Like I Do (Christina Aguilera song)
{{short description|2018 song by Christina Aguilera}}
{{Infobox song
| name = Like I Do
| cover = Christina_Aguilera_Like_I_Do.jpg
| border = yes
| alt =
| type = single
| artist = Christina Aguilera featuring GoldLink
| album = Liberation
| released = {{Start date|2018|6|7}}
| studio =
- OBE Studios (Hollywood, CA){{Cite AV media notes|title=Liberation|others=Christina Aguilera|type=CD liner notes|year=2018|publisher=RCA Records}}
- The Sanctuary (Los Angeles, CA){{Cite AV media notes|title=Liberation|others=Christina Aguilera|type=CD liner notes|year=2018|publisher=RCA Records}}
| genre = * Hip hop
| length = {{Duration|m=4|s=49}}
| label = RCA
| writer = * Christina Aguilera
- Anderson .Paak
- Sang Hyeon Lee
- Jonathan Park
- Tayla Parx
- Whitney Phillips
- D'Anthony Carlos
| producer = * Paak
- BRLLNT ({{abbr|co.|co-producer}})
- Dumbfoundead (additional producer)
| chronology = Christina Aguilera
| prev_title = Fall in Line
| prev_year = 2018
| next_title = Haunted Heart
| next_year = 2019
| misc = {{Extra chronology
| artist = GoldLink
| type = single
| prev_title = Function
| prev_year = 2018
| title = Like I Do
| year = 2018
| next_title = Got Friends
| next_year = 2018
}}
{{External music video|{{YouTube|aVG0Iz1jL08|"Like I Do"}}|header=Lyric video}}
}}
"Like I Do" is a song by American singer Christina Aguilera from her eighth studio album Liberation. American rapper GoldLink is featured on the song.{{cite magazine|last1=Darville|first1=Jordan|title=Christina Aguilera Shares "Like I Do" featuring GoldLink and Anderson.Paak|url=https://www.thefader.com/2018/06/07/christina-aguilera-like-i-do-goldlink-anderson-paak|magazine=The Fader|date=June 7, 2018|access-date=January 6, 2019}} The track was released as the third single on June 7, 2018.{{cite magazine|title=Christina Aguilera Releases Bouncy New Single 'Like I Do' Featuring Goldlink: Listen|url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/pop/8459889/christina-aguilera-like-i-do-goldlink-new-song|magazine=Billboard|date=June 7, 2018|access-date=January 6, 2019}} A lyric video for the song was later released on YouTube on June 21, 2018. The single received widespread acclaim from music critics, praised for its sexiness, "slick" production values and Aguilera's "smooth" vocal delivery. It also received a Grammy Award nomination for Best Rap/Sung Performance at the 61st Annual Grammy Awards, held in 2019.{{Cite web|url=https://www.grammy.com/grammys/awards/61st-annual-grammy-awards|title=61st Annual GRAMMY Awards|date=2018-12-06|website=GRAMMY.com|language=en|access-date=January 6, 2019}}
Composition and recording
"Like I Do" is a mid-tempo song that blends elements of hip-hop, R&B, and house music. Its final form was also influenced by genres such as neo soul, synth-pop, and future garage.{{cite web|url=http://soulbowl.pl/2018/06/11/nowy-utwor-christina-aguilera-like-i-do-feat-goldlink/|title=New song: Christina Aguilera – "Like I Do" feat. GoldLink|work=SoulBowl|date=June 11, 2018|archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20231111131103/http://soulbowl.pl/2018/06/11/nowy-utwor-christina-aguilera-like-i-do-feat-goldlink/|archive-date=November 11, 2023|access-date=November 11, 2023|url-status=live}} Music journalists noted that the track belongs to the subgenre of slow jam.{{cite web|url=https://www.spin.com/2018/06/christina-aguilera-like-i-do-goldlink-stream/|title=Christina Aguilera – 'Like I Do' ft. GoldLink|work=Spin|publisher=Spin Media, LLC|date=June 7, 2018|first=Anna|last=Gaca|access-date=October 4, 2024}}
Critical reception
David Smyth of the Evening Standard called the song the "slickest, most appealing production" of its parent album.{{cite web
|url=https://www.standard.co.uk/stayingin/music/albums-of-the-week-christina-aguileras-back-with-a-big-bonkers-bang-a3864291.html
|title=Albums of the week: Christina Aguilera's back with a big bonkers bang
|last=Smyth
|first=David
|date=June 15, 2018
|website=Evening Standard
|publisher=
|access-date=January 7, 2019
|quote= }} Jennifer Drysdale (Entertainment Tonight) singled the track out as a "flirty" number while also showcasing "more of a pop sound" for the then upcoming Liberation album.{{cite web
|url=https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/listen-christina-aguilera-apos-song-193831087.html
|title=Listen to Christina Aguilera's New Song 'Like I Do' Featuring GoldLink
|last=Drysdale
|first=Jennifer
|date=June 7, 2018
|website=Yahoo!
