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Photo: Caity Krone

Newcomer Ayleen Valentine fights with inner demons in the new video for “next life,” the visual installment from her debut EP tonight i don’t exist. “next life” is a declaration of isolation and in the video we see Valentine surrender to the reality of knowing no one is looking out for you in this world. We’re invited to dive into the intimate world of Valentine’s mind and dance with the devil in return.

The track itself invokes an otherwordly atmosphere, hauntingly reflected in the dark visual. This is unsurprising, knowing the Miami-grown singer-songwriter draws sonic and lyrical inspiration from artists like James Blake and Grimes. Valentine recently dropped out of Berklee College of music, leaving behind her full ride for music production to move to Los Angeles to start her career. Drawing upon her Argentinian and Peruvian background, Valentine brings a fresh perspective to the singer-songwriter world while also focusing on the importance of production.

The “next life” visual takes place in a grimy apartment, darkly lit with Valentine’s loneliness on full display. We see chaotic spinning shots of Valentine, representing the overwhelming thoughts inhabiting her brain. Although the track is about feeling isolated, she’s technically not alone. A masked figure lingers in view as she spins a record to set the scene. He drinks from the bottle, pacing back and forth while Valentine cowers in the corner. The figure keeps her company throughout the video as they lay side by side, dancing with each other's ghosts, eventually culminating in a physical altercation.

One of the standout shots from the video is of Valentine being eerily dragged across the carpet by the figure as she sings the gut-wrenching lyrics, “I got tired of losing / He says I feel too much emotion / If I just sleep forever / Would you even notice?” The visual ends with the masked figure taking Valentine outside and leaving her laying on the street, defenseless and ultimately alone, and in turn, introduces Ayleen Valentine as an artist unafraid to explore the darkness of reality through her music and visuals. 

Watch the "next life" video below: