" Make Me Like You " is Our Song Of The Day by American singer and songwriter
Gwen Stefani for her third solo studio album This Is What the Truth
Feels Like (2016). Released as the album's second single, the
song was first released digitally on February 12, 2016, while being
serviced to contemporary hit radio four days later, on February
16. Stefani co-wrote the song with Justin Tranter , Julia Michaels,
and its producers Mattman & Robin. It is a pop and disco song,
with influences of light rock , with its instrumentation consisting
of chiming guitars, "digi-harps" and a "beachy" drum progression.
Considered a departure from her previous single, " Used to Love
You" (2015), "Make Me Like You" is about feeling renewed and
finding love again following a fractured relationship. Many critics
believed the song was inspired by her relationship with American
singer Blake Shelton, which was later confirmed by Stefani. The
song received positive reviews from music critics , who praised
the track's upbeat environment and its radio-friendly vibe.
The music video for the song was the first to be created on live
television and it was recorded during the 2016 Grammy Awards
commercial break. Stefani's long-time collaborator, Sophie Muller ,
directed the video which involved several costume changes and
various scenes, including a car crash, a salon, and a piano
lounge. It also pokes fun at the media scrutiny over her personal
life. The video garnered a positive reaction from critics, for being
"colorful" and "entertaining".
Background and recording
After releasing two songs that were made to become singles
from her upcoming third studio album, Stefani suffered from
writer's block and after her tumultous divorce from her former
husband she decided to scrap the album in favor to start over.
She recalled that she couldn't write and felt insecure about it,
therefore she tried to curate an album where she was partially
involved, but it didn't work for her. Later, after all the events in
her life, Stefani went to the studio and after a songwriting
session with Rick Nowels she stated that the "channel was
opened" and she felt inspired again. Due to that, in mid-2015,
Stefani was put to work with songwriters Julia Michaels, Justin
Tranter and producer J.R. Rotem , whom she spent the majority of
time writing for the album. With Michaels and Tranter, she ended
up writing several songs, such as " Used to Love You", "Misery"
and "Make Me Like You". In an interview with Zane Lowe ,
Stefani expressed her excitement for the track, stating: "We were
losing our minds. It was called 'Make Me Like You' and we
couldn't believe it like how did we write this song? It's so
good!" After the moderate success of "Used to Love You",
Stefani decided to release a second single as a "Valentine's Day
present" to her fans. "Make Me Like You" was released
digitally on February 12, 2016 as the album's second single and
was serviced to mainstream radio on February 16, 2016.
Composition
"Make Me Like You" was written by Gwen Stefani , Justin Tranter ,
Julia Michaels, Mattias Larsson and Robin Fredriksson , with
production being done by the latter two under their stage name
Mattman & Robin. It lasts for three minutes and 36
seconds. A pop and disco song, "Make Me Like You" also
has light rock influences with "feathery guitar riffs " "digi-
harps" and "beachy drum progression." Robbie Daw of
Idolator noted that the song "contains the best echoes of The
Cardigans ' '90s staple ' Lovefool' and classic Kylie Minogue, while
Carl Williot of the same publication thought that the song reminds
him of " Phoenix 's ' Too Young,' or a blown-out The Bird and the
Bee song." Lyrically, the song talks about the other side of a
break-up , when the gloom lifts and you have to face the
possibility of starting over and finding love again following a
fractured relationship. In the chorus, Stefani sings: "Why'd
you have to go and make me like you? / Yeah this is a feeling I'm
not used to / I'm so mad at you cause now you got me missing
you." It was considered "an immediate departure from the
heartbreaking ' Used to Love You'," with critics suggesting that
Stefani's relationship with Blake Shelton inspired the track,
which was later confirmed by Stefani herself.
