It’s been a year of changes for fromis_9. Not only did their contract expire with Pledis Entertainment but the group went through a reconfiguration upon signing with new label Asnd, reduced from nine to five members. “fromis_5” doesn’t have the same ring to it, so the girls have retained their name as a nod to their history and a commitment to the future. New single Like You Better echoes this strength, barreling forward with a shot of summer energy.
I can’t stress enough how refreshed I am by Like You Better‘s bombastic production. I’ve been waiting for girl groups to transition from the subdued “beigepop” that’s clogged the market for years now, and a song like this gives me hope that we might finally see that change. Like You Better‘s chugging instrumental favors stomping percussion and surging guitar, serving up the anthemic 80’s sound that Carly Rae Jepsen built her name on. Given today’s trends, I’m not sure how something this deliberately huge will be received, but when it comes to the summer season this is the kind of roll-down-the-window-and-sing-at-the-top-of-your-lungs material I’m looking for.
However, I’m not sure I love the actual song as much as I adore the spirit of its relentless instrumental. The structure is a bit cookie cutter and the chorus leans into the higher side of the members’ range with a melody that’s almost a carbon copy of past pop hits. Its strongest moment is the pre-chorus, which swells with excitement and fully capitalizes on the propulsive beat. This is why a bold arrangement is so important. Like You Better‘s thrilling sound steamrolls over any quibbles I might have with the songwriting, forcing me to move from my head to my heart and surrender to its open-hearted sentiment.
| Hooks | 8 |
| Production | 10 |
| Longevity | 9 |
| Bias | 9 |
| RATING | 9 |
The Bias List // K-Pop Reviews & Discussion 
Easy 9 for me and one of the best releases of this year, and that’s not just biased because they are my favourite group💖
9.5/10😍🙏❤️
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Also side note, this is the first girl group song that has gotten a 9 review this year😭
First and we are halfway through😭☠️
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That’s crazy.. but hey, at least it means Fromis served 😭
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Nick! What did you think of the b-sides? Interested to see if you would nominate any buried treasures 🙂
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phenomenal song. in an era of beigepop, this really does stand out. the softer bridge is a definite highlight in such an upbeat song, which just makes that chorus pummel you even more when it comes back.
hooks: 9 (it’s SO catchy! I’ll be singing “I like you better” all the time)
production: 9
longevity: 10
bias: 9
9.25 for me!!
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side note: i tried singing this in the shower and catastrophically failed. i cant even hit those notes lol. then again im not a singer, but damn they sound good on this track! not useless whispering or shouting out onomatopoeia. a Real Summer Song.
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They kept their 2 main vocalists, which is great because Fromis songs have always hit high notes in the chorus. Hayoung especially is a powerhouse! She hit those whistle notes on DM….
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Without a doubt, it’s Fromis_9’s best track in a long time, but it’s a shame that the group needed to go through a new formation to achieve such a well-consolidated sound.
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On reflection, this isn’t anything new for Fromis_9; the group has a habit of releasing summer songs. However, this is the first time I’ve been this excited about a single from them since We Go.
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I LOVE the propulsive pop rock production and I also really love the two part chorus, it has such a hearty, shout-along energy, it really send a chill down my spine and in a positive way! It also reminds me of ZB1’s Blue’s chorus ngl (both having that shout along chorus, except Like You Better has a more heartier, less polished vibe to it) This song has that thrilling energy, like it’s a perfect summer banger
9.25 (10, 9, 9, 9) for me. I predict my ratings will only grow with time.
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This is exactly the kind of thing that was missing in k-pop. Thank you fromis_9 for bringing the liveliness and energy back ❤
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Loved the chorus but thought the verses were quite dull and predictable. An 8.75 for me. I’m so glad the girls brought the summer energy we’ve been missing in kpop.
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I’m not sure about the writing either, but I do love the Carly Rae Jepsen of it all. the outro is the best part of the song for me
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Yes, there is a CRJ/ slight Disney star energy to it. But I like that sort of thing, and in fact, it is refreshing to see a kpop group not trying terribly hard to be “mature.” I can’t give a fair assessment though, I’m honestly just really glad to see Fromis back, and not just temporarily or nominally. I’m glad they kept their name (something a lot of groups are not allowed to do after contracts are up), and it honestly made me emotional when the MV showed them wearing shirts that say Fromis_9. Like they’re saying, “this is still us!!”
