Music Review - Ava Valianti Finds Beauty in the Bruises with “Buttercups”

KMasters
Aug 14
2 min read

Some songs feel like diary entries you weren’t meant to read, and Buttercups is one of them. At just 15, Ava Valianti already writes with the kind of candor you expect from someone who’s lived twice her years. The track lands in the pop-rock pocket, but its heartbeat is pure confession.

It starts in a kitchen — cinnamon in the air, the light flicked on, voices kept soft. It could be a love scene, but there’s tension buzzing under the surface. Doors creak and thoughts won’t settle. She admits she’s taking it “breath by breath,” hoping nothing gets forgotten. That mix of warmth and unease runs through the whole song.

The chorus is simple but loaded. She repeats, “Aren’t you my buttercup, my buttercup baby,” over and over, like she’s trying to remind herself of something that used to be true. The melody lifts, yet there’s a pull of doubt in every line. By the second half, the sweetness has thorns — mistrust creeps in, lies leave bruises and the imagery turns sharper.

Still, there’s this stubborn thread of hope. Even after the hurt, she sings about planting flowers in the garden, about not quitting when everyone else does. The production keeps things moving — steady beat, guitar textures that shimmer without drowning her voice — and that voice, raw but steady, carries the weight.

Buttercups doesn’t just show promise for Ava Valianti; it shows she already knows how to wrap a fragile story in something people will want to play again. It’s tender, it’s tense, and it lingers long after the last note.

You can give a listen to “Buttercups” below and make sure you give a follow to stay tuned with Ava Valianti's future releases