It’s Gritty, It’s Hot, It’s the Kind of Girl You Wanna Be - “I LIKE IT!” By UPSAHL
To all my girls who like to party, who stay out ‘til the sun rises and loves themselves without any compromises, and to my girls who need to be reminded of their worth, this review is dedicated to you. As for everyone else, I bring to you the perfect hype song: “I LIKE IT!” by UPSAHL.
You may know her from her TikTok-viral tracks “Drugs”: “I just came here to the party for the drugs (drugs) / Drugs (drugs), drugs (drugs) / I’m not tryna make a friend or fall in love (love) / Love (love), love (love)” and “People I Don’t Like”: “Hello, it’s so good to see you / We met before, but nice to meet you / Yeah, I don’t really wanna be here like, ah-ah-ah-ah / What’s my name? Do you remember?” After scrapping an entire album at the beginning of 2025, UPSAHL took a year to turn back to her roots and create a project that reflects her most authentic sounds yet. Inspired by the confrontational energy of the music she grew up around - LCD Soundsystem, Gorillaz, and Le Tigre to name a few - her new single mirrors those same aggressively honest qualities and blends them with the kind of self-confidence many of us find ourselves working towards embodying.
Although the single isn’t a lyrically deep and introspective track that we’re currently seeing from a lot of major pop artists in the industry, the alt-pop song was created with a different purpose. It’s a song made for letting go, rocking out, and reminding yourself that you are THAT b*tch: “I like being smart / I like making art / I like to think that one day maybe Imma be a star.” And who doesn’t want to have a bit of fun?
“I LIKE IT!” shows a level of growth in artistry from UPSAHL that we haven’t seen in previous releases. The track is grittier, bolder, a bit darker, and a whole lot more authentic to her as both an artist and a brand: “I like when I'm on the stage in a bright red thong and the whole crowd’s screamin’ all the lyrics to my songs, I like it.” The lyrics scream confidence like no other song I’ve heard: “C’mon put me on your moodboard / Yeah, I wanna be me too.”
Sonically, it’s centered around a strong guitar choice that blends solid heavy tones with satisfying crunch. Surrounding her vocals with an assertive energy that backs the self-assurance found in her lyrics: “I like when the wine is hittin’ / Goin’ straight up to my head and it make me get delusionally over confident.” At the mid-way point of the song, the guitar pulls back while a single drum beat comes to the front and her voice turns sensual and siren-like: “Say it once and then I’ll repeat / Oh my god, my life’s so easy / Type of scene you see on TV / Oh my god, my life’s so easy / Want it all but I’m not needy.” It’s exactly the kind of creative choice the song needed to cut through the steady high energy and make it a stand out release this year.
“I LIKE IT!” is similar to her other recent single “TOPIC,” a track that’s once again both strong in energy and confidence: “I’ve been getting richer, prettier, tougher, smarter / Music grittier, ego larger / Skirt gets minier, fits go harder.” With these two new tracks we’re seeing something very cohesive start to develop and can only hope an album announcement is on the way. Listen to “I LIKE IT!” below or anywhere you stream your music.
