Ava Valianti Explores Heartbreak and Self-Deception on “Great Pretender”
Life is crazy and sometimes you even doing things you don’t wanna do and you’re just waiting for the right moment to tap out. Like have you ever look at your own relationship, or maybe just a weird friendship, and realize you are totally playing a character? I don’t know if you get it, like you’re smiling, saying yes, and going along with everything, but deep down inside, you know the whole thing is completely doomed. You’re just waiting for the clock to run out so you can just walk away. Such people are difficult to deal with, they are really good at pretending, but the thing is one day their clock will run out.
So if you’ve ever lied to your own face just to avoid a messy breakup, you need to listen to the new track by Ava Valianti. She calls this one “Great Pretender“, and it’s a beautifully honest look at the art of faking it until you just can’t do it anymore. The most mind-blowing part about this whole thing is that Ava is only 16 years old. Based out of Massachusetts, she is already playing sold-out shows in Boston and New York, racking up over half a million streams, and even winning massive songwriting prizes down in Nashville. While most teenagers are trying to figure out how to pass their driver’s license test, Ava is out here writing brilliant indie pop-rock songs.
This track “Great Pretender” is the final song on her brand-new EP called Sophomore Slump. While the rest of the record leans into high-energy, guitar-driven pop-rock, this track slows things down and gets incredibly quiet. It relies on a stripped-back arrangement, but it keeps this cool electric guitar hum running underneath that builds up a ton of quiet tension.
Now this song “Great Pretender” is all about staying in a situation way longer than you should. You know exactly how it is going to end, but you are just not ready to say it out loud yet. I love how Ava delivers a killer line in the song: “I pretend it’s what I’m into.” That one line explains the whole track. It ain’t about tricking the other person; it’s about trying to trick yourself. It’s that awkward phase where you go through the motions and say yes when you actually mean maybe, just because you want things to work out so badly.
But the chorus gives the song a great twist with the line, “You might break but you can’t bend her.” Ava explains that this part isn’t about being a superhero or being completely unbreakable. It’s about realizing that even when you are faking it, you still have a boundary you refuse to cross. Eventually, you hit a point where you have to stop pretending and accept reality. The quiet ending of the song feels like that exact moment of clarity when you finally admit to yourself that a chapter of your life is officially over.
It’s a remarkably smart, self-aware song from such a young artist. Ava does not pretend to have all the answers to life, but she knows exactly how to turn those confusing teenage questions into great music. If you love some raw indie rock, great lyricism, and songs that feel like a late-night chat with a friend, then “Great Pretender” needs to be on your playlists. Go give it a listen, turn the world off for a few minutes, and stop pretending!
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