Newbury, Massachusetts, singer-songwriter Ava Valianti turns romantic uncertainty into sharp, playful songwriting on “acupuncture,” a jazz-pop single that captures the strange excitement of wanting someone who may never feel the same way. The track offers a glimpse into kismet, her third EP, and highlights an artist increasingly comfortable exploring new sounds without losing her emotional honesty.
At the centre of “acupuncture” is the confusing territory between friendship and romance. Lingering touches, ambiguous gestures and mixed signals become reasons to keep hoping, even when the situation suggests caution. Valianti understands the contradiction: knowing a relationship may lead nowhere does not necessarily stop the feelings. Her approach acknowledges that vulnerability with humour and flirtation, avoiding the familiar tendency to frame unrequited love exclusively through sadness.
The title provides a fitting image for this emotional tension. Like acupuncture, the experience can involve discomfort alongside a strange sense of anticipation. Attraction becomes a series of small emotional jolts, each interaction capable of renewing hope or bringing disappointment. Valianti’s perspective is refreshingly self-aware, recognising how easily people turn ordinary moments into evidence that someone might feel the same way.
“acupuncture” signals another step in her evolving artistic identity. Her earlier EP, Sophomore Slump, leaned towards guitar-driven pop-rock, while the emerging kismet collection explores warmer jazz and R&B influences. This shift demonstrates a willingness to experiment while preserving the intimate storytelling and imaginative observations that distinguish her songwriting. The track also follows “celebrity,” the EP’s first single, extending a creative chapter concerned with attraction, idealisation and complicated romantic feelings.
Valianti’s progress as an independent artist has been notable. Her music has surpassed 650,000 streams and received airplay on more than 300 radio stations worldwide. Recognition from the Boston Music Awards, New England Music Awards, International Acoustic Music Awards and Unsigned Only Music Awards has further raised her profile. She also finished as first runner-up in American Songwriter’s Road Ready Talent Contest, performing in the finals at Nashville’s Basement East.
Her live experience spans New England, New York City, Nashville, and Los Angeles, including an appearance at the GRAMMY Museum. These performances reflect an artist developing her stage presence alongside her songwriting.
“acupuncture,” Ava Valianti shows that growing up can mean admitting when feelings are irrational without pretending they are insignificant. Her developing sound leaves room for uncertainty, humour and emotional candour. As kismet takes shape, Valianti continues building a catalogue that meets young adulthood on its own complicated terms, finding something recognisably human in the distance between what someone hopes for and what actually happens.
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