Drawing us in with an ethereal guitar soundscape with cosmic nuances, Ava Valianti opens alterations with her signature poetic prowess as she sings about wanting to “alter everyone’s vision”, and become someone who fits the impossible image presented by beauty queens, models, and movie screens.

The slow-rock energy and relatable message immediately establishes an introspective atmosphere. There is something beautifully restrained about the production. The guitars shimmer around Ava’s vocals, and the raw vulnerability that manifests feels like something that many Gen Z girls are going through. Ava’s authenticity becomes a voice for a nation.

At its core, alterations is a song about body image. It poignantly shines a light on the psychological damage caused by perfectionism. A sentiment a lot of us, regardless of gender, can be trapped in. In a world where looksmaxxers are destroying their physical vessels in the name of perfectionism, Ava’s message invites us to be more contemplative and hopefully love our own bodies and vessels.

Ava captures the exhausting cycle of looking in the mirror, comparing ourselves to others, changing ourselves, and still feeling like nothing is enough. The metaphor of becoming a “strange mutation” is particularly striking. It really transforms the desire for perfection into something almost frightening. We could imagine this in a body horror film like Slanted or The Substance, but equally a coming-of-age drama dealing with adolescence and identity similar to The Edge of Seventeen or Thirteen.

The recurring metaphorical imagery of seams, holes, mirrors and a “black hole” makes the song feel physical. The most devastating realization arrives when Ava questions whether losing weight and becoming “worthy” would actually stop the pain. The answer is increasingly clear. It wouldn’t.

There are shades of Billie Eilish in the intimacy and psychological darkness. We can also hear a connection to Lana Del Rey in the cinematic melancholia and dreamlike presentation of femininity, yet Ava continues to establish her own voice. Ava explains that she wanted listeners to feel “a little less alone,” and that intention comes through clearly.

At just 17, Ava Valianti is absolutely demonstrating remarkable wisdom and emotional clarity. alterations is about what happens when we start believing that changing ourselves is the price of being worthy. We have added the track to our New Music Spotlight playlist, and our TIMELESS playlist, whilst we continue to stream the growing discography of Ava Valianti, including the entirety of Sophomore Slump.

The post Ava Valianti confronts body image, perfectionism and the impossible pursuit of beauty on vulnerable new single, alterations appeared first on KIMU.