Like..? Explained

Like..?
Type:EP
Artist:Ice Spice
Cover:Ice Spice - Like..?.png
Border:yes
Alt:A cartoon version of Ice Spice wearing a bikini and thigh-high boots bent over with her head between her knees and her hand covering her crotch.
Caption:Standard cover
Genre:Drill[1]
Length:13:08
Label:
Next Title:Y2K!
Next Year:2024

Like..? is the debut extended play (EP) by American rapper Ice Spice. It was released on January 20, 2023 through 10K Projects and Capitol Records.[2] Frequent collaborator RiotUSA served as the executive producer for the EP.[3] The EP was preceded by the singles "Munch (Feelin' U)", "Bikini Bottom" and "In Ha Mood". The song "Gangsta Boo", with Lil Tjay, was Ice Spice's first song to enter the Billboard Hot 100 at number 82, while "In Ha Mood" went on to peak at number 58 on the chart.

On April 19, 2023, Ice Spice released a bonus edition of Like..?, which featured a remix to "Princess Diana" with Trinidadian rapper Nicki Minaj. The remix peaked at number four on the Billboard Hot 100 and was Ice Spice's second top-ten on the chart. A deluxe edition of Like..? was then released on July 21, 2023. The deluxe edition was supported by the single "Deli", which peaked at number 41 on the Billboard Hot 100.[4]

Music and lyrics

The EP mainly consists of clipped guitar licks "looped ad nauseam until a smattering of hi-hats and booming bass take over" and distorted vocal samples. On "Princess Diana", Ice Spice addresses her rise to fame. "Gangsta Boo" puts a "drill spin" on Diddy's I Need a Girl (Part Two).[3] "Actin a Smoochie" is "Jersey club rendition" of Tierra Whack's "Cutting Onions" with Ice Spice "bringing colloquial phrases from the Bronx to the front of pop culture". "Deli" is filled with one liners while "How High" features synth-pop sounds.[5]

Critical reception

Like..? received generally positive reviews from critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a rating out of 100 to reviews from professional publications, the album received a weighted average score of 69, based on six reviews.

Writing for AllMusic, TiVo Staff states that the "combination of hard drill beats, larger-than-life bravado, and just enough hooks to keep things in the realm of pop all clicked perfectly." He continued his review by noting that the EP "takes steps in the right direction, giving fans something to latch onto." He concluded his review criticizing the weaknesses of the project, writing that "while fun at times, the 13 minutes of music here sounds largely like it's trying to recapture the excitement and effortless appeal of the biggest hit," noting that the project "becomes harder to pay attention to," however stating that it "presents a new artist finding their voice, showing promise in some moments, and losing traction in others." Rebecca Barglowski of HipHopDX wrote that "Ice Spice proves the extent to which she influences pop culture." NMEs Thomas Smith describes the project as "such a sharp listen" and states that "longevity feels attainable." Writing for Pitchfork, Heven Haile wrote that "in just six songs, [Ice Spice and RiotUSA] experiments with the past, present, and future of drill." She concluded her review by noting that "Spice;s chilled and cutesy demeanor stands out" and that "her often rudimentary lyrics reflect the brief time she’s had to develop her craft", finishing as she writes that Ice Spice will "give you a nickname that'll require decades of therapy." Mosi Reeves of Rolling Stone wrote that "she has a smooth, deep voice that glides over RIOTUSA’s beats, and her chopping delivery feels effortless."[6]

Andrew Sacher of BrooklynVegan found the new songs of the deluxe edition "instantly-satisfying as the original EP".[5] Armon Sadler of Vibe wrote that "they are quality offerings that feed her listeners and continue a run of simply good music."[7]

Year-end lists

Publication! scope="col" class="unsortable"
ListRank
Los Angeles TimesThe 20 Best Albums of 2023
The New York Times (Jon Caramanica)Listening Widely, Feeling Deeply
BillboardThe 50 Best Albums of 2023: Staff List
SlantThe 50 Best Albums of 2023
PitchforkThe 50 Best Albums of 2023
Rolling StoneThe 100 Best Albums of 2023

Accolades

Like..? has won one award.

!Award!Year!Category!Nominee(s)!Result!Ref.
Gold Derby Music Awards2024Best Rap/Hip-Hop AlbumIce Spice, RiotUSA, Mario Winans[8]

Commercial performance

Like..? debuted at number 37 on the US Billboard 200 with 15,000 album-equivalent units.[9] The EP later reached a new peak of number 15, as well as at number 5 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart following the release of the 'Princess Diana' remix. As of 9 October 2023, Like..? has sold 500,000 units in the United States.

