i kinda like how u know just how beautiful u are by Artemas — Meaning & Lyrics Explained

From the album getting up to no good

What is "i kinda like how u know just how beautiful u are" by Artemas about?

This is about being turned on by your own irrelevance. The speaker fixates on someone who gets off on their own reflection, and instead of walking away, they eroticize the power gap. The song claims the other person is narcissistic, but it's really about the speaker's need to be desired by someone who doesn't need them.

What are the main themes in "i kinda like how u know just how beautiful u are"?

What does "The opening verse lands the core accusation" mean in "i kinda like how u know just how beautiful u are"?

When you look into the mirror, does it turn you on? / When you touch yourself / Is your reflection the only thing that gets you off?

Artemas positions the other person as completely self-sufficient, aroused only by their own image. But notice he's obsessing over their solo moments, constructing an entire fantasy of what they do alone. That says more about him than them.

What does "The pre-chorus tries to accept inequality" mean in "i kinda like how u know just how beautiful u are"?

You got beauty in your face / You and I are not the same and that's alright

He admits the hierarchy out loud, claims he's fine with it. But the whole song is about not being fine with it. The repetition across four choruses proves he can't let it go.

What does "Halfway through, the story shifts without explanation" mean in "i kinda like how u know just how beautiful u are"?

I know you're missing me hard and the memory of us / In the candlelit light, know we're breaking apart

Verse 1 said they only need their reflection. Verse 2 says they're missing him desperately. These can't both be true, which means one is a fantasy he's telling himself to feel wanted.

What does "The bridge reduces everything to a loop" mean in "i kinda like how u know just how beautiful u are"?

Probably touching yourself to the memory of us

That word 'probably' is doing all the work. He doesn't know. He's imagining a version where he still matters to them, where they get off thinking about him. The whole song might be him talking himself into believing that.

What is the deeper meaning of "i kinda like how u know just how beautiful u are"?

The song thinks it's about someone else's vanity. It's actually about needing to be needed by someone who's fine without you. That 'I kinda like' in the chorus is the least convincing part. If he actually liked it, he wouldn't have to keep saying it.

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Explore Artemas's full lyric analysis