With everything going on in the world right now, it's becoming increasingly difficult not to have your energy completely zapped throughout the week, but Philadelphia's Valentina Sounds refuses to subscribe to that train of thought. In the music video for her new song, "Fun" (out today), Valentina pairs bright imagery and sprightly choreography with an effervescent, bubbly pop track that beckons us to ditch the monotony of our stressful lives for some time out in the sun.

The music video, directed and edited by Tim Lohr, is a colorful celebration of movement and a welcome release of tension. Co-conceived by Valentina and choreographer Sara Mingle, the video was shot in just two hours at Conshohocken's Blu Bear Studio and features a selection of Philly artists, including Mingle, Molly Hebert-Wilson, Sam Schugsta, Bobby DiPasquale, Andie Haddad, and Gina Tomkowich.

Music Jawn sat down with Valentina Sounds ahead of the premiere for a few questions:

You’ve described “Fun” almost like an escape hatch from the chaos of the work week.  Did you write this song as a response to feeling burnt out, or because you’re noticing how attached people have become to their devices?

Both! Sometimes people forget how helpful it can be for mental health to put the phone away, leave work at work, and enjoy an activity.

If you were pulling a friend out of a stressful week and into a ‘Fun’ day in Philly, where are you taking them?

Philly has so much to offer! If I'm not playing music or doing theatre, I love dancing and moving. So, if you've had a stressful week, I might take you to dinner in Old City and then to Brasil's for one of their salsa classes. Going to see a live local band is also always on the table–The Fallser Club has a great lineup of shows coming up! If we're talking outdoor activities, one of my favorite places is West Fairmount Park. Great place for a picnic or reading a book under a cherry tree. 

The music video for “Fun” features a whole host of Philadelphia-based artists.  How has being surrounded by the artist community in Philly shaped the way you approach your own sound or creative process?

It's inspiring and makes me feel less alone in my pursuit ! When I see everybody out there doing their thing, it motivates me to keep going. It's also a very collaborative music scene, I love bouncing creative ideas off of fellow musicians or theatre people. 

You mentioned picturing the music video in vignettes with your eyes closed—what was the very first image you saw that made you go, ‘this is the video’?”

Hands coming in from out of frame to stress me out! That was the spark. 

My original idea was for the video to be one long take, so we did what we could to keep that idea intact for as much of the video as possible. 

You’re originally from Italy, but you’ve been in Philadelphia for quite some time now.  As a musician, what made Philly feel like a place where you could stick around and actually build something creatively, as opposed to “big” music cities like Los Angeles and Nashville?

Philadelphia gives that small-town experience while at the same time offering big-city opportunities. Creatively, living here gave me room to grow and develop my abilities as a performer. I can afford to record in nice studios with great producers, great players, and pay my bills at the same time. When, a few years ago I decided to get back into theatre, I found yet another thriving creative community. I cannot speak for LA or Nashville, but this is what Philly has done for me, and I'm proud of what I've achieved.  

Plus–location location location: if I want to go to Italy I can take the Philadelphia-Rome direct flight and be home in 9 hours. I think my parents would never forgive me if I moved to the West Coast.