Lauv’s ‘Modern Loneliness’ Music Video is the Perfect Representation of Life in Quarantine and Our Struggles to Maintain Personal Connections
On the morning of Thursday, April 15th, independent artist and producer Lauv dropped the official music video in support of his Top 40 hit single “Modern Loneliness”. SPOILER ALERT: In this article we analyze the message of the song, and how Lauv conveys that message through the video’s own plot line and unconventional videography. With social distancing policies still active, he provides a detailed portrayal of what many of us currently struggle with regarding our relationships. If you have not watched the video just yet, we highly recommend you do prior to reading for better context.
Following the release of his second studio album “how i’m feeling” on March 6th, Lauv has consistently kept his audience fed with new content during the nationwide quarantine. With Instagram posts, stories, Tik Toks, livestream concerts and even an unofficial song release, the young musician has proven to be making the most out of his time at home and is continuously nurturing his creativity with the limited resources he has at his disposal. This most recent project was evidently made throughout his time in quarantine, as the video is a vertical compilation of clips from his phone screen recordings, however it perfectly portrays the message of the song through a story that seems all too familiar to us.
The video essentially takes the viewer through a day in the artist’s life at home; showing clips of his morning routine, him hanging out with his friends, playing with his dog, meditating, partying, and simply showing off his personality. However, there is one common theme throughout these clips that ultimately sets the framework for a story. The screen recordings show Lauv scrolling through multiple social media platforms such as Instagram, Twitter, Snapchat, and even Tik Tok. It is evident that his persistent use of social media is his attempt at feeling less lonely. He consistently posts stories, tweets, and pictures on his Instagram feed to interact with his fanbase, and then continuously refreshes the page to see the amount of likes on his post increase. This gives him a sense of validation since many people are interacting with his content, however the lack of personal connection does not solve his loneliness. As the audience sees more clips of Lauv throughout the day, it is obvious that he feels stressed out and unfulfilled, however he continues to turn back to social media to feel some instant gratification, despite the fact that his satisfaction is temporary and only makes him feel more empty when it ends.
However, interspersed with these clips, the viewer sees Lauv receiving text messages and phone calls from his parents which he intentionally ignores. The screen recordings also reveal that the artist does check his texts, however instead of responding to them, he chooses to ignore them and use more social media. This reflects how difficult it is to make the effort to maintain a personal connection even though it is more fulfilling. Despite all of these people reaching out, Lauv shies away from interpersonal connection because it feels unnatural. However, as the video progresses, the artist brings himself to respond to texts and interact more directly with others. He even goes as far as initiating a FaceTime call with his family. Once he does this, the screen recordings reveal that he feels much happier after finally engaging with those around him. Thus, the use of screen recording clips to create this music video enhanced the message of the song in a creative way.
The song “Modern Loneliness” is one of Lauv’s favorite singles off of his album, as he admitted to fans when it was released back in February. It discusses the complex topics regarding mental health and socialness as he sings about the reasons as to why he feels lonely, while acknowledging that he is not actually alone. As reflected in the lyrics “love my friends to death / but I never call and I never text ‘em,” the “modern” way to feel lonely is through failure of communication and a lack of effort to reach out. Another point the artist makes about “modern loneliness” is how social media factors into this concept. Despite having thousands of followers on his Instagram and multiple fan interactions throughout the day, he still feels lonely because these relationships are not personal between two individuals. Rather, he is speaking to the masses that follow his content through a phone screen. However, when given the opportunity to have a personal connection with another human being, he shies away. It seems as if Lauv blames himself for his own depression but is still struggling to amend his emotions and bring himself to make contact.
As we go through these moments in self isolation, many people can relate to this concept of “modern loneliness”. If we take a step back and examine our social circles, surely anyone can identify many people in their lives that they only interact with because of the convenience of the situation. This may mean that you see this person everyday, either through work or school, however when it comes to sending texts and making phone calls, they never cross your mind. However, during these times, we are unable to see these people everyday because we are also unable to attend work and school. As social distancing policies have greatly limited our ability to follow through with our regular routines, it can be easier to fall into a state of loneliness if you are not used to reaching out and interacting with everyone via technology. While we are all in self quarantine, these small actions are more important now than ever before.
Many relationships are now relying on texts, phone calls, video chats, and social media to stay alive rather than the usual physical interactions throughout normal everyday life. Without the mutual effort from both sides, it can be difficult to maintain that connection. “Modern Loneliness” serves as the perfect representation of these emotions and struggles, and the video only does more to help get Lauv’s message across.
So what exactly is Lauv’s message, and how can we apply it to our lives? First and foremost, direct interaction and interpersonal connection provides us with more fulfillment than any social media platform can. The small bursts of serotonin that we derive from Instagram likes cannot compare to the happiness one can receive from a nice conversation with a loved one. Social media is not personal, therefore, direct interaction can provide us with the social satisfaction that we all need. However, maintaining relationships and interpersonal connection is much easier when done physically. Since most of us are confined to our homes due to the coronavirus, we cannot rely on this luxury, so we turn to social media. It is easy and provides us with instant gratification, but the sensation does not last. Therefore, Lauv encourages us to make the extra effort to reach out through phone calls, texts, and video chats despite how difficult and unnatural it may feel. If we are willing to go the extra mile and maintain personal connections through the technology we have, we will be able to persist through these difficult times together, and reduce the feeling that Lauv calls “modern loneliness.”
