If you’ve ever gone down the YouTube video rabbit hole, you’ve probably heard Ava Lily sing. Naughty Boy signed her to their label after she uploaded covers on her channel. Now, the Bristol born singer has left the label, and is pursuing success as an independent artist.
‘Closure’ is a paradoxical tale of wanting to spend another night with someone to get over them. On writing the song, Lily said: “I didn’t wanna be the only one suffering. I was trying to convince myself that if we just spent one more night, then that would be the closure I needed to let go.”
Relaxing on a hazy evening, this track sounds like a blend of Summer Walker and Sabrina Claudio. Lily’s voice is reminiscent of Walker’s, not in tone, but in technique. Her laid back vocals add touches of riffs and runs to the track, without being overwhelming.
As the track opens, it is hard not to notice Claudio’s influence. Like her sultry style, Lily’s breathy, luscious vocals float over reverberating, muffled keyboards. Her gossamer voice adds to a granulated beat. Evocative keyboard tones are faint under tender notes:
“I wanna hear your voice so I can fall asleep / talk to me”.
Experimenting with layering two different genres together must be appreciated. Lo-fi’s focused rhythm underlying R&B’s heartfelt passion seems like it shouldn’t work. On ‘Closure’, it does. Minimal production usage is deliberate. It compels Lily’s passionate voice to stand out instead of shout. Emotionally, yet nonchalantly, she calls out: “Closure/ I’m just asking for some closure” and “One more night / help me get over you”.
Pursuing the independent artist route can be risky, but talent speaks for itself. Innovative, delicate and alluring, ‘Closure’ is a sensation. Ava Lily is only at the beginning of a very prosperous future.
Words by Rosh Ilyas
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