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Photo: Sophia Liv Maguire

Sofia Valdés’ debut album has officially arrived, and it's a full-bodied introduction to the Panamanian artist’s next evolution.

The self-titled project, produced alongside Rosalía's right-hand man Michael Uzowuru, is a fortified signaling of artistic maturity. Valdés is no longer the girl 2020 introduced us to; life, love, and loss have deepened her spirit and afforded her bigger stories to tell. With hints of bossa nova, soft pop, and traditional Latin, Valdés gives herself permission to be the entirety of herself on all 10 tracks.

“Tacones Por La Puerta” is sung completely in Spanish, a soft hum of ancestral passion. “Un Momento” stacks Valdés vocals in an angelic harmony, as she hypnotizes listeners into a state of bliss. The project also features previously released singles like “Easy” and the Cuco-assisted “How’s That Working Out?,” which has garnered over half a million streams on Spotify.

The release is accompanied by an elegant visual for “Already Yours,” a triumphant surrender to love that showcases the dexterity of Valdés’ vocal ability. Finally releasing this album has seemingly set a piece of Valdés soul free, who vulnerably shared on Instagram, “I went to hell and back in the making of this album… physically and mentally. I felt like my entire life had been leading up to this moment: My first album! You can imagine the amount of pressure I put on myself for this (alongside obvious pressures that came from being with a major label and working with an excellent team of talented people). You wanna feel like what you are doing is worth everyone’s time.”

Upon first listen, it’s clear every drop of time was poured into the shaping of this album, and Valdés can finally exhale as the world ingests the reaping of her magic.

Listen to Sofía Valdés below: