Lauv
How I’m Feeling
AWAL
Listen Below
Don’t be alarmed if the name Lauv doesn’t ring any bells—yet. The 25-year-old Californian with the bleach blonde hair and insanely delicious dress sense has just released his debut studio album How I’m Feeling. Given its official release just days ago, it seems that the rest of the world is about to finally catch up with pop’s best (some may say worst) kept secret.
Lauv (born Ari Straprans Leff) excites me in a way that simply hasn’t occurred with male singer-songwriters since, well, George Michael. Big call to make, massive in fact, but there is something about Lauv and his songwriting that evokes, albeit incredibly different, a rawness and fearless approach to emotional exploration that is incredibly refreshing to listen to.
This fearlessness permeates in full force throughout the album and Lauv makes sure he doesn’t shy away from wearing his heart on his sleeve and wants you to do the same too. Impossible to ignore is the album’s closing track “Modern Loneliness” where Lauv’s long-term conversations about mental health are so beautifully put into song. Exploring the juxtaposition of our modern day tech connectivity and disconnect, lines like “Modern loneliness / we are never alone / but always depressed” offer a voice for what far too many people are feeling in this age of technology overload.
It’s not all doom and gloom though. With an astonishing 21 tracks, there is a mood for all of your emotions. In fact, the album artwork depicts Lauv as himself, cross-legged in white, surrounded by five character versions of himself in various colors. Purple (existential Lauv), blue (hopeless romantic Lauv), green (goofy Lauv), yellow (positive Lauv), orange (fuckboy Lauv) and red (spicy Lauv), all components of the singer’s personality.
All of these emotions are put front and center on How I’m Feeling. Whether it is the heartbreak simmering throughout “Believed” or the heart wrenchingly apologetic “Julia” for the singer’s ex, Lauv doesn’t shy away from all the feelings. “Tattoos Together” continues the theme and dives into the ecstasy of falling back in love. It would appear that Lauv is unwittingly smashing down the societal barriers of masculinity that have prevailed for far too long and giving license to a new generation to get into all their feels. ALL of them.
Given that the singer has previously written for the likes of Celine Dion, Troye Sivan and Charli XCX, collaborations were almost a non-negotiable for this album and Lauv doesn’t disappoint. The singer teams up with Anne-Marie on the insanely catchy “Fuck, I’m Lonely,” Korean boy band of the moment BTS on “Who,” Alessia Cara on “Canada” and Mexican pop star Sofia Reyes on “El Tejano,” a homage to his favorite Mexican restaurant. But it is the beautiful collaboration with LANY on “Mean It” that sets the standard here. A love song for all.
I first came to know Lauv from “Paris In The Rain,” one of the most sublime songs I have ever heard. Lauv is a singer for those that are looking for the power behind the words, encased in the beauty and complexity of his music. He never fails to bring emotion and has a heartfelt openness with his artistry that is fresh and needed more than ever. How I’m Feeling is all those things and so, so much more.
I’m in Lauv.
Notable Tracks: “For Now” | “Invisible Things” | “Mean It” | “Modern Loneliness” | “Sims”
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