Francisca Valenzuela Declares Independence in ‘Ya No Se Trata de Ti’
The Chilean-American singer, songwriter and activist Francisca Valenzuela has released a sumptuous new video for her latest single, “Ya No Se Trata de Ti” — or in English, “It’s No Longer About You.” The track is the second release off her forthcoming untitled album, due in 2019.
Both fizzy and tastefully salacious, Valenzuela’s previous single “Tómame” is a bubblegum pop paean to sexual liberty — a declaration of independence on behalf of her body. Yet in the new, more downtempo “Ya No Se Trata de Ti,” Valenzuela seeks the same kind of freedom for her heart. Her vocals hang lithely in the air, light as a feather as she sheds the dead weight of a former lover. “You had me around to feed and fatten your ego,” she sings coolly in Spanish.
“[The song] is about leaving behind that person or situation that hurt you,” Valenzuela tells Rolling Stone. “It is a fragile and strong song at the same time, and it talks about liberation and personal improvement and the process of growing and rebelling against the past.”
Filmed in Los Angeles, the video sees Valenzuela and her crew of ladies glide swan-like from frame to frame, choreographed by Genna Moroni (Dua Lipa, Jarina de Marco). Director of Photography Lucas Gath, who boasts direction credits in the new Suspiria reboot, suffuses each scene with splashes of color.
Splitting her time between L.A. and Santiago, Chile, Valenzuela is a champion of female empowerment in avenues besides her own music: An outspoken feminist and LGBTQ advocate, she’s the founder of Ruidosa, an international festival and online publication promoting women working in all corners of the music industry. (Also worth noting: Valenzuela published her first book at the age of 12 — a collection of socially conscious poems titled Defenseless Waters — with a foreword by the prolific Chilean author Isabel Allende.)
Valenzuela most recently completed her Tómame Tour in Chile, during which she opened for Colombian pop legend Shakira. Stay tuned for additional tour dates and an official release date for her album.