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Lexi Valentine Finds Light in the In-Between on “Niña Feliz”
Mexican-Canadian singer-songwriter Lexi Valentine has released “Niña Feliz,” the latest introduction to her forthcoming album Lo Claroscuro. Blending electro-pop and indie-pop influences, the single previews a deeply personal project exploring identity, belonging, grief, love, and healing across Valentine’s Mexican and Canadian roots.
Lo Claroscuro emerged during a period of significant change in Valentine’s life. While living in Mexico City, she spent months traveling between Mexico and Toronto as her father dealt with ongoing health issues, while also navigating the end of a long-term relationship. Those experiences became central to an album that examines what it means to feel at home, both geographically and emotionally.
“Niña Feliz” captures that tension through warm, layered production and reflective songwriting. Rather than presenting happiness and sadness as opposites, Valentine allows both to exist within the same space, setting the tone for the larger themes of the record.
The album takes its name from chiaroscuro, the artistic technique defined by the contrast between light and shadow. Valentine applies that concept to her own experiences, moving between English and Spanish while bringing her Mexican and Canadian identities together throughout the project.
Produced alongside longtime collaborator Jon Drew, Lo Claroscuro also reconnects Valentine with a musical community tied to projects including Magneta Lane, The Balconies, Controller Controller, SeaDaisy, and Neverending White Lights.
The project marks a notable return for Valentine, who first emerged as the teenage frontwoman, guitarist, and principal songwriter of Toronto indie-rock trio Magneta Lane. She later explored synth-pop with LOLAA before stepping away from music following the pandemic.
With “Niña Feliz,” Valentine begins a new chapter without distancing herself from the ones that came before it. Lo Claroscuro instead brings those experiences together, using contrast as the foundation for a record centered on accepting the complicated realities of growth and healing.
