In 2020, HIM icon Ville Valo resurfaced under the two-letter moniker VV and a trio of new songs. Now, he’s back in full force with the forthcoming Neon Noir album, a 2023 U.S. tour and, coming Friday (April 8), the new single “Loveletting.”
“As fun as the funeral rites for HIM were, it took me more than a few moons to lick my wounds in the shadow of the Heartagram and come up with an excuse to strum and hum again,” said Valo, now five years removed from the dissolution of the Finnish “love metal” pioneers.
“Eventually, I decided to put a leash on my beloved black dog and we started howling together instead of barking at each other. That’s how ‘Loveletting’ was born,” he continued, speaking about the lead single off Neon Noir, which is scheduled for an early 2023 release, with no official release date confirmed at this time. Look for the single to drop at midnight local time on streaming platforms and for an official video clip to be unveiled at 11AM ET.
“Artistically speaking, the main difference between HIM and VV is the extra line in the Heartagram,” explained Valo, referencing the artwork (seen below) for the new LP, “but what an exquisite line it is! It’s the Mamas and the Papas dressed up as Metallica on their way to a Halloween bash at the Studio 54, and now who wouldn’t want to witness that?”
To coincide with the 2023 album release, Valo will embark on a U.S. tour that stretches from April 1 through May 8 and a list of those stops can be viewed further down the page.
VV, Neon Noir Album Art + Track Listing
VV, ‘Neon Noir’
VV (Ville Valo) 2023 U.S. Tour Dates
April 01 — Philadelphia, Pa. @ Theatre of Living Arts
April 02 — Boston, Mass. @ Big Night Live
April 04 — Pittsburgh, Pa. @ Roxian Theatre
April 05 — Cleveland, Ohio @ House of Blues
April 06 — Detroit, Mich. @ St Andrews Hall
April 08 — Cincinnati, Ohio @ Bogarts
April 09 — Chicago, Ill. @ House of Blues
April 11 — Minneapolis, Minn. @ Varsity Theater
April 13 — Denver, Colo. @ Summit
April 14 — Salt Lake City, Utah @ The Depot
April 16 — Sacramento, Calif. @ Ace of Spades
April 17 — San Francisco, Calif. @ The Fillmore
April 18 — Los Angeles, Calif. @ The Belasco
April 21 — Las Vegas, Nev. @ House of Blues
April 22 — San Diego, Calif. @ House of Blues
April 23 — Phoenix, Ariz. @ The Van Buren
April 25 — Dallas, Texas @ House of Blues
April 26 — San Antonio, Texas @ Aztec Theater
April 27 — Houston, Texas @ House of Blues
April 28 — New Orleans, La. @ House of Blues
April 30 — Orlando, Fla. @ House of Blues
May 01 — Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. @ Revolution
May 03 — Atlanta, Ga. @ Buckhead Theatre
May 04 — Nashville, Tenn. @ Brooklyn Bowl
May 05 — Charlotte, N.C. @ Underground
May 07 — Silver Spring, Md. @ The Fillmore
May 08 — New York, N.Y. @ Irving Plaza
