Like I Would, stylized as LIKE I WOULD, is song of the English singer-songwriter Zayn Malik's debut solo album, Mind of Mine. It was released on March 10, 2016 as the second official single. It is only available on the deluxe edition of the album.[1]
Lyrically, the song tries to prove to someone that he is the best thing she is ever going to get and that her new lover lacks the skills he brings to the bedroom.
Background
As described by the Billboard, the song is like a "dancefloor-ready R&B jam".[2] The Independent described it as "electro-R&B".[3] According to Complex, the song features an "upbeat backdrop and a catchy hook",[4] and according to Spin, it has "a steady bass" and "funkyhook."[5] It has been also described as a dance track.[6] The song incorporates disco grooves in its chorus and brooding lyrics.[7]
Lyrics
Music Video
The music video for the song was uploaded onto his YouTube/VEVO account on 10 May 2016. It was shot by Director X in a Los Angeles studio. Zayn's appearance in the video, and the video's array of lights and lasers, takes inspiration from the Tron science fiction films. Director X had previously directed Usher's "Yeah", which he said he had "been wanting to redo" differently with "all laser" for a long time. He also cited Tron as inspiration. The video features the Cyclone, a large custom laser rig created by Zayn's laser designers. The video also features energetic dancing by a squad of dancers.
Zayn's appearance in the video, including a neon suit and a bright orange eye contact, takes inspiration from Marvel Comics' current Ghost Rider, Robbie Reyes, who was in turn inspired by Zayn Malik. According to Director X, the orange eye contact was Zayn's idea. It is seen as part of Zayn's "man in the machine" theme, including his 2 May 2016 appearance at Met Gala's Manus x Machina: Fashion in an Age of Technology, where he wore metal robot arms over his tuxedo. The music video reached number 15 on the UK TV Airplay Chart.
The video starts with Zayn "in the center of a beam of neon blue lines of light," as explained by Rolling Stone's Brittany Spanos, who continued: "His full outfit is also covered with neon lines that glow against a black background and he's sporting an orange contact lens on one of his eyes. Elsewhere a crew of dancers, mostly made up of women, dance to the track amidst more neon lights.". Brennan Carley of Spin called it "pretty spectacular" with "a stunningly shot treatment."
| Music Video | Information | |
|---|---|---|
|
Released | May 10, 2016 |
| Length | 3:25 | |
| Director | Director X | |
| Production Co | ||
| Choreographer | ||
| Filmed | 2016 | |
| Location | Los Angeles studio | |
| VEVO views | 25,557,157 | |
Lyric Video
Live Performances
Remix Versions
These are the list of remix versions of "Like I Would".
Commercial Performance
In the United Kingdom, the song debuted at number 30 on the UK Singles Chart. In Canada, it debuted at number 23 on the Canadian Hot 100 and number 14 on the Canadian Digital Songs chart.
In the United States, it debuted at number 55 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number 18 on the Pop Digital Songs chart. It is Zayn's third Hot 100 hit, after "Pillowtalk" and "iT's YoU". "Like I Would" also debuted at number 31 on the Digital Songs chart, selling 26,000 downloads, and number 42 on the Streaming Songs chart, with 5.6 million streams.
Commercially, the song reached the top-forty in eight countries, including Australia, Canada, Ireland and the United Kingdom. It also became his second song as a solo artist to reach the Billboard Hot 100 where it peaked at number 55, and also topped the country's dance charts.
Reception
The Fader included it in their "11 Songs You Need In Your Life This Week" list, describing it as a "euphoric, super danceable breakup jam". Nate Scott of USA Today ranked it number two on his "10 best songs of the week" list, calling it "another step in the right direction," noting that "the dancey track has verve and Malik’s voice shows some range." Lewis Corner and Amy Davidson of Digital Spy also included it in their "10 tracks you need to hear" list, stating that they "were still waiting for that BIG pop banger we know he's capable of" and that "Like I Would" is "just that and then some." Corner later added that the song is "screaming louder than Zayn's fans to be a No.1 hit" as the "hook is contagious, the lyric is swoon-worthy arrogant, and the chorus is enough to pop off arena ceilings across the globe." Robbie Daw of Idolator called it "a glorious ’80s throwback". Andrew Milne of musicOMH called it an "exhilarating breakup banger," while Brittany Spanos of Rolling Stone enjoyed it for being a "clubby success."
Edwin Ortiz of Complex stated that it "has major potential to get burn in clubs across the country." Nicholas Parco of New York Daily News stated that the track "is primed to be an early contender for hit of the early summer". Brennan Carley of Spin praised "ZAYN’s rich, warm vocals" that "weave themselves around a backing choir before a huge funky hook kicks in." Carley also stated: "What 'Sorry' did to jumpstart Justin Bieber's 'Purpose', 'Like I Would' is the poppy kick in the ass 'Mind of Mine' needed pre-release." Leah Greenblatt of Entertainment Weekly noted that the song leans "headfirst into sleek, Weeknd-style hedonism," a sentiment that Maeve McDermott of USA Today also expressed, writing that it "give us another clue what R&B contemporary Malik is taking clues from on this record: the Weeknd." Nick Levine of The Independent also agreed with both critics about The Weeknd's reference. Michael Cragg of The Guardian thought it was weird that "the excellent, upbeat 'Like I Would' is relegated to the deluxe edition."
Credits and Personnel
Credits adapted from the liner notes of Mind of Mine, RCA Records
Recording
- Recorded at Record Plant, Los Angeles, California; Grove Studios, Los Angeles.
- Mixed at MixStar Studios, Virginia Beach, California
Personnel
- Zayn – vocals, writing.
- Chase Wells – writing, production, keyboards, programming, guitars.
- James Griffin – writing, production, keyboards, programming.
- Kevin Rains – writing, production, keyboards, programming.
- James Emerson – writing, production, keyboards, programming, guitars.
- Salvador Waviest – writing, production, keyboards, programming, guitars, recording.
- Couros Sheibani – keyboards, programming.
- Serban Ghenea – mixing
- Henrique Andrade – recording.
- Alex Layne – recording assistant.
- John Hanes – mixing engineer.
References
- ↑ Hear Zayn Malik's Dancey 'Like I Would'
- ↑ Zayn Shifts Focus to Dancefloor on New Track 'Like I Would'
- ↑ Zayn Malik new music
- ↑ ZAYN Takes It to the Club With His New Song, "LIKE I WOULD"
- ↑ ZAYN’s ‘Like I Would’ Moves ‘Mind of Mine’ to the Center of the Dance Floor
- ↑ Zayn's "Like I Would" Lyrics Sing An Uptempo Ode To A Love Lost
- ↑ Zayn channels The Weeknd on new song 'Like I Would'