Philadelphia singer and model Andrea Valle makes gorgeous music that sits in the sweet spot between R&B and neo soul. She grew up singing lead vocals in her church choir, with an informal musical education courtesy of Michael Jackson, Erykah Badu and Ella Fitzgerald, and it’s all there in the 22-year-old’s vulnerable vocals. She’s been drip-feeding us her creations — coming of age stories of love lost and experience gained — for the past couple of years, and is currently plotting the release of her second EP. Earlier this month, Andrea launched the project with the release of lead single, No More , a song about closure and knowing you deserve more than you’ve been getting. It’ll get stuck on repeat in your head.
“I remember being at the studio writing and recording it, and just feeling like a weight was immediately lifted,” she told i-D, “to finally get my feelings out about something that wasn’t easy to register at first. That just proves to me that I’m able to reach myself more when I make music, rather than just talking about a situation, and honestly it’s one of my best songs yet. Hopefully it resonates.”
With her gap-toothed good looks and an ever-changing, eclectic array of hairstyles, Andrea is stunning. And yes, she’s fully aware that she bears more than a striking resemblance to i-D cover star and model mum Slick Woods. Hooked on her music, we did a bit of digging to discover more about the woman behind it. Here’s what we found. Here are 10 things you need to know about Andrea Valle.
1. First things first: you’re probably pronouncing her surname all wrong
“It’s pronounced ‘Va-yay’. I identify as African-American but I am also mixed with Puerto Rican from my father’s side.”
2. She’s full of unconventional relationship advice
“Having been single for so many years, I believe that you should grow with yourself before you decide to grow with anyone else.”
3. Life just keeps on inspiring her
“Everything is on the up and up, and with it being the new year, so many exciting things are happening. It has me really inspired to keep up the momentum.”
4. She was born and raised in Philly, which has its ups and downs
“The best things about Philly are definitely the food, bars and museums. Some of my favourites are the Dolphin Tavern, Sampan and the Institute of Contemporary Art. The worst things about Philly are the gentrified areas, making it harder for low income residents to no longer live where they grew up or raised their families due to raised rent. Then there’s the crime rate and violence in the city, which has gotten a little bit better but hasn’t improved much.”
5. Poetry is her thing. In fact, she wrote us a haiku based on her mood rn
“Shoutout to i-D
For interviewing a G
Listen to No More!”
6. The last book she read was A Woman’s Spirit by Karen Casey
“I’d highly recommend it because it’s filled with daily affirmations and inspiring messages to get not only women, but anyone through. Great read.”
7. She’s a twin, but they don’t have that magic twin thing going on
“I wish we did. My twin brother is so unlike me, which is fine because that’s where the balance is between us. He’s a real estate investor, his company is called Valle Investments and he’s also a computer technician and a new father, which is really amazing to see it all be juggled.”
8. Aside from her own, the tooth gap she likes the most is Slick Woods’
“The gag is that so many people continuously tagged her on my posts saying we look alike, which led her to blocking me lol, but I love her and her gap.”
9. She has one clear tip for dealing with winter weather
“I’m anaemic so I don’t play about with the cold whatsoever. A great tip is to Uber everywhere, which is essential for me.”
10. 2018 taught her some things
“I learned that patience is a virtue, the universe listens, and to reach a goal you have to believe in yourself and be consistent.”