San Francisco-based singer-songwriter Clarity Liao’s latest single, ‘Like I Do’, has cemented her as one of pop’s most promising rising talents. The understated track explores the lingering pain of unrequited love, pairing confessional lyrics with vivid desert imagery that mirrors the feeling of searching endlessly for something out of reach.
A piano-led ballad, the song lets Clarity’s delicate and velvety voice shine. The chorus carries the emotional core of the track, as the narrator wrestles with thoughts of someone they love that remain impossible to leave their mind: “No I / Can′t seem to forget about you / They said to wait / And I′ve been waiting / For it to hit you / Sometimes / I think about your smile / And I wonder bout that girl / Would she really love you / Like I do.” With a captured raw vulnerability, it is the best bits of a breakup song rolled into one.
Clarity’s musical trajectory began at just seven years old, when she first started composing and developing a love for the piano and guitar. Her songwriting contributions to the band Navillera brought early acclaim, earning the Yamaha National Best Popular Music Award for their debut single “Too Young,” while their track “I Need You” went on to win first place in the 2025 YMS National Composers competition. Even her early solo work shows remarkable depth at such an early age because her debut single, “Hurt My Heart,” was written and recorded at the age of twelve. Clarity’s approach to craft a sound that feels both nostalgic and fresh draws influence from artists like Olivia Rodrigo, Bruno Mars, Celine Dion and Frankie Valli. Her work blends indie pop, R&B, bedroom pop and modern doo-wop influences.
‘Like I Do’ also provides a preview of what listeners can expect from her forthcoming EP, ‘Dear…,’ which further examines themes of love, jealousy and loss. The song itself originated from a homework assignment set by her English tutor, and later developed into the song we hear today. “The song really brought out my emotions from the current situation I was in at the time, also exploring a genre I’ve been liking but never really got to pursue, so I decided to take it to the studio. This song has so far been one of my favourite tracks to sing and listen to, also being one of the best expressed in my lyrics,” she reveals.
With a voice that carries both tenderness and quiet confidence, Clarity Liao continues to show the extent of her artistic potential. ‘Like I Do’ further establishes her as a pop artist capable of crafting deeply emotional songs that resonate with listeners across generations.
