Lauv Spreads His Message Through Drugs and the Internet
With his growing popularity, independent artist and producer Ari Leff, known by his stage name Lauv, has been entering a new period of growth with his music. His first album i met you when i was 18. drew in fans with its catchy melody and upbeat tempo, contrasted with soulful lyrics that take the listener through a story of first love.
Now, Lauv has broken down his persona of a hopeless romantic and traded it for a lost soul that is caught up in the media. With his new single Drugs and the Internet, which was released on April 25th, he touches upon a common issue amongst young people in this new age of technology and social media. In claiming that he “traded all his friends for drugs and the internet,” Lauv suggests that our generation is essentially alone, and that social media has caused relationships to become fleeting and unfulfilling. Thereby, addressing a prominent social debate in our society today.
Drugs and the Internet also reflects Lauv’s personal issues with his identity and who he is as a musician. Before the release of his new single, Lauv opened up on Instagram about his journey in rediscovering who he was after the release of his first album and the major success that he had received. He wrote that he felt like he was “pushing a rock uphill. Anxious. Guilty. Empty.” These struggles are conveyed in the second verse of Drugs and the Internet, he makes a statement that he does not want to base his actions on the opinions of others and he does not want to “hit delete” on the parts of himself that people might not like. While trying to show the negative effects of the media, Lauv backs up his claim using his own personal story, and shows his audience how he can recover from his setbacks.
Apart from the powerful message of the song, Lauv once again flaunts his skills in production by playing around with different tempos and styles throughout the course of the song. Starting out with a mellow piano and soft vocal, then a sudden beat drop as the chorus hits with it’s catchy hook, Drugs and the Internet is yet another testament to the artist’s talent and growth as a musician.
Overall, fans have responded positively to Lauv’s new single and this new era for his music. If you haven’t listened to Drugs and the Internet yet, you can buy the song on iTunes or stream it through Spotify, Youtube and other platforms.
If you liked the song, check out these other amazing songs on our Pop Art Playlist on Spotify.
