I LIKE IT
BABYMONSTER gets off the giant soundstage, steals a yacht, catches feelings, and discovers that being adorable does not require surrendering the vocals.
The music video
My actual first reaction
First thought: Finally. Nobody is trapped in a warehouse pretending the floor is on fire. They are outside, the water is blue, and everybody looks like they have seen sunlight this week.
Sound check: Country-pop guitar tucked into bright dance pop, a genuinely melodic chorus, and enough vocal lift to remind me why BABYMONSTER has all these singers.
The moment I leaned in: The chorus opens instead of dropping into another chant. It feels embarrassingly refreshing to hear a song let them sing the title like they mean it.
The side-eye: The love story is intentionally uncomplicated. There is no secret second act hiding under the yacht. This is butterflies, smiles and a very expensive summer.
Current status: I like it. Yes, the review could end there. No, it will not.
What the song actually means
“I LIKE IT” is about the stage before love becomes a committee meeting. Nobody is asking what the relationship is, whether the timing makes sense, or who needs to text first. The feeling is new, obvious and still light enough to enjoy. The members are not making a lifelong promise. They are admitting that somebody has changed the temperature in the room, and they like what is happening.
That distinction matters because K-pop love songs often sprint from eye contact to destiny. This one stays inside the crush. The repeated title sounds simple because the emotion is simple: I like this person, I like how I feel around them, and I am not ready to ruin it by demanding a five-year plan.
The country-style guitar gives the feeling motion. It sounds like leaving the city with the windows open, which fits a video built around travel and open water. The song does not need heartbreak lore or a villain. Its entire argument is that happiness can be enough material for three minutes.
The song: BABYMONSTER remembers melody exists
The guitar riff immediately separates “I LIKE IT” from the heavier CHOOM and SUGAR HONEY ICE TEA singles around it. It is bright without becoming weightless, and it gives the verses a gentle forward pull. The percussion keeps the track inside dance pop, but the arrangement does not spend every second trying to prove how expensive it is.
That restraint is good for the members. PHARITA and RORA sound completely at home in the cleaner melodic lines. AHYEON gets to build toward a high note instead of being fired out of a cannon at the last possible second. CHIQUITA brings the playful expression the hook needs, while RUKA and ASA keep the lighter rhythm from becoming too precious.
This is another six-member video during RAMI’s health hiatus. Her absence is still audible, especially in a song that gives the vocal blend room to breathe. But the arrangement handles the six voices more naturally than some of the louder tracks do. Nobody sounds like she is covering an empty space with extra shouting.
The chorus is the payoff. It rises, opens and lets the phrase land as melody. That should not feel revolutionary, but inside BABYMONSTER’s recent run it feels like somebody finally opened a window.
The music video: a crush with a travel budget
YG said the entire video was filmed on location, and that choice changes the group immediately. Real sunlight, moving water, roads and open air give the members something physical to respond to. The yacht is obviously fantasy, but the video feels less sealed than the usual constructed luxury set.
The sea works as a visual version of the song’s emotional freedom. A new crush has not yet reached land. There are no rules, labels or difficult conversations. The members drift through the day, pose for one another, laugh, dance and treat the trip like a private world. The camera is still polished, but it allows small flashes of friendship to sit beside the official choreography.
That balance is the video’s best decision. It does not pretend BABYMONSTER is a random group of friends who accidentally found a film crew. The styling, yacht and immaculate color grade keep the idol fantasy intact. But the location gives the fantasy oxygen.
Easter eggs and surprises
- CHOOM’s softer sibling: “I LIKE IT” comes from the CHOOM mini album, but the video deliberately shows another side of that era—less command, more invitation.
- The country guitar is the engine: It is not a full country concept. The riff supplies movement and warmth while the rest of the production remains polished dance pop.
- The yacht is emotional shorthand: Open water means the crush is still outside ordinary life. No school hallway, no schedules, no parents, no consequences—just the feeling.
- Six-member timestamp: This video documents the promotion period during RAMI’s hiatus. She remains a member; the frame is historical context, not proof of departure.
- It premiered after the song: The track arrived with the CHOOM album on May 4, but its official video followed on July 6 after the first Seoul dates of the CHOOM world tour.
- The concert came first: Fans at the June 26–28 Seoul concerts saw the performance before the music video was released.
Credits and receipts
| Lyrics | WHERE THE NOISE, YG, Jared Lee, Lauren Aquilina and Sandra Wikström |
|---|---|
| Composition | Kang Ukjin, Diggy, WHERE THE NOISE, Jared Lee, DEE.P, P.K, ME&MY and Sandra Wikström |
| Arrangement | DEE.P, Diggy and Kang Ukjin |
| Official description | A dance track driven by a country-style guitar riff, expressing the innocent excitement of young love. |
| MV production note | YG stated that the video was filmed entirely on location to match the song’s free-spirited energy. |
So, do I like it?
Yes. It is not their most complicated song. It knows exactly what it wants to feel like and, blessedly, does not beat that feeling to death. The guitar is charming. The chorus actually sings. The video gives the members room to look young, happy and expensive without turning them into decorations. Sometimes a crush is not a thesis. Sometimes the boat is pretty, the vocals are good, and I like it.