Commercially, the EP peaked at number seven on the Circle Album Chart, with the highest first-week sales of Kim's career. To promote the EP, Kim embarked on the I Like the Way Tour in June 2024.
Background and release
Eight months prior to the release of I Like the Way, Kim released his second EP The Moment: Bounce under 10x Entertainment. On March 18, 2024, SM Entertainment announced that they had acquired 10x and were folding it into their Kreation Music Rights subsidiary under the name "Kustomade". One week later, the label indicated that Kim would release the agency's first new music in April.[1] The EP's title and release date were officially announced on April 4, along with an image of Kim cutting his hair and a YouTube video on Kim's YouTube channel entitled "Rebirth: Kim Woojin", showing him smashing a statue and walking down a runway under spotlights. The video and imagery was said to symbolize a "fresh start" and be the singer's "declaration to break free from everything that has oppressed him and pave his path."[2]I Like the Way was officially released on April 22, 2024, along with the lead single of the same name and its music video.[3]
Composition
I Like the Way is a pop EP with contemporary R&B, dance, and afrobeat influences.[4] Kim participated in writing the lyrics for all songs except the third track, "Pretty Mess". The EP's first track and lead single, "I Like the Way", is a dance-pop song with strong bass guitar, with Ryan S. Jhun and Digital Farm Animals included among its contributors. "Pretty Mess" is a rhythmic R&B pop song, and "What U Say" is a pop song with afrobeat influences. The EP's fourth track, "Hold", is a pop ballad composed by Kim, alongside Kangta, a member of SM Entertainment's first boy band, H.O.T.. The final track, "To. My Friend", is a pop-R&B song with prominent acoustic guitar.[5] The EP's five tracks have a total length of 14 minutes 5 seconds.
Kim also performed "I Like the Way" on Dingo Music's YouTube channel[18] and I Like the Way, Pretty Mess and What U Say for Fromm Studio's Origin series.[19]
I Like the Way debuted on the Circle Album Chart issued April 27 at number seven, selling 35,742 copies in six days of tracking, becoming the best-selling first week of Kim's career.[20] On Circle's monthly rankings chart, the album entered at number 30 for April 2024, Kim's highest position on the chart.[21]
^Choi, Lee-jung (May 18, 2024). 김우진, 미니 3집 'I LIKE THE WAY' 활동 성료..'당당+주체' 메시지 [Kim Woo-jin, successful completion of 3rd mini album 'I LIKE THE WAY' activities..'Confident + Subjective' message]. The Chosun Ilbo (in Korean). Retrieved October 22, 2024.
^Ahn, Byeong-gil (April 29, 2024). 김우진 컴백무대 마치 브로드웨이 공연 보는 듯 [Kim Woojin's comeback stage "It's like watching a Broadway show"]. Kyunghyang Shinmun (in Korean). Retrieved October 17, 2024.
^Min, Kyung-hoon (May 7, 2024). 사진김우진,'파워 넘치는 무대' [Photo Woojin Kim, 'Powerful Stage']. The Chosun Ilbo (in Korean). Retrieved October 17, 2024.
^Ji, Hyeong-jun (May 14, 2024). 사진더쇼 1위 차지한 트리플에스 [Photo Triple S takes 1st place on The Show]. The Chosun Ilbo (in Korean). Retrieved October 17, 2024.
^Kim, Seong-rak (May 10, 2024). 사진김우진,'청년 분위기' [Photo Woojin Kim, 'Youthful Atmosphere']. The Chosun Ilbo (in Korean). Retrieved October 17, 2024.
