Drawing us in with a fierce, electric guitar soundscape, expanding with atmospheric vocals, Ava Nicole opens Birthday Card with the situational yet hard-hitting lyrics, “Tuesday morning, holiday break, my phone buzzed in my bag, mom’s name on the screen, a different kind of red flag, she said your heart just gave out, that you finally found your peace, they called it a sickness, I just heard a choice…”
We connect with the sonic energy of the track and the familiar alt rock nostalgia that manifests. Fans of No Doubt, Paramore, Halsey, and Olivia Rodrigo would absolutely be able to vibe with this, but the story of the track itself is extremely raw and vulnerable.
In essence, the song captures Ava Nicole grappling with the overdose death of her mother figure, and the grief that follows. The lyrics oscillate between memories of intimacy, the shared secrets, rebellious moments and promises of being a team. They are juxtaposed with the devastating reality that addiction ultimately took priority over the relationship.
The concept of the birthday card becomes a symbol of broken promises, and underneath the anger is a deep sense of abandonment. Ava naturally questions her own worth, wondering if she or her family could have been enough to her mother figure to stay. There’s also resentment towards the way society teaches us to grieve and respect the dead no matter how much they hurt us.
Ava confesses, “I wrote this because I didn’t know how to be angry at someone who was gone. It’s about that moment you realize it almost wasn’t enough to make someone stay. It’s loud, it’s messy, and it’s my truth.”
We learn that Birthday Card is the lead single for Ava’s upcoming 10-track debut album, When Everything Is Said and Done, described as “a project dedicated to finding a voice through the noise of trauma.”
The track holds a cinematic allure and would be a great fit for a film like Big Fish, Prayers for Bobby, or Ordinary People. Needless to say, we are in awe, and appreciate how Ava Nicole is channelling her pain into catharsis with the song. We have added Birthday Card to our New Music Spotlight playlist, and our TIMELESS playlist, whilst we anticipate the entirety of When Everything Is Said and Done.