And Tom Hanks is nowhere to be seen…
Iain Mew: It’s difficult to imagine Blackpink doing this song, which gives Babymonster more of their own identity than initial singles. The biggest difference is in piling on the sweetness, in both vocals and horns, which is no bad thing in itself but is too constricted by how big everything still sounds, ending up stilted more than breezy. It briefly works at the end when they loosen up most and convey a new sense of fun.
[5]
Jonathan Bradley: Babymonster’s breakout hit was “Sheesh,” a glinting and hard-edged rap sortie that, for all its futuristic thrust wasn’t particularly fun. “Really Like You” is easygoing and easier to like, built on a throwback R&B arrangement that could be called boom-bap if only it had bumped a bit harder. (It should have; Ruka and Asa’s raps point in the right direction.) The hook is frothy and simpers too much, but it’s easy to press repeat on. If these monsters are in it for the long run, I hope they lean in this direction.
[6]
Claire Davidson: Color me surprised that what I’d otherwise assumed would be just another sugary love song is primarily imitating 90s hip-hop—and doing it pretty well, to boot, with slick but gentle guitarwork, a loose bass groove, and even a smattering of trumpets on the hook. To the group’s credit, Babymonster actually does feature some members who can comfortably rap over this instrumentation, but this is ultimately still lighthearted and girlish, not quite in step with the more celebratory feel the remainder of the track suggests. Said another way, the lyrics of “Really Like You” aren’t reminiscent of any particular MCs so much as Carly Rae Jepsen, and with all due respect to the Canadian queen of pop, there’s only so much good production can do to compensate for that gulf.
[6]
Melody Esme: Those horns are great. Overwhelmingly sweet and a little uncanny — that is what falling in love sounds like! They nailed it! And it’s a good thing they did, because “you make a bad day better/you make a good day better too” isn’t gonna propel this into the crush song canon. (“Ding-diggy-ding like a liggy-ding-ding/Wanna bing-bing,” on the other hand…) I don’t know if this will stay in my rotation. It’s a bit light, and there’s not a ton going for it. But sometimes nailing a single element is enough.
[7]
Dave Moore: I’m quite taken with the hook in the chorus, reaching up to minor sixths on tiptoes, but the production feels simultaneously bland and busy, and the whole thing washes out. I think that chorus reminds me vaguely of the old Girl’s Day song “Expectation,” which is the first K-pop song that I remember getting totally transfixed by at a purely melodic level. The comparison highlights how little is going in the songcraft, the song trying to get by almost entirely on personality in the rap sections, and (to be fair) almost succeeding.
[5]
Nortey Dowuona: Jonny Hockings doing this record is v funny but you won’t get why it’s funny unless you click this link. v funny but not haha funny. On a positive note, Ahyeon sounds great! Imagine being <a href=”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oc9XTohaq6I”>Ryan Bickley</a> too. This is a step up! Not for <a href=”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xs1SgQAmBeU”>AiRPLAY</a>, though. He gets it.
[6]
Leah Isobel: “Really Like You” gets closer to justifying Babymonster as a group than their past songs, though the balance still feels a little off — the contrast between the production’s laid-back warmth and the raps delivered in harsh Blackpink style is jarring, and the juvenile tone works against the group’s engineered professionalism. There remains a void where a recognizable personality or perspective should be; there’s nothing to root for, no core, no soul. But the vague promise that, at some point, there will be one is a step up for this group.
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