"I Like the Way You Kiss Me" is a song by English singer-songwriter Artemas. It was released independently on 19 March 2024, as the first single from his sophomore mixtape Yustyna (2024).

"I Like the Way You Kiss Me" peaked at number three on the UK Singles Chart. The song topped the charts in Austria, Belgium (Flanders), Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Sweden, and Switzerland, peaked within the top ten of the charts in various countries including Australia, Canada, France, Ireland, New Zealand, and Norway, and the top 20 in Italy and the United States.

Background Following the release of his debut mixtape Pretty in February 2024 and having hosted two shows at The Lower Third in London, Artemas returned to the recording studio and created "I Like the Way You Kiss Me". Artemas announced the single on 15 March on his social media.

Composition Musically, "I Like the Way You Kiss Me" is a darkwave and alternative pop song, fueled by "moody 80s and pulsating synths" featuring a "dark, retro-futuristic sound collage". The song is 2 minutes and 23 seconds in common time and runs at a tempo of 152 beats per minute.

Artemas' "crooning, gloomy" vocals on the chorus serve as a counterpart to the "kinetic energy" of the whole track. For Allmusic, Marcy Donelson regarded the vocals as "shape-shifting" and "manipulated through either pitch-shifting or varied playback speed".

Lyrically, he presents a story of a strained relationship, being unsure of where he and his partner stand. Eventually, he confesses that he favours sex over feelings "by pushing harder for the physicality".

Reception Critical reception New Wave Magazine praised the song: "...it’s evident that Artemas has honed his sound, delivering sharp and infectious vocal performances that leave a lasting impression." For Clash, Robin Murray was also laudatory: "Deeply catchy, ‘i like the way you kiss me’ bubbles with the coy thrills of attraction."

Daniel Dylan Wray of The Guardian called it "pulsating, icy synth-pop," describing the songwriting as "unabashed, unpolished lyricism".

Commercial performance On 4 April 2024, "I Like the Way You Kiss Me" debuted on the UK Singles Chart at no. 13. On 25 April, the single peaked at no. 3 on the UK Singles Chart; as of the 8 August chart, the single has been on the UK Singles top 100 for 19 weeks.

In the US, "I Like the Way You Kiss Me" entered the Billboard Hot 100 chart at no. 70 on 6 April 2024. On 27 April, it peaked at no. 12.

By the end of April 2024, "I Like the Way You Kiss Me" had nearly 2.5 billion views on TikTok and topped the Spotify "Daily Top Songs Global" and Billboard Global Excl. US charts.

Charts

Weekly charts + Chart (2024) Peakposition Bolivia (Billboard) 19 Brazil (Brasil Hot 100) 55 Bulgaria Airplay (PROPHON) 1 Canada (Canadian Hot 100) 6 Croatia (Billboard) 2 Croatia International Airplay (Top lista) 5 Global 200 (Billboard) 2 Greece International (IFPI) 1 Hungary (Editors' Choice Top 40) 7 Iceland (Tónlistinn) 3 India International (IMI) 6 Israel (Mako Hitlist) 50 Latvia Airplay (LaIPA) 1 Latvia Streaming (LaIPA) 1 Lebanon (Lebanese Top 20) 4 Lithuania (AGATA) 1 Luxembourg (Billboard) 1 Malaysia International (RIM) 19 Middle East and North Africa (IFPI) 5 North Africa (IFPI) 18 Peru (Billboard) 24 Poland (Polish Airplay Top 100) 1 Poland (Polish Streaming Top 100) 1 Romania (Billboard) 5 San Marino Airplay (SMRTV Top 50) 9 Saudi Arabia (IFPI) 5 Serbia Airplay (Radiomonitor) 5 Singapore (RIAS) 13 Turkey International Airplay (Radiomonitor Türkiye) 7 United Arab Emirates (IFPI) 4 US Billboard Hot 100 12 US Hot Rock & Alternative Songs (Billboard) 3 US Pop Airplay (Billboard) 36 Venezuela Airplay (Record Report) 65

Monthly charts + Chart (2024) Peakposition Belarus Airplay (TopHit) 1 CIS Airplay (TopHit) 1 Czech Republic (Rádio – Top 100) 2 Czech Republic (Singles Digitál – Top 100) 1 Estonia Airplay (TopHit) 3 Kazakhstan Airplay (TopHit) 8 Latvia Airplay (TopHit) 1 Lithuania Airplay (TopHit) 1 Moldova Airplay (TopHit) 2 Paraguay Airlay (SGP) 10 Romania Airplay (TopHit) 2 Russia Airplay (TopHit) 3 Slovakia (Rádio – Top 100) 2 Slovakia (Singles Digitál – Top 100) 1 Ukraine Airplay (TopHit) 4

Year-end charts + Chart (2024) Position Australia (ARIA) 21 Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40) 2 Belarus Airplay (TopHit) 5 Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders) 17 Belgium (Ultratop 50 Wallonia) 7 Bulgaria Airplay (PROPHON) 9 Canada (Canadian Hot 100) 43 CIS Airplay (TopHit) 4 Denmark (Tracklisten) 42 Estonia Airplay (TopHit) 8 France (SNEP) 39 Germany (GfK) 1 Global 200 (Billboard) 21 Hungary (Single Top 40) 24 Iceland (Tónlistinn) 10 Italy (FIMI) 49 Kazakhstan Airplay (TopHit) 43 Lithuania Airplay (TopHit) 3 Moldova Airplay (TopHit) 26 Netherlands (Dutch Top 40) 90 Netherlands (Single Top 100) 30 New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ) 30 Poland (Polish Airplay Top 100) 4 Poland (Polish Streaming Top 100) 3 Portugal (AFP) 43 Romania Airplay (TopHit) 11 Russia Airplay (TopHit) 19 Sweden (Sverigetopplistan) 13 Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade) 4 UK Singles (OCC) 17 US Billboard Hot 100 63 US Hot Rock & Alternative Songs (Billboard) 9 + Chart (2025) Position Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40) 62 Belarus Airplay (TopHit) 22 Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders) 160 Belgium (Ultratop 50 Wallonia) 122 CIS Airplay (TopHit) 43 Germany (GfK) 40 Global 200 (Billboard) 178 Lithuania Airplay (TopHit) 134 Moldova Airplay (TopHit) 13 Poland (Polish Airplay Top 100) 58 Romania Airplay (TopHit) 94 Russia Airplay (TopHit) 119

Certifications

References