Critical reception
"Make Me Like You" received positive reviews from contemporary
music critics . Writing for Rolling Stone , Daniel Kreps called the
track "refreshing" and referred to it as "all about renewal,"
while Billboard Staff called it "a three-and-a-half minute nugget of
creamy, upbeat pop." Kelly Lawler of USA Today called it
"catchy" and a "sweet pop candy" song, while praising its lyrics
as well. Gregory Adams of Exclaim! was positive, naming it a
"sugar-sprinkling pop jam," while praising the "radio-friendly pop-
and-snap" and her "signature pipes" during the chorus. Robbie
Daw of Idolator was extremely positive to the track, writing that
Stefani "struck Spring Pop Anthem gold" with the track and "the
perfect example of the type of pop we've been barely-patiently
waiting for Gwen to churn out," while Bianca Gracie and Mike
Wass of the same publication also gave a positive response, with
Gracie calling the song's melody "wildly infectious" and
applauded it for being "pure, vibrant and cheeky pop," and Wass
labeling it a "breezy anthem" and "a worthy addition to Gwen's
discography."
Sal Cinquemani of Slant called it "decidedly more buoyant [than
previous single], reminiscent of 2006's ' The Sweet Escape ,' but it
still scans as a peek into the newly single—and clearly revitalized
—singer's personal life." Gregory Robinson of Redbrick
declared the track "another delicious slice of pop perfection",
further exclaiming that "Stefani's new release is definitely 'pop
ear candy'."
Music video
Development
The accompanying music video for the song was the first music
video to be created on live television. It was recorded during the
2016 Grammy Awards commercial break and directed by
Stefani's longtime collaborator and friend Sophie Muller . The
finished project was later posted on Vevo on February 16, 2016.
The project was co-funded by Target who is exclusively
releasing the deluxe edition of This Is What the Truth Feels Like on
March 18, 2016. A crew of over 250 workers set up a 32,000
sq. ft. studio in Burbank, California to shoot the video, while a
creative team of 17, including Stefani, came up with various
concepts and scenes for the video.
Synopsis
Stefani reading a fake magazine in
the music video for "Make Me Like
You".
The video begins with Stefani awaking by a car crash while
wearing a black and white, striped gown. After walking past a line
of hanging clocks and changing into a red kimono , she enters a
pink salon where her friend and hair stylist, Danilo Dixon, greets
her. Stefani proceeds to read a fake tabloid magazine with
the headline announcing "Gwen Pregnant with Alien Baby!",
referencing the recent fake rumors of a pregnancy with boyfriend
Blake Shelton. The next scene shows Stefani wearing a
sequined blazer as she walks behind two male breakdancers . As
the song's bridge plays, Stefani stumbles upon a dark room with
five dancers wearing masks with her head on them. As she
pushes two of them over, she changes into a multi-colored
poncho and rides a motorcycle with other women wearing apparel
from Stefani's clothing line, L.A.M.B. .
When the chorus is played for the third time, Stefani changes into
a long, white skirt and walks into a lounge named "Blake's",
where she is served by a bartender, played by social media star
Todrick Hall. Stefani is then shown singing the song behind a
piano as the video crew helps her put on a pair of roller skates.
After inline skating in a black leotard , a stunt double appears
and performs a "fake" tumble. The final scene involves
Stefani wearing a rose-inspired red dress on an elevating
platform while mouthing the words: "Thank God. Thank God that
I've found you", before the camera zooms out to display the
Target logo.
Reception
Writing for TIME , Nolan Feeney stated "Stefani wasn't scheduled
to perform during the Grammys, but she may have just delivered
one of the evening's most colorful performances anyway".
Sierra Marquina of Us Weekly also gave a positive review of the
video, claiming that "the No Doubt frontwoman teamed up with
Target to pull off the near impossible". Also, several critics
mistakingly thought the fake 'tumble' during the rollerblading
scene was real after the initial broadcast of the video.
Live performances
Stefani has performed the track several times lives. She
performed "Make Me Like You" live for the first time on Jimmy
Kimmel Live! on February 17, 2016, [30] followed by a performance
of the song on The Ellen DeGeneres Show on February 25 later that
month. [31] Both performances featured Stefani in leopard print
clothing, accompanied by several backup dancers.
