“RUNNING ON EMPTY” By Ava Valianti

At age 16, Ava Valianti has released another new song, "Running on Empty." In this song, Avalanti embraces the masterpiece of conveying the pain of longing, loss, and the ominous traces of a love not fully extinguished. This song is the emotional core of Avalanti's first EP, “Petunias,” which she calls a collection "about the beauty in imperfections, the tenacity in growing, and the emotional, intricate layers of growing." “Petunias” is Avalanti's first collection, and she offers us the eponymous first single. "Running on Empty" is the first song on her debut EP, “Petunias.” Avalanti invites us, song after song, to the sanctuary of her suffocating, aching warmth in the embrace of her sadness and depression.

"Running On Empty" was written in a hotel room after back-to-back performances in New York City. It feels like a diary entry turned into a melody, unfiltered, vulnerable, and almost too real. Ava moves through and articulates the most painful truth: few people ever leave dramatically; they simply fade away until, one day, you turn around, and you are left alone, in the void of silence. Ava’s voice carries each line with a gravitas and sincerity far beyond her years, and you can feel every word she utters. There’s a rare balance between fragility and strength, the same one that Celine Dion and Adele mastered early in their careers. There’s no doubt that Ava feels every word she sings. And she makes you feel it too.

“Running On Empty” offers a delightful study of how contemporary pop draws on the traditions of acoustic music, avant-garde sound design, and indie sensibilities. Each component of the arrangement embodies a step in the story’s emotional arc. With the initial childlike simplicity of the arrangement, a few distant, echoing piano chords set the mood for the protagonist’s self-reflection. The song's arrangement builds in the pre-chorus as the protagonist reaches a cathartic emotional peak, aching to let something profound go. The song is tender and almost haunting. The disembodied voice feels like the voice of a loved one who has nostalgia. The production fosters a sense of intimacy and raw honesty, aligning production and vocal storytelling.

Expressing emotions succinctly while maintaining a simple approach makes the lyrics captivating. Sentiments involving a decline in relationships and describing deserted areas evoke such feelings. The heartache of viewing a person gradually fade away from one's life is a feeling everyone can associate with. Ava, however, does not approach from a resentful point of view, but rather from a constructive and reflective one. She describes the melancholy of having love turn into a memory, and the realization that having it be a form of emotional therapy is profoundly healing. "Running on Empty" is more than just a break-up song. It is a contemplation on how one embodies and embraces change. It recognizes the emotional endurance of shifting from one phase to the next, even when your heart is feeling emotionally exhausted.

Even at sixteen, Ava Valianti displays the emotional understanding and creative talent of an accomplished songwriter. Conveying feelings that may seem complicated and crafting words and tunes that strike a balance between simple and deep is a huge accomplishment. Receiving radio plays, nominations, and recognition internationally is deserved, as Valianti has proven herself. Ava is an artist to watch closely; her artistry and authenticity underscore her as one of the most significant contemporary pop storytellers, a young artist who will influence the era as much as the legends of the past.

“Running On Empty” is a piece of music that conveys an emotional journey, a finely constructed slice of candidness that remains with you even after the last note has played. Ava Valianti encourages listeners to face heartbreak not with sadness, but with acceptance and a gentle fortitude. While she continues to emerge as one of the brightest talents of her generation, one thing is certain: her work will continue to inspire us to see the positive, even during those times we feel the most empty.

Written by Manuel