Lagos-based singer-songwriter Valentino Rose steps fully into view with the release of her self-titled debut EP, Valentino Rose, out now via NATIVE  Records. Across six tracks, she turns heartbreak, longing and the thoughts that only arrive after midnight into records built for release: music for people who feel everything but refuse to stay down for long.

Naming her first project after herself is a statement of intent. Valentino Rose is an introduction, and an honest one. Her songwriting leans into vulnerability, but it never sits still in it. Soul and R&B shape the way she sings, while Afro-house rhythms and dance-pop hooks carry each record onto the floor. The result is music that lives in the space between the ache and the drop, where a sad song can still move a room.

To build that world, Valentino worked with a tight circle of producers including Sholz (ODUMODUBLVCK, Ye) & CJ Oliver, SKVR & Xynothing (Drake), Dan Akins, Dave Nunes (Shimza), and Oche, with Jesse Alordiah producing across the full project. She co-wrote every track alongside a close team of collaborators, keeping her own voice at the centre of each record. 

The EP also features two of Nigeria’s most exciting new voices. Wave$tar, the rapper behind a breakout run that includes the viral hit “Escaladizzy,” brings his moody, introspective edge to “[NO MORE],” while Native Records labelmate Rigo Kamp joins her on “[WHY].” 

The project’s creative direction is led by Danielle “Dan” Mbonu, a rising creative and video director behind some of the most striking visuals on the scene this year, with work for Lojay, Victony, Asake, Cruel Santino, Tems and Dave. Her eye has quickly made her one of the most in-demand names behind the camera, and with Valentino she builds a world that matches the world her songs live in. 

The EP’s artwork, by illustrator Sijibomi “Siji Draws” Aribidesi, wraps the project in roses and thorns, a visual nod to the softness and sharpness that run through the music.

The project follows her single “Speak To Me,” which arrived in the middle of a growing conversation about Afro-house and the rise of women in Nigeria’s dance scene. Valentino quickly became one of the faces of that moment. A clip of the record drew more than 500,000 views on X, culture blogs named her among the new wave of Nigerian women reshaping the sound, and the song crossed from timeline to dancefloor with DJ support at Lagos raves. Her own introduction at the time was simple: they call me the dark princess of Afro-house. With Valentino Rose, she shows why.

Listen to Valentino Rose here.

ABOUT VALENTINO ROSE

Valentino Rose is a Lagos-based singer-songwriter crafting emotionally charged dance music for listeners who feel everything but refuse to stay down for long. Blending Afro-house, dance-pop, R&B and soul, she turns heartbreak, longing and late-night thoughts into records made for movement. With captivating vocals and a natural instinct for storytelling, her music sits between vulnerability and release. Having collaborated with artists including ODUMODUBLVCK, BOJ and Ginton, Valentino Rose is emerging as one of the most distinctive new voices redefining dance music from Nigeria.