(Source:Wikipedia.Org)
Gwen Stefani for her third solo studio album This Is What the Truth
Feels Like (2016). Released as the album's second single, the
song was first released digitally on February 12, 2016, while being
serviced to contemporary hit radio four days later, on February
16. Stefani co-wrote the song with Justin Tranter , Julia Michaels,
and its producers Mattman & Robin. It is a pop and disco song,
with influences of light rock , with its instrumentation consisting
of chiming guitars, "digi-harps" and a "beachy" drum progression.
Considered a departure from her previous single, " Used to Love
You" (2015), "Make Me Like You" is about feeling renewed and
finding love again following a fractured relationship. Many critics
believed the song was inspired by her relationship with American
singer Blake Shelton, which was later confirmed by Stefani. The
song received positive reviews from music critics , who praised
the track's upbeat environment and its radio-friendly vibe.
The music video for the song was the first to be created on live
television and it was recorded during the 2016 Grammy Awards
commercial break. Stefani's long-time collaborator, Sophie Muller ,
directed the video which involved several costume changes and
various scenes, including a car crash, a salon, and a piano
lounge. It also pokes fun at the media scrutiny over her personal
life. The video garnered a positive reaction from critics, for being
"colorful" and "entertaining".
Background and recording
After releasing two songs that were made to become singles
from her upcoming third studio album, Stefani suffered from
writer's block and after her tumultous divorce from her former
husband she decided to scrap the album in favor to start over.
She recalled that she couldn't write and felt insecure about it,
therefore she tried to curate an album where she was partially
involved, but it didn't work for her. Later, after all the events in
her life, Stefani went to the studio and after a songwriting
session with Rick Nowels she stated that the "channel was
opened" and she felt inspired again. Due to that, in mid-2015,
Stefani was put to work with songwriters Julia Michaels, Justin
Tranter and producer J.R. Rotem , whom she spent the majority of
time writing for the album. With Michaels and Tranter, she ended
up writing several songs, such as " Used to Love You", "Misery"
and "Make Me Like You". In an interview with Zane Lowe ,
Stefani expressed her excitement for the track, stating: "We were
losing our minds. It was called 'Make Me Like You' and we
couldn't believe it like how did we write this song? It's so
good!" After the moderate success of "Used to Love You",
Stefani decided to release a second single as a "Valentine's Day
present" to her fans. "Make Me Like You" was released
digitally on February 12, 2016 as the album's second single and
was serviced to mainstream radio on February 16, 2016.
Composition
"Make Me Like You" was written by Gwen Stefani , Justin Tranter ,
Julia Michaels, Mattias Larsson and Robin Fredriksson , with
production being done by the latter two under their stage name
Mattman & Robin. It lasts for three minutes and 36
seconds. A pop and disco song, "Make Me Like You" also
has light rock influences with "feathery guitar riffs " "digi-
harps" and "beachy drum progression." Robbie Daw of
Idolator noted that the song "contains the best echoes of The
Cardigans ' '90s staple ' Lovefool' and classic Kylie Minogue, while
Carl Williot of the same publication thought that the song reminds
him of " Phoenix 's ' Too Young,' or a blown-out The Bird and the
Bee song." Lyrically, the song talks about the other side of a
break-up , when the gloom lifts and you have to face the
possibility of starting over and finding love again following a
fractured relationship. In the chorus, Stefani sings: "Why'd
you have to go and make me like you? / Yeah this is a feeling I'm
not used to / I'm so mad at you cause now you got me missing
you." It was considered "an immediate departure from the
heartbreaking ' Used to Love You'," with critics suggesting that
Stefani's relationship with Blake Shelton inspired the track,
which was later confirmed by Stefani herself.
