LACUNA COIL – I Like It (OFFICIAL VIDEO)

A Single That Courted the Mainstream

“I Like It” arrived in 2009 as one of the defining singles from Lacuna Coil’s fifth studio album, Shallow Life, released through Century Media Records. The track sharpened the band’s long-honed blend of gothic atmosphere and alternative metal with a brighter, hook-forward approach. It also came paired with an official video that underlined the song’s pop instincts with a playful, satirical edge, presenting a lighter facet of the Milanese group without abandoning their core identity.

Shallow Life in Context

Shallow Life marked a moment of stylistic refocusing for Lacuna Coil. The album streamlined the cinematic darkness of their early 2000s work into leaner, radio-ready structures. While heavy guitars and moody textures remained, the production foregrounded clarity, vocal interplay, and sharp choruses. The result was a record that broadened their reach and invited debate within the fanbase about where modern gothic metal could stretch without losing its gravity. “I Like It” stands as one of the clearest examples of this pursuit, embracing pop-savvy immediacy while retaining the band’s characteristic contrast between light and shadow.

Sound and Arrangement

Musically, “I Like It” trades on contrast. The song leans into a tight, mid-tempo pulse and a glossy mix that gives each element room to punch through. Distorted guitars provide rhythmic weight rather than sprawling atmosphere, locking with a crisp bass-and-drum foundation that favors bounce and momentum over brute force. Subtle electronic accents and layered backing vocals slide into the periphery, widening the chorus without swamping it. The arrangement feels built for impact, arriving quickly at a memorable refrain and using dynamics to refresh its central hook rather than reinventing the groove at every turn.

Vocals: The dual-lead approach remains central. Cristina Scabbia’s clean delivery carries the melodic thrust, while Andrea Ferro’s presence adds grit and emphasis, creating a conversational tension that suits the song’s theme of self-possession.
Guitars: Riffs are direct and percussive, with palm-muted drive in the verses opening into broader chord voicings for the chorus. The tone is saturated but controlled, serving the hook rather than overwhelming it.
Rhythm section: The drums favor a snappy, pocketed feel. Bass lines double down on the groove, giving the chorus lift and the verses a spring-loaded push.
Production: Polished and radio-minded, emphasizing separation and clarity. Every hit and harmony is designed to land cleanly in the mix.

Lyrical Focus

The lyrics revolve around autonomy, taste, and the quiet rebellion of owning what you enjoy. Where Lacuna Coil often draws on introspective shadows, “I Like It” tackles superficial judgment and image culture with a defiant shrug. The repeated title line functions as mantra and punchline, a resolute statement that turns potential criticism into fuel. It aligns neatly with the broader concerns of Shallow Life, which wrestles with surface-level satisfactions, social pressure, and the cost of living for appearances. Here, the band flips the script, proposing that self-acceptance can be its own subversion.

The Video’s Playful Edge

The official video amplifies the track’s accessible bent with a self-aware tone. Performance scenes are integrated with humor-tinged moments that nod to pop culture’s obsession with trends and instant validation. Rather than indulge the darkness of their earlier visuals, Lacuna Coil lean into contrast by pairing their heavy roots with color, wit, and a light touch. The effect is disarming. It underscores the song’s message by refusing to take the circus of image too seriously, all while reminding listeners that the band’s chemistry and command of the stage remain intact.

Debate and Endurance

Upon release, “I Like It” spurred conversation among listeners about Lacuna Coil’s evolving sound. For some, its sleek production and overt catchiness signaled a bold, modern step; for others, it stood a bit outside the group’s moodier lineage. With time, the track has come to represent an important point in their catalog: a clear demonstration that the band could stretch toward contemporary rock and pop structures without discarding the interplay, tension, and melodic heft that define their voice. It is a snapshot of a seasoned act testing boundaries and making a claim on broader territory.

Why It Works

Memorable hooks: The chorus lodges quickly, built for repetition without feeling disposable.
Contrasting voices: Scabbia and Ferro’s interplay adds character and narrative shape.
Focused arrangement: Streamlined songwriting that spotlights the hook and supports it with punchy riffing.
Conceptual cohesion: Themes of self-determination tie neatly into the album’s critique of surface and spectacle.

Final Thoughts

“I Like It” captures Lacuna Coil at a crossroads, balancing heavy foundations with a pop-minded chassis. The single and its official video form a tight, purposeful package, reflecting the band’s confidence in songcraft and their willingness to toy with expectations. A decade and more on, its appeal lies in that balance: a sleek, chant-ready anthem built on the tension that has always powered Lacuna Coil’s sound, reframed for a modern rock landscape.