23-year old rising pop/R&B artist Lauv shows incredible potential on his love-centric playlist, ‘I met you when I was 18.’

Ah, lauvsongs are so sweet! Ari Staprans Leff, better known as Lauv, seems destined to be star.  Throughout the course of 2017-18, the 23-year old Cali pop/R&B artist has proven he shouldn’t be slept on – he has plenty of potential.  After releasing numerous singles, he assembles a playlist, I met you when I was 18.  Given the intrigue of the advanced singles, it’s unsurprising the playlist is compelling.

“I Like Me Better”

“To be young and in love in New York City.” Lauv kicks things off in stellar fashion with early single “I Like Me Better,” which was written about the artist moving to New York at 18.  This crowning achievement benefits from its melodic nature, not to mention the bright, major key vibe, and catchy chorus. “Paris in the Rain” follows, commencing smoothly – it’s chill, refined, and romantic. Early on, the single gives off warm and fuzzy vibes.  Jazzy, soulful cues help to make it sound incredibly distinct. He matches the cool, smooth instrumental vibe vocally, delivering a sexy, suave performance, jam-packed with ripe falsetto.

“Comfortable” keeps things short and sweet, amplifying the urban contemporary vibes.  Lauv delivers one of his strongest vocal performances, flaunting his upper register on the chorus.  The production is sleek, embracing the electro-, modern-pop/urban palette of sounds. Speaking of a production highlight, “Paranoid” embraces the electro- script even more, with pitch-shifted vocals, synths, and unique drum programming arriving post-chorus. His falsetto remains ripe, regardless of paranoia experienced regarding love.

“The Other”

Lauv is buttery smooth on “The Other,” particularly the superbly-produced vocals that appear during the chorus section.  On the ultra-sleek “Reforget,” he struggles with the memories of his ex, asserting, “I go out just so I can re-forget.” Thoughtfully placed on the track list as the follow up to “Reforget,” piano ballad “The Story Never Ends” finds Leff annoyed and upset that his ex fails to take any responsibility for the end of the relationship.  Ultimately, she blames him for everything, poetically delivered on the bridge: “That’s who you are / Crash the car / And blame the road.”

The tempo, energy, and fun pick up on “Enemies,” another number surrounding the relationship between exes. Lauv states on the hella-catchy chorus, “I know it hurts ‘cause I feel it too / But after all, all that we been through / Ooh why do we / We have to be enemies, enemies?” On “Come Back Home,”his ultimate goal is healing – more ‘re-forgetting’ a bad break-up.  “Come Back Home” is the perfect example of escapism.  The sole feature on the playlist comes by way of Travis Mills who raps on urban-pop standout “Question.” “Question” benefits from cool production, chill vocals, and a ‘change of pace’ with the rhymes.

“Easy Love”

“Easy Love” opens with chill, smooth production work. Lauv enters with easy-going vocals, never forced to push, and sounding natural, yet invested. Melodically, the record shines, thanks in part to the unexpected use of lowered seventh during the verse.  Maybe more important than the use of the subtonic is the chorus, the song’s crème de la crème moment.  Thematically, the song centers around love being hard but worth fighting for.  As he verifies himself on the lyric, “And maybe that’s why I stay”: ‘Easy Love is about surrendering to insanity in a relationship.’

“Remembering all those nights / With your body straight to the sky / You work me until the morning / Fall asleep half past nine (A.M.).”  That was ‘some type of love’ Lauv describes on the energetic, falsetto-laden, mid-tempo highlight, “Adrenaline.”  Clearly, he wants to return to when the love – emotionally and physically – was popping. He follows up “Adrenaline” by “Chasing Fire”.  Initially, he sings in his lower register (first verse), before ascending into his middle register on the first pre-chorus.  The interpretation of the first verse shallow to some extent, but not far-fetched.  Despite an imminent break-up, sex keeps them together.  After showcasing vocal restraint early on, he’s fully invested. The chorus is among the catchiest of the playlist.

“Breathe”

Lauv continues in all his excellence on “Breathe,” proclaiming, “You’re my all and more / All I know you taught me, yeah…” It’s the second half of the chorus that’s most pertinent to the musician’s independence: “You’re my all and more / But I need room to breathe, yeah.” On “Bracelet” he reflects (again) on the end of his relationship. “Didn’t know what I wanted / I’ll admit that,” he sings early on, continuing, “Still don’t know what I wanted / I’ll be honest, I’m not ready to let you go.” Lamenting the fact that it’s over, he is not ready to let go, evidenced by his need to wear her bracelet for an unspecified amount of time.

“I used to have you, now I have this bracelet

I let you go but baby I’m gonna wear it

Until I don’t need to

Until I don’t need you.”

The sound and vibe of “Bracelet” are similar to previous singles, embracing elements of electronic, pop, and urban contemporary music.  

Penultimate record “Getting Over You” which was released as a single on Valentine’s Day 2018. The record sounds moody and sexy from the jump. Expectedly, the moodiness of the production plays a key role in conveying the emotions of Lauv, who, again, simply can’t get past her.  On the first verse, he sings, “Waking up in a cold sweat / Someone else in this cold bed / I’d do anything to not be alone… / I wonder if I’ll ever let go.”  “Never Not” closes out the playlist reminiscently, yet also closes the chapter.  “For as long I live and as long as I love,” he sings on the chorus, “I will never not think about you.”

Final Thoughts

All in all, I met you when I was 18 is a brilliant start for Lauv.  Sure, he dropped an EP back in 2015, with all five songs reappearing here, but this marks his big introduction to the world.  Throughout the course of this hour-long, 17-track affair, he shows ample potential and versality.  If this were an ‘album,’ and hour would be a bit much, but since it’s a playlist with lots of options, it feels just about right.

Gems: “I Like Me Better,” “Paris in the Rain,” “Comfortable,” “Paranoid,” “Question,”

 “Easy Love,” “Adrenaline,” “Bracelet” & “Getting Over You”

Lauv • I met you when I was 18.• Lauv • Release: 6.1.18

Photo Credit: Lauv