Ari Staprans Leff aka LAUV embarks on his first world tour ‘I met you when I was 18’.

“being lost. falling in love for the first time. this is a story and I’m still piecing it together”, says LAUV on his ongoing playlist project titled ‘I met you when I was 18’. Concentrating on a theme of young love and self-actualisation, it is a collection of songs written by the rising pop star during a significant period in his life as a student at New York University. A project that quickly was followed by a sold out world tour.

Ever since his 2014’s debut single The Other, which has now generated 100 million-plus Spotify streams, LAUV has been cementing his status as an electro-pop sensation. Every tune he releases strikes with a fresh sonic blend that is set to dominate on every dance floor. And his debut London show last week was a testament to that.

Accompanied by two band members, a drummer and a keyboard player, and his signature giant logo placed in the middle of the stage, LAUV delivered a purely vibrant and emotional performance. Jumping straight into the blissful beats of the tune Paris In The Rain, he remained true to his visual aesthetics. To emphasise the leading theme of the tour he carried an umbrella with a headline ‘I met you when I was 18’ written on it, and the crowd was loving every second of it.

Thriving on breezy synth chords and jazz-inspired guitars, LAUV’s shows are designed for the dancers. With songs such as A Different Way and Adrenaline serving the ultimate danceable vibes, the whole room was jumping up and down in a perfect sync. We even were presented with a brand new track Paranoid, which is yet another emotive banger in his catalogue.

“I met you when I was 18 is about when I moved to New York. The first time I fell in love. Trying to figure out who I was and what I wanted to do. The ups and downs. The best times and the weird times.” After taking a moment to acknowledge his past, LAUV proceeded with the beautiful piano ballad The Story Never Ends. There’s no doubt that his warm soulful vocal range is his fortress, but the emotional falsetto efforts reappearing on the track soared even higher. The audience quickly joined in creating an impressive singalong wave. “London, it feels a lot like home.”

The crowd’s reaction did not go down unnoticed by the man himself, especially after they sang back every word of his latest single, Chasing Fire. “I just put it out. I didn’t know anyone knew the words”, he said.

“Make some noise if you’re sweaty! I’m gonna slow it down for a bit. This is the concept of My Blue Thoughts, grab a pen and write them down. We might live different lives but we go through the same things”. LAUV once more took a chance to engage and connect with the crowd.

Next on the piano-led track Breathe quickly transitioned into the airy beats of Getting Over You that rounded off the main set. But we knew there was more to come.

His dazzling anthem I Like Me Better, which has surpassed 500 million streams, instantly erupted into the massive chants. “We haven’t announced it yet but I’m gonna be back. KOKO September 18th. I’ve got one last song. The first song I’ve ever written.” Closing up with a brilliant guitar solo of The Other, the night culminated in a truly expressive and candid manner. “Until next time London.”

I believe it’s fair to say that we all seek comfort in the arms of music from time to time. Giving love and heartbreak a sunkissed wrapping, LAUV’s songs easily resonate with the crowds, making us ready for the upcoming summer. No wonder people find so much joy in his music. We’re all hopeless romantics after all.

As far as debuts go, his was a pretty outstanding one.

Photos: Kasia Osowiecka