We Speak Music
Clarity Liao opens a new chapter with the emotionally charged “Love You More”
Clarity Liao is entering a bold new phase. The San Francisco singer-songwriter’s latest single, “Love You More,” feels like a soft late-night confession wrapped in shimmering pop production and understated R&B influence — a track that captures the complicated beauty of loving someone in silence. Honest and emotionally immersive, it signals an artist growing more fearless in her vulnerability.
Having written songs since she was seven years old, Liao has already cultivated an impressive creative résumé. As the principal songwriter for Navillera, she helped steer the success of their breakout single “Too Young,” which won the 2024 Yamaha National Best Popular Music Award. She followed that achievement with “I Need You,” a composition that earned first place in the YMS 2025 National Composers competition. But while those milestones showcased her songwriting ability, “Love You More” feels like the clearest expression yet of who Clarity Liao is as an individual artist.
The single began life as a stripped-back piano ballad before evolving into something smoother and more rhythmically layered. Drawing inspiration from artists like SZA and BABYMONSTER, Liao introduces subtle bass-driven textures that give the track a modern, fluid feel without sacrificing intimacy. It’s polished but never detached, balancing softness with emotional depth.
What makes “Love You More” particularly compelling is its emotional precision. “Nothing really hurts / but it hurts that you don’t know me” lands like a whispered realization, encapsulating the ache of wanting to be fully understood by someone who remains just out of reach. Rather than dramatizing heartbreak, Liao focuses on the quieter emotional fractures — the ones that linger beneath the surface long after words go unsaid.
The track also offers a promising glimpse into her upcoming EP Dear…, an introspective collection exploring themes of longing, jealousy, rejection, and healing through the format of unsent emotional letters. Influenced by everyone from Bruno Mars and Adele to Olivia Rodrigo, Clarity Liao is shaping a sound that feels both emotionally grounded and sonically adventurous. “Love You More” confirms she’s an artist stepping confidently into her own voice — and one listeners will want to follow closely.
Swiss artist Fanny Alexandra returns with “Black Pearl Summer”, a new single that finds her exploring a more open side of her alternative sound. Released via Now Listen, the track combines coastal imagery with a story about growing through grief, pressure and the experiences that can shape a person over time.
Alexandra notes that the song is relatively summery by her own standards. She has said that her music is usually darker and that she has never been particularly drawn to the typical idea of summer, preferring cold air, jackets and rugged coastlines. That gives the release a clear sense of personality from the outset.
The song centres on Alexandra’s reflections on being 19 and spending years focused on survival rather than fully living. Those experiences are presented through the image of a black pearl, which becomes a way of considering how something worthwhile can emerge from a challenging period.
What makes the track particularly effective is the balance between its subject matter and its musical approach. The production gives the song room to breathe, while Alexandra keeps the focus firmly on the story she is telling. It means the track can be enjoyed as a seasonal release while still offering more to discover in the lyrics.
There is also a clear sense of change in the way Alexandra approaches her younger self. The song is not about returning to that period or trying to erase it. Instead, it considers what can be learned from experiences that once felt overwhelming.
“Black Pearl Summer” therefore offers newcomers a useful introduction to Alexandra’s work. It shows an artist comfortable writing about serious subjects, while also demonstrating a lighter musical side that may not be as familiar to listeners who know her darker material.
It is an interesting glimpse of what Alexandra can do when she lets a little more light into the picture.
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