Kelly Clarkson is breaking down the meaning behind her new single, “I’d Be Lyin’.”.
Clarkson, 44, released the song on Friday, July 17, singing about an interaction with a mystery person.
“I’d be lyin’ if I said I do / You’re hearin’ only what you’re wantin’ to / I take a shot every time you lie / I’ve never been so damn drunk in my life,” the lyrics read.
Clarkson recently reflected on the song’s significance during a broadcast on her SiriusXM channel, The Kelly Clarkson Connection. “So basically my new song, ‘I’d Be Lyin’,’ is about when you’re talking to someone and it’s like what you’re saying is somehow being filtered because it’s not what they’re hearing,” she explained. “And if I just leaned in and just said what they wanted to hear, I would be lying.”
Clarkson noted that she had a specific vision for how the “anthem” would sound.
“The vibe in the verse is kind of, it’s not like Prince, but it’s definitely Prince-inspired with the staccato kind of poppiness of it,” she said. “It has a lot of attitude, and then the chorus kind of opens up into this major pop-rock vibe that is very reminiscent of a Kelly Clarkson empowerment anthem.”
She continued: “But yeah, it’s very sarcastic and it was fun as hell to make, and I like a fun, anthemic, sarcastic song.”
“I’d Be Lyin’” is Clarkson’s first single since 2025’s “Where Have You Been.” She previously credited the romance between Martin Short and Meryl Streep’s characters in Only Murders in the Building for inspiring that song.
“I’ve rarely done something like this, but I was watching Only Murders in the Building — it’s Martin Short’s face,” she shared on The Kelly Clarkson Connection at the time. “He says to Meryl Streep’s character in the show, ‘Where have you been?’ He’s, like, in awe and I was like, ‘Has there been a — has anyone written a song?’ Because the song is happy. It’s like you found something that you thought was almost basically a unicorn and did not exist.”
The song references Steve Martin’s 2009 romantic comedy It’s Complicated, which also stars Streep, 77.
While Clarkson returns her focus to music, she’s preparing for the end of her daytime talk show, The Kelly Clarkson Show. She confirmed in February that the series will end after its seventh season, telling fans via Instagram that it was “not an easy decision.”
“This isn’t goodbye. I’ll still be making music, playing shows here and there, and you may catch me on The Voice from time to time… you never know where I might show up next,” she added at the time. “But for now, I want to thank y’all so much for allowing our show to be a part of your lives, and for believing in us and hanging with us for seven incredible years.”
Earlier this month, Clarkson celebrated the show’s 11 Daytime Emmy nominations, writing via Instagram, “Thank y’all so much! I’m so stoked for our whole team and feeling very blessed ❤️.”
