Ari Staprans Leff, or better known as Lauv, started making a name for himself with his release of “I met you when I was 18.” The playlist was released May 31 of this year.
Lauv is a singer, songwriter and producer and has written alongside others for popular songs such as: “Boys” by Charli XCX and “No Promises” by Cheat Codes featuring Demi Lovato. He also opened for Ed Sheeran this past year and has gone on his own tours.
The playlist itself covers an extensive amount of emotions from love to heartbreak. Vocally, Lauv creates an overlapping soulful, suave sound throughout his songs.
The pop R&B artist dropped his first song “The Other,” back in 2015, which is on the playlist. The song talks of the back and forth of whether or not the relationship is the right one for you. One of the songs most powerful lines: “either your head or your heart, you set the other on fire,” explains how life is a battle between rational thoughts and deep feelings. This translates into how one tries to burn memories and feelings.
The 17 songs on the album revolve around how the “existential hopeless romantic” tells his love story through music.
“It’s a story that, since I released my first song ‘The Other’ in 2015, has been told a bit out of order. In pieces, in fragments and in moments reminisced, but now here it is in its entirety: ‘I met you when I was 18.’ Not an album but a body of work nonetheless. I hope you enjoy” he said in a press release.
Similar to a mix of The Chainsmokers, Justin Timberlake and Ed Sheeran, Lauv creates his own sound with a jazzy electronic tone.
Lauv’s radio hit “I Like Me Better” climbed the charts to number 27 on Billboard’s Hot 100 as of Sept. 8. This is also the first song on the playlist. This upbeat catchy song revolves around 18-year-old boy moving to New York city and falling in love, while trying to find his own identity.
Another highlight is “Reforget,” which is strategically placed on the playlist, where he’s trying to forget his ex early on in the story but cannot get her out of his head. The song coos a repetitive cycle where the tempo begins slow and soft but picks up during the chorus.
The playlist ends with the song, “Never Not,” where Lauv recalls how he’ll always be thinking about his ex as long as he lives and loves. The first two lines of the song begin with “We were so beautiful. We were so tragic,” reflecting the beginning and the end of any long-term relationship.
Lauv has shown he shouldn’t be ignored—he knows how to write music, play music, relate to people and grab an audience’s attention— we will have to see where he goes next.
