OFLO’s new music is an honest tribute to heartbreak and personal growth
OFLO, known to friends and family as Olivia Florentino, is extremely unapologetic.
If you aren’t familiar with OFLO, the SF-born-NYC-based singer, songwriter, and producer is a bicoastal triple threat.
She’s also at a point in her life where, like most of us, she’s been through it: heartbreak, jealousy, falling in love and not always having it requited. They’re often the lowest times in our lives that we’d rather not talk about, yet it’s these very moments that can also have the greatest influence on who we are.
OFLO acknowledges this dichotomy with her newest EP, “Thank You,” which features some of her most honest work yet. On each track, the singer highlights a different struggle she’s gone through; but, what’s more, she shares how it’s helped shape who she is today.
Check out the interview and exclusive photos below!
What separates this EP from your other work?
This EP is really special to me primarily because I feel like it’s an expression of my personal growth. In my opinion, each song tells a very personal story, and really gives the listener a glimpse into a specific moment in time.
READ ALSO: This video is a love letter addressed to the incredible city of Los Angeles
What inspired the incredibly personal track list?
Over the past few years, many life lessons have come to me in the form of heartbreak, frustration, failed relationships, etc. Many have also come in the form of wonderful relationships, new experiences, and opportunities.
All of them have been significant, though, and have allowed me in one way or another to grow, mature, and move forward without fear. In my eyes, this EP is an authentic reflection of the emotional process that is “entering adulthood.”
The emotional track “Thank You,” seems to talk about heartbreak while simultaneously thanking the person you ended things with — could you tell us more about that?
On a surface level, this song is about my most devastating breakup. Things ended badly, and it left me pretty messed up. That being said, at the time I was pretty messed up already. I was emotionally immature, needy, and obsessive.
I showed myself very little love or respect of any kind. However, I was able to see that in retrospect, going through such a difficult, and vulnerable experience allowed me to grow significantly as a person, a friend, and as a partner.
So, on a deeper level, this song is about how grateful I am for having been able to experience those hardships, and come out with a better and stronger sense of self-worth.
“Starlight,” also alludes to some majorly mixed feelings about falling in love, no?
This song really portrays the dual nature of falling for someone that can’t or won’t reciprocate your feelings. On one hand, falling for someone can be exciting and exhilarating, while on the other, it can be absolutely draining and very painful. Starlight is about both the rush, as well as the crash of being infatuated.
READ ALSO:This girl wrote a book for young women struggling with borderline personality disorder
“Jealous,” is painfully relatable in that it seems to tell the age-old tale of the fuckboy who wants what he can’t have. What happened there?
This song is one of my favorites because I think that lyrically, it tells a very specific story. I won’t get too deep into it, but it’s basically, it’s an FU to this dude I developed feelings for, who liked having me around, but never wanted anything “serious.”
The gag is, it wasn’t until months later, when he knew I was in a relationship, that he started trying to get my attention. This song is an expression of my frustration and annoyance with the situation, but also my strange attraction to that toxic relationship.
“Dreamin’,” the final song on the EP, has its own distinct sound. What went through your head while writing it?
“Dreamin’” is about that feeling you get when you first develop a crush on someone and you just can’t get enough of them. I love this song in particular because I think it has a very fun, sexy, feminine vibe to it. It’s like the feeling of having someone special on your mind 24/7, and wanting nothing more than to just see them.
Click here to get in on the action and hear the full EP.
For more of OFLO’s work, check out her site.
Photos by Keri Dolan
