You know that feeling when you first move to a new city? Everything is loud, everyone is a stranger, and you're basically just trying to figure out how to not look lost. That's exactly where Ari Leff—the guy we all know as Lauv—was back in 2017. He was living in New York City, a freshman at NYU, and honestly, he didn't really have a clue who he was yet.
Then he fell in love.
It wasn't some grand, cinematic thing right away. It was just a feeling. A realization that, despite the chaos of the subway and the fact that he was still a "young and reckless" kid, he actually liked the person he became when he was around this one specific human. That's the core of Lauv I Like Me Better lyrics, and it's probably why the song didn't just top the charts—it stayed there.
The Accidental iPhone Memo That Changed Everything
Most people think hit songs are built in these high-tech labs with twenty songwriters in suits. Not this one.
Lauv actually walked into the studio with zero plan. No concept. No scribbled-down poetry. He just started messing around with a track, and the melody kind of "hit him," as he’s described it in interviews. The iconic riff you hear at the start? That wasn't even meant to be the final version. It was a chopped-up voice memo he’d recorded on his iPhone. He figured he'd replace it later with a "real" instrument or a polished vocal, but every time he tried, it lost that weird, raw magic.
So he kept the mistake.
That "supernatural" spark turned into a song that eventually racked up billions of streams. It’s funny because if you listen closely, the production is actually pretty minimal. It’s built on a loop, but that loop feels like a heartbeat. It feels like New York at 2:00 AM.
Decoding the Lauv I Like Me Better Lyrics
When you really dig into the words, it’s not just a standard "I love you" song. It’s a song about self-perception.
"To be drunk and in love in New York City / Midnight into morning coffee / Burning through the hours talking"
That opening line sets the scene, but the real punch comes in the chorus. Lauv I Like Me Better lyrics tap into a very specific psychological phenomenon. Sometimes, we don't love ourselves all that much. We’re insecure, we’re "lost in the light," or we're just bored with who we are. But then you meet someone who reflects back a version of you that you actually enjoy.
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It’s the "I like me better when I’m with you" part.
It suggests that the partner isn't just someone to hold hands with; they’re a catalyst for your own growth. Lauv was only 18 when the events of this song were happening. Think about that. At 18, you're a mess. You’re trying on different personalities like they’re outfits. Finding someone who makes you feel "good" and "right" in your own skin is a massive deal at that age.
Why the "Blue" Era Mattered
If you were following Lauv back then, you remember the "I met you when I was 18" project. He didn't even call it an album at first; it was a playlist. A living, breathing story of his first real relationship. He used the color blue to represent the whole vibe—honesty, communication, and a little bit of that late-night sadness.
I Like Me Better was the "honeymoon phase" of that story.
It’s the peak. The high point. Everything after that in the playlist—songs like "Comfortable" or "Reforget"—starts to show the cracks. But "I Like Me Better" is that pure, unfiltered moment where you think, Yeah, this is it. I’m finally the version of myself I wanted to be.
The Surprise Longevity of a "Bedroom Pop" Hit
It’s wild to look at the numbers. Usually, a pop song has a shelf life of maybe three months before the radio moves on.
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This track? Different story.
- It spent over six months on the Billboard Hot 100.
- It went Multi-Platinum in the US, Australia, and all over Europe.
- It became a staple for Netflix rom-coms like To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before.
Why? Honestly, it’s because it doesn't try too hard. It’s not "anti-romance" like a lot of the cynical pop that was coming out around 2017. It’s just earnest. Lauv once said he noticed people were trying to be "too cool" to fall in love. He wanted to write the antidote to that.
He didn't use big, fancy metaphors. He talked about coffee and being reckless. He kept it human.
What This Song Tells Us About Modern Love
There’s a nuance here that gets missed. The song isn't saying "I need you to be happy." It’s saying "I like the way I show up when you're around."
There is a subtle difference there.
One is codependency; the other is inspiration. For a lot of fans, Lauv I Like Me Better lyrics became a mantra for finding people who bring out your best traits rather than your worst. It’s about that "classic and beautiful" feeling that somehow feels brand new every time you experience it.
Practical Takeaways from the Lyrics
If you’re analyzing this for your own life or just because you’re a fan, there are a few things to keep in mind about why this song works:
- Embrace the "Mistakes": Just like Lauv kept the iPhone voice memo riff, the best parts of a relationship are often the unpolished, accidental moments.
- Location Matters: Whether it's NYC or a tiny town in the middle of nowhere, our environment shapes how we fall in love. New York wasn't just a backdrop; it was a character in the song.
- Self-Love through Others: It’s okay to find your way to yourself through someone else, as long as you eventually learn to like that person even when the other human isn't in the room.
If you want to dive deeper into the story, go back and listen to the full I met you when I was 18 compilation. It’s basically a musical diary of Ari Leff’s life from ages 18 to 23. You can hear him grow up in real-time. Start with "The Other"—the first song he ever wrote that felt "authentic"—and then jump back into "I Like Me Better" to see the contrast. You'll notice how much more upbeat and hopeful he sounds when he's talking about that New York summer.
For the best experience, try listening to it while walking through a city at night. That’s the environment it was born in, and that’s where the lyrics truly start to make sense.