Music Review - “Distant” by Ava Valianti – The Kind of Heartbreak You Don’t See Coming

KMasters
Jun 9
2 min read

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There’s a particular kind of sadness that doesn’t come crashing in — it just drifts, quiet and unannounced. You don’t even know it’s there until you catch yourself missing someone you haven’t talked to in months. That’s the space Ava Valianti’s “Distant” lives in, not breakup, heartbreak — something softer, harder to name. The slow unraveling of once-inseparable friendships.

Sonically, it’s warm and bright, which almost feels like a trick at first. The synths shimmer, the beat bounces with a kind of summer ease — and then the lyrics land, and they sting. “I knew you like the back of my left hand, my right hand man.” It’s intimate and immediate, like a memory you didn’t mean to remember.

Ava threads that feeling throughout the whole track — this ache wrapped in sunlight. It’s not angry, just honest. She paints childhood like it was yesterday: sleepovers, beach days, dancing in the rain. And then, without warning, it’s gone, not because of a fight. Just… growing up. Schedules, new people., distance, that’s what hits the hardest — there’s no villain here, just time doing what time does.

The most striking thing is how specific the lyrics are. “Do your parents still fight every weekend?” It’s the kind of question you ask in your head but never out loud. That’s what makes this song feel so real. You can tell she lived it and if you’ve ever lost a friend without really losing them — you’ve probably lived it too.

The chorus — “I’m bearing witness to the sickness” — isn’t melodramatic, it’s just raw. Like watching something important fade, knowing you can’t stop it, and trying to make peace with that. The outro doesn’t resolve anything, but it doesn’t need to. It leaves you right there, on the edge of a memory, with the kind of goodbye that doesn’t slam shut — it just... stops showing up.

In a way, “Distant” feels like a letter never sent. It’s nostalgic, yes, but it’s also brave — for telling the truth about something so many people quietly carry. Ava Valianti has made a song that dances through pain without pretending it's not there, and that’s exactly what growing up often feels like: smiling through the sadness, trying to remember what was, while learning how to let go.

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