Track listing

Notes

Personnel

Charts

Weekly charts

Chart (2023–2024)! scope="col"
Peak
position
Australian Hip Hop/R&B Albums (ARIA)[10] 40
Australian Hitseekers Albums (ARIA)[11] 29
Lithuanian Albums (AGATA)[12] 45
New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)[13] 21

Year-end charts

Chart (2023)! scope="col"
Position
US Billboard 200[14] 119
US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)[15] 54

Release history

Region! scope="col"
DateFormat(s)EditionLabel
VariousJanuary 20, 2023Standard[16]
June 23, 2023Vinyl LP[17]
July 21, 2023Deluxe[18]
October 27, 2023Vinyl LP[19]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Ice Spice Is The Chosen One On Debut EP Like..? . Envi . Envi Formation Team . January 23, 2023 . January 26, 2023 . January 26, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230126211350/https://www.envimedia.co/ice-spice-debut-ep-like/ . live .
  2. Web site: Ice Spice's Like..? Continues Hit Making Streak, Offers Little Variation. emorywheel.com. February 1, 2023. October 16, 2023. November 3, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20231103164619/https://emorywheel.com/ice-spices-like-continues-hit-making-streak-offers-little-variation/. live.
  3. Web site: Zhan . Jennifer . 2023-01-20 . Ice Spice Already Chose to Release Her Debut EP, Like..? . 2023-01-20 . . en-us . January 24, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230124102316/https://www.vulture.com/2023/01/ice-spice-debut-ep-like-three-new-tracks.html . live .
  4. Web site: Mamo . Heran . July 21, 2023 . Ice Spice Drops Deluxe Version of ‘Like..?’ EP: Stream It Now . July 21, 2023 . Billboard . July 21, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230721053545/https://www.billboard.com/music/rb-hip-hop/ice-spice-like-deluxe-ep-listen-1235375402/ . live .
  5. Web site: Sacher . Andrew . July 21, 2023 . Notable Releases of the Week (7/21) . BrooklynVegan . March 23, 2024 . December 4, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20231204123617/https://www.brooklynvegan.com/notable-releases-of-the-week-7-21/ . live .
  6. Reeves . Mosi . 2023-01-20 . Ice Spice Keeps Her Winning Streak Going With 'Like..?' . 2023-01-20 . . en-US . January 20, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230120051752/https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-album-reviews/review-ice-spice-like-1234661172/ . live .
  7. Web site: Sadler . Armon . July 22, 2023 . Nas, Travis Scott, Ice Spice, And More Hip-Hop Releases You Need To Hear! . Vibe . March 23, 2024 . March 23, 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240323135133/https://www.vibe.com/music/reviews/new-music-friday-nas-travis-scott-ice-spice-1234774372/ . live .
  8. Web site: Rosen . Daniel Montgomery,Chris Beachum,Denton Davidson,Marcus James Dixon,Joyce Eng,Ray Richmond,Christopher . Montgomery . Daniel . Beachum . Chris . Davidson . Denton . Dixon . Marcus James . Eng . Joyce . Richmond . Ray . Rosen . Christopher . 2024-02-02 . 2024 Gold Derby Music Awards winners: Clean sweep for Taylor Swift . 2024-02-02 . GoldDerby . en-US . May 20, 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240520112523/https://www.goldderby.com/feature/2024-gold-derby-music-awards-winners-1205715515/ . live .
  9. Zellner . Xander . 2023-01-31 . Hot 100 First-Timers: Ice Spice Debuts With Lil Tjay Collab 'Gangsta Boo' . . 2023-04-21 . February 2, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230202050609/https://www.billboard.com/music/chart-beat/ice-spice-debuts-hot-100-lil-tjay-collab-gangsta-boo-1235208484/ . live .
  10. Web site: ARIA Top 40 Hip Hop/R&B Albums Chart. Australian Recording Industry Association. October 2, 2023. September 29, 2023. October 3, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20231003171138/https://www.aria.com.au/charts/hip-hop-r-and-b-albums-chart/2023-10-02. live.
  11. The ARIA Report: Week Commencing 2 October 2023. The ARIA Report. Australian Recording Industry Association. 1752. 25. October 2, 2023.
  12. Web site: 2023 7-os savaitės klausomiausi (Top 100). AGATA. lt. February 17, 2023. February 17, 2023. February 17, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230217092806/https://www.agata.lt/lt/naujienos/s7/. live.
  13. Web site: NZ Top 40 Albums Chart. Recorded Music NZ. July 31, 2023. July 29, 2023. July 28, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230728224342/https://nztop40.co.nz/chart/albums?chart=5624. live.
  14. Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 2023. Billboard. November 22, 2023. November 21, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20231121210007/https://www.billboard.com/charts/year-end/2023/top-billboard-200-albums/. live.
  15. Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums – Year-End 2023. Billboard. November 22, 2023. December 4, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20231204090247/https://www.billboard.com/charts/year-end/2023/top-r-and-b-hip-hop-albums/. live.
  16. Web site: Like..? - EP by Ice Spice . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20230126234301/https://music.apple.com/us/album/like-ep/1668224500 . January 26, 2023 . April 29, 2023 . Apple Music.
  17. Web site: Ice Spice - Like..? [LP] ]. live . https://web.archive.org/web/20230427230446/https://www.amazon.com/Like-LP-Ice-Spice/dp/B0C2HYCMGJ . April 27, 2023 . April 29, 2023 . Amazon.com.
  18. Web site: Like..? (Deluxe) by Ice Spice . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20230721114100/https://music.apple.com/us/album/like-deluxe/1698436889 . July 21, 2023 . July 21, 2023 . Apple Music.
  19. Web site: Ice Spice - Like..? [Deluxe] [Baby Pink LP] ]. July 21, 2023 . Amazon.com . July 21, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230721150549/https://www.amazon.com/Like-Deluxe-Baby-Pink-LP/dp/B0CC9MPLN9 . live .