|publisher=
|access-date=January 7, 2019
|quote= }} USA Today critic Patrick Ryan also defined the song as a "flirty" track "whose hypnotic high flutes and dexterous guest verse from rapper GoldLink will be lodged in your brain all summer".{{cite web
|url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/music/reviews/2018/06/14/review-christina-aguileras-liberation-mostly-satisfying-comeback/686104002/
|title=Review: Christina Aguilera's 'Liberation' is a mostly satisfying comeback album
|last=Ryan
|first=Patrick
|date=June 14, 2018
|website=USA Today
|publisher=
|access-date=January 7, 2019
|quote= }}
Writing for HotNewHipHop, Chantilly Post noted that "Like I Do" sounds "like home for GoldLink as if the song could have been on his previous album At What Cost" while giving the song a "hot" stamp.{{cite web
|url=https://www.hotnewhiphop.com/christina-aguilera-grabs-goldlink-for-like-i-do-new-song.1978923.html
|title=Christina Aguilera Grabs GoldLink For "Like I Do"
|last=Post
|first=Chantilly
|date=June 7, 2018
|website=HotNewHipHop.com
|publisher=
|access-date=January 7, 2019
|quote= }} According to Masani Musa of The Source, the track is noticeable for highlighting Aguilera's "smooth and subtle vocals", while also showcasing the vocalist's "unapologetically belting over an airy flute melody that is seeped in nostalgia". She also refers to the collaboration as "everything we needed".{{cite web
|url=http://thesource.com/2018/06/12/christina-aguilera-and-goldlinks-like-i-do-is-the-collab-we-didnt-know-we-needed/
|title=Christina Aguilera and GoldLink's 'Like I Do' Is The Collab We Didn't Know We Needed
|last=Musa
|first=Masani
|date=June 12, 2018
|website=The Source
|publisher=
|access-date=January 7, 2019
|quote= }} Similarly, Sajae Elder, of Complex, noted the "great opening verse" and claimed the song's "syncopated, summery production [...] gives a sexy nod to love songs on the past".{{cite web
|url=https://www.complex.com/music/2018/06/christina-aguilera-enlists-goldlink-for-her-smooth-new-track-like-i-do
|title=Christina Aguilera Enlists GoldLink for Her Smooth New Track "Like I Do"
|last=Elder
|first=Sajay
|date=June 7, 2018
|website=Complex.com
|publisher=
|access-date=January 7, 2019
|quote= }} The "sexy" approach was also highlighted by Paris Close, writing for PopCrush, who noted that "no one does sexy like Xtina" adding that "when it comes to performance, she can show you better than she can tell you", while praising the "straight to the point" lyrics at the same time the "flute-tipped instrumentals play in the distance".{{cite web
|url=http://popcrush.com/christina-aguilera-like-i-do-audio/
|title=Christina Aguilera Drops Sensual Slow Jam 'Like I Do' Feat. GoldLink (LISTEN)
|last=Close
|first=Paris
|date=June 7, 2018
|website=Pop Crush
|publisher=
|access-date=January 7, 2019
|quote= }}
Idolator's Mike Nied defined the song as a "vibey mid-tempo", noting that "accenting the performance with vocal flourishes, it is a refreshing release that highlights Xtina's state of mind in 2018".{{cite web
|url=https://www.idolator.com/7680749/christina-aguilera-like-i-do-listen
|title=Tune: Christina Aguilera's "Like I Do" Is A Self-Assured Delight
|last=Nied
|first=Mike
|date=June 7, 2018
|website=Idolator
|publisher=
|access-date=January 7, 2019
|quote= }} Rolling Stone contributor Brittany Spanos highlighted GoldLink's references to Aguilera's earlier songs ("Genie in a Bottle", "Ain't No Other Man"), while considering the song a "self-assured track".{{cite magazine
|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/hear-christina-aguileras-sexy-goldlink-assisted-new-song-like-i-do-630111/
|title=Hear Christina Aguilera's Sexy, GoldLink-Assisted New Song 'Like I Do'
|last=Spanos
|first=Brittany
|date=June 7, 2018
|magazine=Rolling Stone
|publisher=
|access-date=January 7, 2019
|quote=
|archive-date=November 29, 2020
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201129141933/https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/hear-christina-aguileras-sexy-goldlink-assisted-new-song-like-i-do-630111/
|url-status=dead
}} Vrinda Jagota of Paper noted Anderson .Paak's production, especially the "whimsical wind instruments and synths", while also praising GoldLink's "slick contribution". Overall, "the song ambles on joyously for almost five minutes, a skittering drum beat and that boisterous flute line flitting throughout", according to the music critic.{{cite web
|url=http://www.papermag.com/christina-aguilera-like-i-do-2576083805.html
|title=Christina Aguilera Drops Fourth Single 'Like I Do'
|last=Jagota
|first=Vrinda
