You know that feeling when you first move to a massive, chaotic city and suddenly everything feels like a movie? That’s basically the DNA of the song. When Ari Leff, known to the world as Lauv, dropped Lauv I Like Me Better back in 2017, nobody really predicted it would become the multi-platinum behemoth it is today. It wasn’t some over-produced studio giant. It was just a guy with a laptop, a distinctive synth loop, and a very specific realization about his own identity while falling in love in New York City.
It’s a vibe. Honestly, it’s more than a vibe—it’s a mood that hasn’t aged a day.
Most pop songs about love focus on the other person. They’re "you’re so beautiful" or "I can’t live without you." But Lauv flipped the script. He realized that being with this person made him actually like himself more. That’s a subtle but massive psychological shift. It’s the difference between dependency and growth. If you’ve ever felt like a better version of yourself just by being around someone, you get why this track stuck.
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The Bedroom Pop Experiment That Went Global
Let’s talk about the production for a second because it’s weirdly simple. Lauv didn't go to a fancy studio in Los Angeles to cut this. He was essentially a "bedroom producer" before that was a trendy marketing term. The iconic "pluck" sound you hear throughout the song? That wasn’t even a high-end synthesizer. It was a voice memo of him making a sound with his mouth that he then pitched down and processed.
It's raw.
The song was written shortly after he moved to NYC for school at NYU’s Steinhardt program. He was eighteen. He was lost. Then he met someone. He didn't even have a chorus when he started. He just had that looped beat and a feeling. Most people don't realize that Lauv I Like Me Better was actually one of the fastest songs he ever wrote. He’s gone on record saying the lyrics just poured out because they were so true to his immediate reality.
Why the "New York" Aesthetic Matters
New York isn’t just a backdrop in the lyrics; it’s a character.
"To be young and in love in New York City..."
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That opening line sets a cinematic stage that resonates even if you’ve never stepped foot in Manhattan. It taps into a universal nostalgia for a time of life where everything is uncertain but everything is possible. This isn't the New York of Gossip Girl; it's the New York of cheap coffee, gray sidewalks, and the 6 train.
Interestingly, Lauv has mentioned in several interviews—including a deep dive with Zach Sang Show—that he wasn't trying to write a hit. He was trying to process his transition into adulthood. The song's success was accidental, which is usually when the best art happens. It wasn't "manufactured" by a committee of songwriters. It was one kid with a MIDI keyboard and a crush.
The Psychology of Liking Yourself
There is actual science behind why these lyrics resonate so deeply.
Psychologists often talk about "self-expansion" in relationships. When we enter a new relationship, we often take on the interests, perspectives, and identities of our partners, which expands our own sense of self. Lauv I Like Me Better is the musical embodiment of self-expansion theory.
- It’s not about losing yourself in someone else.
- It’s about finding a version of yourself you actually prefer.
- It’s about the comfort of "not knowing" where you're going but being okay with it.
He sings about "staying in bed" and "wasting time," which highlights the intimacy of the mundane. In a world obsessed with productivity, there’s something rebellious about a massive pop hit that celebrates doing absolutely nothing with someone you love.
A Masterclass in Minimalist Songwriting
If you look at the structure, it’s surprisingly lean. There are no bridge sections with soaring high notes. There are no aggressive beat drops. It stays in this mid-tempo pocket that feels like a heartbeat.
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The "drop," if you can even call it that, is just that pitched-down vocal melody. This technique—vocal chopping—was becoming huge in 2017 thanks to artists like DJ Snake and The Chainsmokers, but Lauv used it in a way that felt organic and soft rather than aggressive and "EDM." It gave the song a "human" feel despite being almost entirely electronic.
The Long Tail of Success
Most pop songs have a shelf life of about six months. You hear them everywhere, then you never want to hear them again. But Lauv I Like Me Better has stayed in the rotation for years. It has billions of streams. Why?
Part of it is the "safe" energy. It’s a song you can play at a wedding, in a grocery store, or while crying in your car. It bridges the gap between indie-pop and mainstream Top 40. When it was featured in the Netflix film To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before, it found a whole new generation of listeners who associated it with the "soft-boy" aesthetic that Lauv helped pioneer.
He’s been very open about his struggles with OCD and depression, and while this song is "happy," there’s a vulnerability in the delivery that hints at the complexity of his mental health. You can hear the relief in his voice. Like he’s finally found a port in the storm.
Common Misconceptions About the Track
People often think this was his debut. It wasn't. He had already released "The Other," which was a sleeper hit in its own right. However, Lauv I Like Me Better was the moment he shifted from "songwriter for other people" to "global superstar."
Another misconception is that the song is about a fleeting summer fling. In reality, the relationship that inspired the song lasted for years and significantly shaped who Ari Leff became as an artist. It wasn't a "whim." It was a foundational life event.
How to Capture This Vibe in Your Own Life
If you’re a creator or just someone who loves the aesthetic of this era of music, there are a few takeaways. Lauv’s success teaches us that specificity is actually more universal than broadness. By naming New York, by naming the age of eighteen, he made the song feel "real."
If you're trying to find that "I like me better" feeling, it usually comes from:
- Prioritizing Presence: The song is about being in the moment, not worrying about the "long way to go."
- Radical Honesty: Admitting you didn't like yourself much before you met this person is a brave thing to say.
- Simplicity: Sometimes the best solution (or song) is the one with the fewest moving parts.
The track proves you don’t need a wall of sound to make a massive impact. You just need a voice memo, a laptop, and a truth that feels a little bit uncomfortable to admit out loud.
Actionable Insights for Modern Listeners and Creators
To truly appreciate the impact of this track, look at how it changed the landscape of "bedroom pop." It proved that a DIY aesthetic could compete with Max Martin-level production. If you are an aspiring musician, study the vocal processing on this track—it's a masterclass in using the human voice as an instrument.
For the casual fan, the best way to experience Lauv I Like Me Better is to stop treating it as background music. Listen to the lyrics again through the lens of self-growth. It isn't a love song to a girl; it's a love song to the person he became because of her.
If you want to explore more of this sound, check out Lauv’s debut album, ~how i'm feeling~, which expands on these themes with more experimental production. You might also dig artists like LANY, Chelsea Cutler, or Troye Sivan, who all operate in that same "vulnerable-pop" ecosystem that Lauv helped build. The "blue" era of Lauv is a specific moment in pop history that showed us it’s okay to be a little bit sad, a little bit in love, and a lot of bit human.