Ladies and gentlemen, there could be a new face of pop music, and it goes by the name Lauv. Born Ari Staprans Leff, Lauv burst into the season in 2018 with an expanding playlist of songs led by the single “I Like Me Better” and has quickly made a name for himself as one of the great young talents in the industry. While it’s tough to nail down his style or genre, there’s something about his songs that’s catchy and undeniably appealing. Equally important, Lauv has never been shy about going on tour in all corners of the globe, meaning he’s likely coming to a city near you in the not-too-distant future.

Prodigy

Even as a child, there was never any doubt that Lauv was going to be a musician and probably a good one. By the time he was 11, he could play the guitar, piano, and viola. He was writing songs by the time he was in middle school, somehow grasping the concepts of love and heartbreak despite never experiencing them firsthand. By the time he reached high school, music had become his obsession. Lauv didn’t have time for anything except listening to music, studying it, and creating it. Like any good millennial of the day, he published his early work on MySpace, just hoping anyone would listen. He then went to college to learn about writing and producing songs rather than being the one on stage.

Mr. Collaboration

With a wealth of music knowledge at his fingertips, Lauv has specialized in collaborating with different artists. He’s written songs for other singers while also teaming up with others to create masterpieces. Those partnerships have helped him expand his musical range while also giving him a healthy menu of songs that he can perform live. When you see Lauv in concert, you never know who’s going to join him on stage or what song he’s going to pull out of his repertoire. He’s as full of surprises as he is talented. In fact, the only thing you know for sure when seeing Lauv is that his talent is going to blow you away.