Ava Valianti’s Hot Mess Is a Scrappy and Infectious Anthem for Embracing the Imperfect

My last encounter with Massachusetts-based singer/songwriter Ava Valianti was in May this year, when the artist released her bright and sunny little indie-pop anthem Distant. Proudly labelling it "the perfect blend of bittersweet realisation and catchy catharsis," it was a tune I fell pretty hard for - along with over 41,000 other Spotify listeners.

Having kept a close eye on Ava's work since, and with singles like Buttercups and Clean My Room proving she was only gaining momentum, the musician decided it was time to unveil her debut EP petunias. Track six on the record is a song called Hot Mess, and it's one I'm really excited to introduce you to today.

A punchy and tongue-in-cheek composition, Hot Mess has a beautifully raw edge to it. There's a rebelious scrappiness that punches through it's chewy pop center, giving it an emotional pulse that keeps tugging you back in.

A tune Ava says is about "embracing all the parts of myself that aren't polished or perfect," Hot Mess is an infectious reminder that life is, well, messy, and that sometimes you just need to laugh at the disaster and keep going. 

I can't wait to dive properly into petunias. Somehow, at just sixteen years old, Ava Valianti is already crafting a sound that feels effortlessly her own.

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