Ava Valianti‘s latest era has shown emotional and sonic maturity, tapping into jazz, R&B and soul sensibilities for her new record, kismet. Naturally, we had to feature her latest instalment, bloom, which opens with piano chords, textured percussion details and a live setting energy that feels like we have just stepped into a smokey jazz club.
Ava sings, “I’ll love you August, March and June, I’ll love you morning night and noon, you’re a field of flowers that I wish I grew but I just like to watch you bloom…”. Her delivery is muted, almost slurred, reminding us of early Amy Winehouse. It taps into notions of sincerity.
On a spiritual level, the song is about loving someone deeply and being grateful to have them in your life. The concept of the flower represents the person Ava loves, and how watching them bloom means watching them grow, heal, and become who they are intended to be. The song also expresses a fear of losing them, but ultimately it is about being thankful and that you can love and support each other through everything.
Ava’s vocal riffs are sublime, and the piano interludes add a really grounded and raw energy at a time when we need music like this the most. Overall, the rising artist’s vocal performance is out of this world, showcasing her range and delicate astral timbre.
Speaking succinctly on the release, Ava tells us, “bloom is about loving someone without needing to hold them close and hold them back. It’s about that feeling of watching someone grow into themselves and just being grateful you get to be close enough to see it happen. There’s always this possibility that they’ll eventually outgrow you or fly away, but instead of being afraid of that, the song finds something beautiful in it.”
At just 17, Ava is already showing a remarkable amount of emotional resonance within her work. Following celebrity and acupuncture, bloom feels like a more peaceful chapter in this exploration of attraction and connection. We can imagine the track landing sync placements in films like Voicemails from Isabelle, Past Lives, The Photograph, Before Sunrise, The Age of Adaline and The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, or a TV series such as Normal People, One Day, Insecure, Love Life and This Is Us. In addition to Amy Winehouse, fans of Laufey, Norah Jones, Olivia Dean and beabadoobee will find plenty to connect with here.
With more than 675,000 career streams, airplay on over 300 radio stations and a performance at the GRAMMY Museum already behind her, Ava has plenty to celebrate. We have added bloom to our New Music Spotlight playlist, and our TIMELESS playlist, whilst we continue to stream Ava Valianti‘s exquisite, blooming discography.