Mavi Releases Melancholy New Album, "Laughing So Hard, It Hurts"

In a year already packed with excellent hip-hop, Charlotte native Mavi is rising to the occasion with his new album, Laughing so Hard, it Hurts. It follows up his breakout album from 2019, Let The Sun Talk, which was met with much critical acclaim from underground hip-hop fans. After building more hype with a feature on Earl Sweatshirt's Feet of Clay, Mavi has finally graced us with some introspection and gentle production to speak on his past few years.

The N.C. MC employs production from the likes of Wulf Morpheus, Dylvinci, and Monte Booker, who create a moodily optimistic sonic pallet. Lo-fi beats and occasionally distorted drum patterns are mostly carried by light piano loops, dreamy synths, or sparse strings and woodwind melodies. Compared to some of the more overtly boom-bap inspired instrumentals on previous projects, Laughing so Hard, it Hurts takes more diverse sonic directions while maintaining a more gentle and soulful aesthetic. "Baking Soda" has overpowering bass drums, "Doves" takes a more smooth R&B direction with its horn melodies, and "Having My Way" sees Mavi dipping his toes in trendier trap production with sparkling key arrangements.

On the almost feature-less album, the 23-year-old pairs his earnest demeanor and low-key delivery with bars that are slightly more reflective. Mavi's well-known for his lyricism and for touching on more personal topics and perspectives, but his success has made him reflect more closely on his relationship with his hometown, lovers in his life, his family, and his own sense of direction. On the opener "High John," he ponders whether they still "make love in his size," and in one of the album's final moments on the track "Chinese Finger Trap," he feels like the harder he works, the smaller the escape.

There's a clear conflict here between optimism and old habits, ambition and dejection, love and love lost. Not only does this album convey that complexity through its craft of soothing production, but Mavi himself is proving to be a compelling and down-to-earth narrator of that story. No matter what's to come next from his pen, Laughing so Hard, it Hurts has set his career up for forward momentum and a space to be gentle to himself when the world around him is buzzing and pounding in his ear.

You can check out the tracklist for Mavi's Laughing so Hard, it Hurts below, and links to check the album out on Spotify or YouTube.

Tracklist