|date=June 7, 2018
|website=Paper
|publisher=
|access-date=January 7, 2019
|quote= }} Pitchfork contributor Claire Lobenfeld chose "Like I Do" as "one spot where contemporary pop fare suits Aguilera" on the Liberation album.{{cite web
|url=https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/christina-aguilera-liberation/
|title= Christina Aguilera, Liberation
|last=Lobenfeld
|first=Claire
|date=June 20, 2018
|website=Pitchfork
|publisher=
|access-date=January 7, 2019
|quote= }} The BuzzFeed editor Dylan Nguyen labelled the song as "a modern R&B masterpiece".{{cite web|url=https://www.buzzfeed.com/nguyendylan1910/6-best-rb-albums-of-2018-31u8wfeecy|archive-url=https://archive.today/20200625073904/https://www.buzzfeed.com/nguyendylan1910/6-best-rb-albums-of-2018-31u8wfeecy|url-status=dead|archive-date=June 25, 2020|title=6 Best R&B Albums Of 2018|work=BuzzFeed|first=Dylan|last=Nguyen|date=June 24, 2020|access-date=June 24, 2020}}
On the other hand, The Guardian{{'}}s Alexis Petridis criticized the track. According to the music critic, "the most interesting thing about Like I Do is how its hook echoes Maroon 5’s 'Moves like Jagger', the biggest hit Aguilera’s been involved with in years".{{cite web
|url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2018/jun/14/christina-aguilera-liberation-review-metoo-makeover-hits-high-and-low-notes
|title=Christina Aguilera: Liberation review – #MeToo makeover hits high and low notes
|last=Petridis
|first=Alexis
|date=June 14, 2018
|website=The Guardian
|publisher=
|access-date=January 7, 2019
|quote= }} Similarly, Stereogum contributor Chris DeVille called the track a "squelchy, bouncy MILF encounter", while also referring to "Sick of Sittin'" as the "superior option" among the Anderson .Paak productions.{{cite web
|url=https://www.stereogum.com/2000880/christina-aguileras-new-album-is-pretty-good-does-anyone-care/franchises/the-week-in-pop/
|title=Christina Aguilera's New Album Is Pretty Good. Does Anyone Care?
|last=DeVille
|first=Chris
|date=June 14, 2018
|website=Stereogum
|publisher=
|access-date=January 7, 2019
|quote= }}
Lyric video
Official lyric video for "Like I Do" was released on Aguilera's YouTube channel on June 21, 2018.{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aVG0Iz1jL08|title=Christina Aguilera – Like I Do (Official Lyric Video) ft. GoldLink|via=YouTube. Alphabet Inc.|date=June 21, 2018|access-date=October 4, 2024}} The song's lyrics are displayed as the backdrop for scenes of a dancing couple. A man and a woman move in a sensual manner, almost as if engaged in a dance battle, and in other scenes they passionately embrace under a shower of water. The song's lyrics are also shown on old television sets. The video is presented in black and white, and the footage was shot at the Please Space recording studio in Brooklyn, New York. The lyric video was directed by KIT Walters and Turkish-born photographer Ece Gürlü.{{cite web|url=https://www.haberler.com/christina-aguilera-nin-son-klibinde-turk-imzasi-11011169-haberi/|title=Christina Aguilera'nın Son Klibinde Türk İmzası|work=Haberler|date=July 3, 2018|language=Turkish|access-date=October 4, 2024}}{{cite web|url=https://ecegurlu.co/christina-aguilera-goldlink-like-i-do-lyric-video|title=Christina Aguilera & GoldLink – Like I Do – Lyric Video|publisher=EceGurlu.co|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181203010945/https://ecegurlu.co/christina-aguilera-goldlink-like-i-do-lyric-video|archive-date=December 3, 2018|access-date=October 4, 2024}}
Charts
| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center" |
| scope="col"| Chart (2018)
! scope="col"| Peak |
|---|
| scope="row"| Indonesian Digital Songs (LIMA){{cite web|url=http://oi68.tinypic.com/oqy3xs.jpg|title=Indonesian Top Digital Songs Chart by LIMA / June 8th, 2018|publisher=LIMA|date=June 8, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180612143952/http://oi68.tinypic.com/oqy3xs.jpg|access-date=January 25, 2021|archive-date=2018-06-12}}
| 2 |
Release history
| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" |
| scope="col"| Region
! scope="col"| Date ! scope="col"| Format ! scope="col"| Label ! scope="col"| {{Abbr|Ref.|Reference}} |
|---|
| scope="row"| Various
| June 7, 2018 | {{hlist|Digital download|streaming}} | RCA |
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{YouTube|id=aVG0Iz1jL08|Christina Aguilera – "Like I Do" (Official Lyric Video) ft. GoldLink}}
{{Christina Aguilera songs}}
{{GoldLink}}
{{authority control}}
Category:Christina Aguilera songs
Category:American hip-hop songs
Category:Songs written by Christina Aguilera