“Laugh Track“ by Ava Valianti

“Laugh Track” by Ava Valianti is a raw and fun song about feeling like you have to perform for other people in order to get them to like you. An unfortunately common experience, Valianti vulnerably explores the crippling self-doubt that prevents someone from being fully comfortable with being their true self. Valianti is an innovative singer-songwriter who blends pop production with authentic storytelling, crafting compelling soundscapes that effortlessly hold your attention from start to finish.

This song opens with upbeat acoustic guitar strumming, making you think that the track might be a happy one. Even though the production stays energetic, the lyrics begin to reveal the heavier subject matter. This contrast between the production and the lyrics is an impactful choice, as if Valianti feels like she has to provide the listener with a fun time, performing for them even as she sings about a perspective she is struggling with. Lines like “I always pretend cameras lurk” (with a clever mention of The Truman Show) and “don’t break character now, I was doing so well” show how determined Valianti is to continue showing up to others in the “correct” way.

The clapping rhythm, lively piano and bass parts, and little ear candy electric guitar riffs pull you through the song in a satisfying way, shifting the energy as the story builds. The bridge ups the tension even more as Valianti repeatedly sings “we’re all laughing, is it with me or at me?” The repetition evokes strong emotions in the listener as her desperation becomes more and more palpable.

FOLLOW AVA VALIANTI:

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