Lauv Lets It All Out

Written by Gianna Cicchetti

Graphic by Rebekah Witt

Emotional pop master Ari Leff, aka Lauv, has had a surreal last few years. After showcasing his potential with hit singles such as “I Like Me Better,” the pandemic hit right as his second album, ~how i’m feeling~, was out in the world. The isolation that this period brought us all especially hit Lauv, who sought to find himself among the loneliness. This soul-searching and resulting creative liberation brought Lauv the strength to become a more honest artist, as seen on his new record, All 4 Nothing, out now. 

Recently, I was able to attend a press conference presented by °1824 where Lauv got to discuss the process and themes of this album with fellow journalists. The vulnerability shared between the artist and the attendees was unlike anything I had seen before at an event of this realm. A large part of these past few years for Lauv was his mental health journey, which he is very open about. Connecting with his inner child was an essential coping mechanism for him throughout the songwriting process, alongside meditation. All of the journalists on the call felt so comfortable and seen by the thoughts on mental health Lauv had to share, to the point that everyone was sharing what medications they are on with the chat and finding commonalities among each other. 

A major differentiator between this album and Lauv’s previous work is his newfound confidence to become fully honest in his lyricism and keep things unfiltered. He wanted to subvert the expectation that pop records need to be polished, sharing even some of his darkest, less than perfect moments on All 4 Nothing. The album perfectly balances lighter songs and those darker moments, which Lauv says reflect his everyday life. Some of those songs with an edge are some of the standouts on the record, especially “Bad Trip” and “Molly in Mexico,” stories presented with flaws and all backed by summer-ready, infectious beats. The gentler tracks on the album possess that same level of vulnerability, including “Hey Ari,” which goes into detail about his struggles to cope with mental illness and the concern that his loved ones have had for him because of it. At this point in his career, he has had to let go of his fear of judgment in order to release the music that he truly loves and wants to share. Lauv stressed how this was a hard task, but he said it was his “north star” throughout the making of the album, and it shows as a step up from his previous releases. The free and fluid production that he employed on this record pushes these songs forward sonically, and the off-the-cuff, often totally freestyled, songwriting approach feels more genuine than ever before.

It was an absolute pleasure to get to know Lauv further, both through All 4 Nothing itself and through the press conference that accompanied it! Lauv just kicked off a North American tour with Hayley Kiyoko, which seems like a perfect way to end this summer, so don’t miss it and brush up on the new record in the meantime.