Ice Spice has made it quite clear she, in fact, has no need to prove herself. When internet critics told her one of her tracks sounded similar to a Spongebob Squarepants track, she titled the song “Bikini Bottom” and put it out. When fans ironically dubbed her “the new Princess Diana,” she named a track “Princess Diana” and released it on this EP. In her own words: “goin’ viral is gettin’ ‘em sicker” (on “In Ha Mood”).
Ice Spice treads the fine line between viral snippets suited for the TikTok age and charismatic full-length tracks; neither one is sacrificed for the other, and both sound entirely authentic to Ice Spice’s personality and image. Aside from the personality Ice Spice brings to the table on Like..?, she also displays a knack for solid hook-writing; “Actin A Smoochie” – one of the new tracks from Like..? – exemplifies this side of Ice Spice best. This, though, leads into the biggest detraction from Like..?. It’s too short. Thirteen minutes is an appropriate length for an EP, but only half of the record is fresh music; three of the EP’s six tracks (“In Ha Mood,” “Bikini Bottom,” and “Munch (Feelin’ U)”) were previously released as singles already.
Still, while Like..? partly feels akin to a playlist of viral singles, the record’s three new tracks are interesting enough to (for the most part) overcome this becoming the record’s reputation. RIOTUSA’s beats on the record mostly fall within the drill genre, but in the moments where the beats stray from drill, Ice Spice doesn’t slow down, either – namely on “Gangsta Boo” and “Actin A Smoochie.” Lil Tjay brings a fantastic verse to the former, as well.
With just a single EP, Ice Spice has established an identity and a sound unique to her. Without the Bronx rapper present, a listener could hear any of the beats on Like..? and still go: “this is an Ice Spice beat.” The artist doesn’t need to say anything profound or do anything too crazy on Like..? to leave an impression; from start to finish, listeners can become invested in Ice Spice’s wit, humour, and personality. If there were any doubts, Like..? proves unquestionably that Ice Spice is here to stay.
