Mars Valencia – Heartless (2022)
With his newly released single ‘Heartless’, Mars Valencia continues the story he started with his single ‘Nomad’. In this next chapter of the tale, he dives into being selfish and chasing your dreams, regardless of the cost. This results in the ultimate sacrifice, with the main character of the story becoming heartless, cold and unfeeling.
As part of his upcoming EP Forgive Me, the single is an integral part of the story that spans the entire project. Drawing on his own lived experiences, Valencia brings an authentic and raw sound to his story and music. The unapologetic honesty of his music is wrapped up in engaging RnB and hip-hop stylings, with a touch of emo-rap, to bring the message of the tale home.
‘Heartless’ slowly draws you with a soft RnB line that is like the twinkling stars at night. This slides into the hip-hop beats that shuffle in the low levels, while that opening line weaves delicately over it. It is a great movement that has you shimmying and slowly bopping to the tones. The created soundscape is rich as it seems to reach out into the night with a beautiful endlessness. Those hip-hop beats shuffle you down the single until the drop, to leave you floating in an almost ambient space. Everything returns to push you back into the movement of the single. Halfway through, the tempo picks up and this change is picked up by the vocals. The changes in pace are wonderful throughout the track and keep you engaged.
Valencia’s vocals are as smooth as the melody when he enters. The lyrics are descriptive, helping you delve into the story of the single. There is a feeling that you are getting a glimpse of his thoughts at this point of the story through the lyrics, and it is wonderful. Through their progression, you can see how he falls into being heartless and uncaring. The melodic RnB flow of his voice rises to a soft floating tone, before dropping for a more hip-hop rap tone. His voice meets the melody and has you bopping to the shuffling beats even more. When the music changes, his vocals turn to match with a faster pace to his delivery that drives the story of the track home.
Using smooth RnB and shuffling hip-hop tones, Mars Valencia tells the story of selfish choices that leave you feeling ‘Heartless’. The melody flows between smooth RnB and shuffling hip-hop beats, with changes in tempo that keep you engaged. His vocals draw you into the story as he shares the thoughts and feelings of the main character.
Find out more about Mars Valencia on his Facebook, Instagram and Spotify.
