Kristine Flaherty grew up outside of Chicago, devouring her father's classic rock records and staying up late dancing to Parliament-Funkadelic in the living room. It was this same musical open-mindedness that would later spark her artistic development. She found her musical voice in college, fusing the eclectic power of the Bay Area hip hop scene with her own unique presence, inspired by strong, independent female artists ranging from Missy Elliott and Lauryn Hill to Fiona Apple and Liz Phair.
On stage, K.Flay is a one-woman whirlwind: whether she’s creating beats, singing, rapping or playing guitar, her wit and acerbic charm shine through. Her talents have led her to share the stage with artists including Snoop Dogg, Ludacris, and 3OH!3, where she quickly won over audiences who hadn’t seen anything quite like her before. Further setting her apart from the pack, she serves as her own producer in the studio, methodically infusing her hip hop swagger with a dose of sonic exploration.
With one mixtape (the genre-hopping MASHed Potatoes) already available online, K.Flay is spending the rest of 2010 recording in San Francisco and touring with Passion Pit in October and 3oh!3 in November.
I Like Myself
k.flay Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Everybody wants to be extraordinarily beautiful
Everybody wants to rule the world or the room at least
And assume that they'll be the one with a crowded funeral
Everybody wants to have the time
Everybody wants to count their calories, and money, and their likes
Baby, my job is just to rhyme, and I'm fine with that
Don't concern myself with all of the lives I might've had
I don't think I'm too fat or too skinny for that matter
I see photos of vacations and I know they're faking laughter
It's a trip, you only got one shot, let her rip
Take a dip, have a smoke, try to laugh at the jokes (ha)
I like myself most of the time
This ain't a crime, this ain't a crime
I like myself most of the time
Is that a crime? Is that a crime?
Even planet Earth took seven days
Even if it looks real, you can fake it in a million different ways
Nobody chose to have their face, but you're stuck with it
So rather than counting my curses, I try to stay positive
I don't think I'm perfect, but I got some things to gather
I see photos of proposals that I know are empty gestures
Get a grip, you only got one shot, let her rip
Take a dip, have a smoke, try to laugh at the jokes (ha)
I like myself most of the time
Is that a crime? Is that a crime?
I like myself most of the time
Is that a crime? Is that a crime?
Is that a crime? (ha)
Is that a crime?
Is that a crime? (ha)
Is that a crime?
I don't like myself some of the time
No, I don't like myself some of the time
'Cause I fuck up a lot and fall behind
No, I don't like myself some of the time
When I write songs and tell myself it's art
And I drink alcohol 'til I see stars
When I isolate myself 'til I'm too proud to ask for help
When life gets hard, 'cause life gets hard
I like myself most of the time
Is that a crime? Is that a crime?
I like myself most of the time
Is that a crime? Is that a crime?
Is that a crime? (ha)
Is that a crime?
Is that a crime? (ha)
Is that a crime?
K.Flay's "I Like Myself" is a powerful anthem that celebrates and embraces self-love and accepting oneself as they are, flaws and all. In the song, K.Flay acknowledges that everyone wants to be seen as attractive, powerful, and successful, but her job is just to rhyme, and she's fine with that. She doesn't concern herself with what could have been, but rather she praises herself for who she is most of the time.
K.Flay then goes on to highlight how social media and society, in general, can often make it seem like everyone is living their best life and is perfect, but in reality, most people are faking their happiness. She acknowledges that she doesn't always like herself, but that's okay because life is hard, and making mistakes or falling behind is normal. The song ends with the chorus, emphasizing that it's not a crime to like oneself and be okay with not being perfect.
Overall, "I Like Myself" is a powerful reminder to accept ourselves and to be kind to ourselves, flaws and all. It's a refreshing change from the constant pressure to be perfect that is pervasive in society and a reminder that it's okay to struggle and make mistakes.
Line by Line Meaning
Everybody wants to be the girl
Everybody wants to be extraordinarily beautiful
Everybody wants to rule the world or the room at least
Everybody wants to be in control and have power over others
And assume that they'll be the one with a crowded funeral
People assume that they will be remembered and missed by many when they die
Everybody wants to have the time
Everyone wants to have enough time to do everything they want
Everybody wants to count their calories, and money, and their likes
People obsess over and keep track of their physical appearance, finances, and social media presence
Baby, my job is just to rhyme, and I'm fine with that
The singer is content with her role as a musician and doesn't worry about other things
Don't concern myself with all of the lives I might've had
The singer doesn't dwell on the past and the different paths her life could have taken
I don't think I'm too fat or too skinny for that matter
The singer is comfortable with her body and doesn't worry about fitting society's beauty standards
I see photos of vacations and I know they're faking laughter
The singer sees through the façade people put up on social media and knows they're not as happy as they seem
It's a trip, you only got one shot, let her rip
Life is short so you should take risks and not hold back
Take a dip, have a smoke, try to laugh at the jokes (ha)
The singer is advocating for enjoying life's simple pleasures and trying to find humor in tough situations
I like myself most of the time
The singer is comfortable with who she is most of the time
This ain't a crime, this ain't a crime
Being comfortable with yourself is not a bad thing; it's not something to be ashamed of
Even planet Earth took seven days
Even creating the world took a lot of time and effort
Even if it looks real, you can fake it in a million different ways
Things may seem one way on the surface but they could actually be completely different
Nobody chose to have their face, but you're stuck with it
People don't have control over their physical appearance and have to live with it
So rather than counting my curses, I try to stay positive
The singer tries to focus on the good in her life rather than dwelling on the bad
I don't think I'm perfect, but I got some things to gather
The singer has flaws but is working on improving herself
I see photos of proposals that I know are empty gestures
The singer knows that some grand gestures people make are not genuine
Get a grip, you only got one shot, let her rip
Again, the singer is urging people to take chances and live life to the fullest
No, I don't like myself some of the time
The singer is not always happy with who she is
When I write songs and tell myself it's art
The singer questions her own abilities and whether what she creates is true art
And I drink alcohol 'til I see stars
The singer uses alcohol to try and escape her problems and feel better about herself
When I isolate myself 'til I'm too proud to ask for help
The singer has trouble reaching out for help and prefers to deal with her problems alone
When life gets hard, 'cause life gets hard
Life is not always easy and people struggle with various obstacles
Is that a crime? (ha)
The singer is questioning whether being comfortable with oneself is actually a bad thing
Is that a crime?
The singer is questioning whether being comfortable with oneself is actually a bad thing
Is that a crime? (ha)
The singer is questioning whether being comfortable with oneself is actually a bad thing
Is that a crime?
The singer is questioning whether being comfortable with oneself is actually a bad thing
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Justin Thomas Daly, Kristine Flaherty
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind