure’s on / we’ve got a lot to prove / Here we are holding on, we’ve still got life in us.”
The underlying message: that the hardest of times can in the end serve to bring out the best in us; a reminder we could all arguably use navigating this insane year.
Listen to “All The Waves” below.