Critical reception
"Make Me Like You" received positive reviews from contemporary
music critics . Writing for Rolling Stone , Daniel Kreps called the
track "refreshing" and referred to it as "all about renewal,"
while Billboard Staff called it "a three-and-a-half minute nugget of
creamy, upbeat pop." Kelly Lawler of USA Today called it
"catchy" and a "sweet pop candy" song, while praising its lyrics
as well. Gregory Adams of Exclaim! was positive, naming it a
"sugar-sprinkling pop jam," while praising the "radio-friendly pop-
and-snap" and her "signature pipes" during the chorus. Robbie
Daw of Idolator was extremely positive to the track, writing that
Stefani "struck Spring Pop Anthem gold" with the track and "the
perfect example of the type of pop we've been barely-patiently
waiting for Gwen to churn out," while Bianca Gracie and Mike
Wass of the same publication also gave a positive response, with
Gracie calling the song's melody "wildly infectious" and
applauded it for being "pure, vibrant and cheeky pop," and Wass
labeling it a "breezy anthem" and "a worthy addition to Gwen's
discography."
Sal Cinquemani of Slant called it "decidedly more buoyant [than
previous single], reminiscent of 2006's ' The Sweet Escape ,' but it
still scans as a peek into the newly single—and clearly revitalized
—singer's personal life." Gregory Robinson of Redbrick
declared the track "another delicious slice of pop perfection",
further exclaiming that "Stefani's new release is definitely 'pop
ear candy'."
Music video
Development
The accompanying music video for the song was the first music
video to be created on live television. It was recorded during the
2016 Grammy Awards commercial break and directed by
Stefani's longtime collaborator and friend Sophie Muller . The
finished project was later posted on Vevo on February 16, 2016.
The project was co-funded by Target who is exclusively
releasing the deluxe edition of This Is What the Truth Feels Like on
March 18, 2016. A crew of over 250 workers set up a 32,000
sq. ft. studio in Burbank, California to shoot the video, while a
creative team of 17, including Stefani, came up with various
concepts and scenes for the video.
Synopsis
Stefani reading a fake magazine in
the music video for "Make Me Like
You".
The video begins with Stefani awaking by a car crash while
wearing a black and white, striped gown. After walking past a line
of hanging clocks and changing into a red kimono , she enters a
pink salon where her friend and hair stylist, Danilo Dixon, greets
her. Stefani proceeds to read a fake tabloid magazine with
the headline announcing "Gwen Pregnant with Alien Baby!",
referencing the recent fake rumors of a pregnancy with boyfriend
Blake Shelton. The next scene shows Stefani wearing a
sequined blazer as she walks behind two male breakdancers . As
the song's bridge plays, Stefani stumbles upon a dark room with
five dancers wearing masks with her head on them. As she
pushes two of them over, she changes into a multi-colored
poncho and rides a motorcycle with other women wearing apparel
from Stefani's clothing line, L.A.M.B. .
When the chorus is played for the third time, Stefani changes into
a long, white skirt and walks into a lounge named "Blake's",
where she is served by a bartender, played by social media star
Todrick Hall. Stefani is then shown singing the song behind a
piano as the video crew helps her put on a pair of roller skates.
After inline skating in a black leotard , a stunt double appears
and performs a "fake" tumble. The final scene involves
Stefani wearing a rose-inspired red dress on an elevating
platform while mouthing the words: "Thank God. Thank God that
I've found you", before the camera zooms out to display the
Target logo.
Reception
Writing for TIME , Nolan Feeney stated "Stefani wasn't scheduled
to perform during the Grammys, but she may have just delivered
one of the evening's most colorful performances anyway".
Sierra Marquina of Us Weekly also gave a positive review of the
video, claiming that "the No Doubt frontwoman teamed up with
Target to pull off the near impossible". Also, several critics
mistakingly thought the fake 'tumble' during the rollerblading
scene was real after the initial broadcast of the video.
Live performances
Stefani has performed the track several times lives. She
performed "Make Me Like You" live for the first time on Jimmy
Kimmel Live! on February 17, 2016, [30] followed by a performance
of the song on The Ellen DeGeneres Show on February 25 later that
month. [31] Both performances featured Stefani in leopard print
clothing, accompanied by several backup dancers.
(Source:Wikipedia.Org)