[1] The song was the lead single off Tinashe's now-scrapped fourth studio album Nashe.

"Liked I Used to" is a pop-R&B song described as "brisk and wistful",[2] with a "mixture of sensuality and electronic music".

[4] The production being trap-influenced[5][6] with a "sleek, shimmery beat",[7] Tinashe talks about the breakup of her previous relationship with NBA Ben Simmons.

[2][8] Billboard's Alessandra Rincón calls "Like I Used To" Tinashe "asserting" her "newfound independence".

[10] Alex Zidel from HotNewHipHop writes "Too busy in her bag to still care about the past, the only thing in Tinashe's future is money and she's making that clear on 'Like I Used To' [...] and gives us the first taste at the direction Tinashe is headed in, speaking her mind and possibly divulging how she really feels about her relationship with Simmons.