Valencia James - Dreamers
“I wrote Dreamers at a time in my life when I was learning how to dream again and believe for dreams that I had forgotten about. It’s kind of that song where I was just like, ‘Why can’t I do all the things that I want to?’ I had just come out of a period of depression about my future and this was my song ... let’s all just start dreaming again and going for what we want in life”.
Valencia James has just released an amazing live video of her hauntingly uplifting track ‘Dreamers’. I have to be honest, I liked the song when I listened to the studio version. It reminded me a little bit of Florence and the Machine mixed with a bit of Adele with a wonderful twist of solo style that I think is wholly Valencia’s.
I have to admit, however, that I wasn’t sold on the synth between each line of the verses. It kind of annoyed me and made me just want the chorus to happen. Once the chorus did explode into the massive punch of the song, I was hooked. Then the second verse pulled so far back with a minor addition of percussion that I found myself why Valencia James didn’t go full-on with the pads in the second verse. There was a perfect opportunity.
That being said, everything that I had qualms with about the studio version of the song was completely wiped clean with this new live video release. There is something about the stripped version which features only a guy playing a wonderfully smooth Rhodes sound, as well as a second player on the pads…and then, of course, Valencia’s amazing voice.
There really isn’t a kick into the second verse like I hoped there’d be in the studio version but there is no need for it because the whole intense emotion of the song is honed into an, unfortunately, briefer but much better version of the tune.
The way in which Valencia James performs in this live setting is, understandably so, just much more heartbreakingly uplifting. I hope that she tours Canada at some point so that I can get out to experience this first-hand. The only unfortunate thing about this live video version is the fact that we are looking at a pop screen with eyes for the majority of it. Surely I am not the only one who wants to see her face as she manipulates her words to her will. Maybe it’s that I’m a singer as well and want to see her work, but I think people, in general, will appreciate seeing what’s going on.
As for the song itself, ‘Dreamers’ is all about rediscovering the things we’ve wanted in life and actually going out of our way to achieving those things. It’s an empowering message, for sure, with an incredibly empowered singer behind it.
Make sure to check out the studio version right HERE and I’ll let Valencia close this out…
“I hope people listen to the song and remember to dream again, to hope again, and to believe in themselves again.”