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huge smile on face when song was chugging along. I’m not one who usually enjoy summer songs but the infectious energy of this without any bragging lyrics and concept is such vibe. And the less said about the cringiness of Kpop music/lyrics that’s been everywhere lately the better. Even as a long time Kpop fan who has been desensitized to cringe of the entire genre have exceeded my limits this last year
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I wish I was on the fromis_9 train way earlier
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(12, 12, 12, 12) this is just too good for me to receive a ten score.
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Ok relistening to this and lowkey it sounds so bittersweet when they sing “It doesn’t matter cos it’s better when we are together” considering how there’s only 5 of them. :”D
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It’s like a breath of fresh air and a cool drink on a hot summer day, and believe me it is flipping hot right now in most of the US.
This song takes the bright pop spot that IVE seems to have abandoned this year.
Actual fun is being had. The producers did an amazing job with starting chug-ah-ta-chug-ah-ta-chug bass and percussion going and =this is the important part= kept it going through the entire song. The girls light lyric sopranos are a welcome relief from the contemporary trend towards monotone intonation and fry. There is a touch too much autotune on the high notes for my taste.
That all said, I think we are a bit too exuberant on the rating. Perhaps mid-8’s for me. Its the classic “if this came out so many years ago” issue. If it came out 5-7 years ago, it would be one of many. This year, its the only one, or just about.
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it has been super hot here in the philippines. it’s been getting hotter and hotter everywhere in the world each and every year :”0
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This is fun! It makes me think of the best Brave Girls’ stuff like After We Ride. So far they, Illit, and Hearts2Hearts are bringing the summer bop vibes.
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This song literally screams summer!! i love it so much
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The song’s great, and I’ll be listening to this song a lot throughout the summer.
On another note, it’s time to stop putting the number of members at debut in a group name as fromis_9 are yet another victim of this curse.
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Welcome back, Fromis! This is an absolute summer bop. I’m glad the girls get to shine a bit more without pledis holding them back, but I’ll always be sad that all 8 of them didn’t redebut together (especially considering one of them was my bias wrecker 😭). I was listening to their songs the other day, so excited for their redebut, and they delivered! A no skip album to be honest.. it might even take the Supersonic album’s spot as my favorite Fromis summer songs (and also Stay this Way).. this truly is what kpop needed! I pretty much agree with the rating, around an A for me! (9,10,9,9,9) I can’t wait for Fromis to release even more music and continue their journey!
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I’m so happy to see fromis_9 come back so strong! The Carly Rae Jepsen vibes are really strong here, for sure. I’m not a fan of the intro and the ending comes on a little quick, but I love everything inbetween! Especially in verse 2 with the double vocal parts… love that! I’m always moaning when groups have all these members and only 1 member is ever singing at a time. This feels like everyone is pitching in all song long and having a blast with it.
9,8,9,10 = 9
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Hmm. I’m not too sure about this one if I’m being honest. The chorus got stuck in my head after two listens, sure, but if it doesn’t grow on me (and I don’t think it will that much) I’d probably just call it an okay Fromis song. A strong song but… I don’t know, I’m just not feeling these numbers. To me it’s definitely a case of
> I’m not sure I love the actual song as much as I adore the spirit of its relentless instrumental. The structure is a bit cookie cutter
I’m still glad they’re back. Now if only Woolim would release the last member of Rocket Punch… A man can dream.
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Yeah I kinda feel the same. I can notice it’s a strong song but it sounds okay to me and not wow. It’s not bad but it just doesn’t get me hooked.
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Better than their whole discography as fromis-actually-9.
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Absolutely not omg
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Okay, fine, Love Bomb, 22nd Century Girl, and Airplane Mode were better than this, but that’s about it.
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To follow contract terminations and member reconfigurations with this euphoric song is a real triumph! I think that Hybe could’ve matured their music to this sound many comebacks ago, but better late than never.
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yes.
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The production is SOOOOO “I Really Like You” Coded, especially the chorus. Not complaining tho
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Verses are a little forgettable on first listen but damn I got a little emotional hearing the chorus 🥹 Very happy with this, especially since I had thought they’d disbanded and didn’t know what to expect when I saw the initial teaser images. Album is pretty solid so far too!!
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I love it! It’s def one of my favorite songs from the group alongside DM and Love Bomb. I thought it would start feeling cheesy after a few listens, but it just doesn’t. The chorus is great.
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I really really really really really really like you better
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