Love?... or Something Like It

Last updated

Love?... or Something Like It
Love... or Something Like It.png
Studio album by
ReleasedOctober 24, 2025 (2025-10-24)
Recorded2022–2024
Length41:22
Label
Producer
Singles from Love?... or Something Like It
  1. "Angel"
    Released: August 4, 2023
  2. "In Your Hands"
    Released: March 15, 2024
  3. "Because I Love You"
    Released: August 30, 2024
  4. "Back and Forth"
    Released: February 14, 2025
  5. "Braveface"
    Released: June 20, 2025

Love?... or Something Like It is the debut solo studio album by American singer-songwriter Halle. It was released through Parkwood Entertainment and Columbia Records on October 24, 2025. [1] The album was preceded by the release of the singles "Because I Love You", "Back and Forth" and "Braveface". [2] The album also includes previous solo singles "Angel" and "In Your Hands", the former being nominated at the 66th Annual Grammy Awards for Best R&B Song.

Contents

Background and composition

In 2023, Halle began recording solo music while she was filming The Little Mermaid and The Color Purple , for which she recorded new songs including the Academy Award shortlisted song "Keep It Movin'". In August 2023, she published her first solo single "Angel", followed by 2024 single "In Your Hands". [3] [4] On October 8, 2025, Halle announced the release of her debut solo studio album, with a promotional trailer. [5]

The album consists of fifteen tracks written by the singer herself with numerous authors and producers, including BongoByTheWay, Dem Jointz, Johan Lenox, Needlz, Sylvia Dee, Raye, Neff-U, Sid Lippman, and Sevyn Streeter, and includes four collaborations: H.E.R., GloRilla, Mariah the Scientist and her sister Chloe. [6] Halle described the project on her social media as "a story of first love, heartbreak, and everything that comes after. [...] Once upon a time, there was a girl who believed in love. She believed everyone belonged to someone, soul for soul. All she wanted in life was to find the truest form of love. Was that even possible? And here's what happened." [5] [1]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Clash 7/10 [7]
Rated R&B 8.5/10 [8]
Shatter the Standards4/5 [9]

The project has received generally-favorable reviews, with both praise for the overall darkness and warmth of the project, and slight disappointment with GloRilla's verse on "Know Bout Me". [8] [10]

Writer Shahzaib Hussain for the publication Clash lauded the "classic, stately feel" of the project "that feels unfamiliar in today's overcooked and underperformed world of modern R&B." [7] Hussain further opined that while the latter half "lacks the momentum of the opening sequence of songs", these songs are "elevated by restraint and Halle's agile voice." [7] In another positive review, writer Jamila W. from Shatter the Standards was impressed at the varied production and live instrumentation wherever possible, while recognizing the lead single "Angel" as "an affirmation of self-worth and resilience [that remains] the spiritual core of the record... merg[ing] R&B and gospel with cinematic strings and ghostly harps." [9] Keithan Samuels from Rated R&B considered the album "a collection of songs [that] became the catharsis she needed to enter her next chapter...embark[ing] on a quest to find and hold onto love before it eventually slips away. When love is lost, [Bailey is] left to make sense of what it all meant and how it shaped who she is today...Although the diaristic lyrics reveal what lies behind the facade — insecurity, agony, helplessness — there's a strong sense of empowerment present." [8]

Track listing

All tracks are written by Halle Bailey.

Love?... or Something Like It track listing [11]
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."Intro"
D. Phelps0:53
2."Overtime"
  • H. Bailey
  • Phelps
  • Yuli
  • D. Phelps
  • Moritz Braun
2:28
3."Know Bout Me" (with GloRilla)
4:01
4."His Type"
2:25
5."Heaven"
BongoByTheWay3:07
6."Interlude 2"
  • H. Bailey
  • Phelps
  • Gueringer
D. Phelps1:12
7."Alone" (with Mariah the Scientist)
  • Needlz
  • D. Phelps
  • Gordon
2:11
8."Back and Forth"H. Bailey
  • Needlz
  • Gordon
2:04
9."Braveface"
  • H. Bailey
  • Keen
  • Lekan
3:03
10."So I Can Feel Again" (with Chlöe)
  • D. Phelps
  • Tim Maxey
  • FreakyRob
2:27
11."In Your Hands"
2:51
12."No Warning" (featuring H.E.R.)
  • D. Phelps
  • Yuli
  • Braun
3:01
13."Bite Your Lip"
  • H. Bailey
  • Keen
  • Abernathy
  • Erik Griggs
  • Dem Jointz
  • Blu2th [a]
4:20
14."Angel" Neff-U 3:39
15."Because I Love You"
  • H. Bailey
  • Keen
Dem Jointz3:31
Total length:41:22

Notes

Personnel

Credits adapted from Tidal. [11]

Musicians

Technical

  • Trey Pearce – engineering (1, 6, 7)
  • Jeremy Dilli – engineering (2, 7, 10), engineering assistance (5, 6)
  • Jonathan Lopez Garcia – engineering (2, 10)
  • Moritz Braun – engineering (2, 12)
  • Barrington Hall – engineering (3)
  • Daniel Cullen – engineering (3)
  • Xavier Daniel – engineering (3)
  • David Escobar – engineering (4)
  • Ital Schwartz – engineering (4)
  • Brodie Menas – engineering (5, 6, 11)
  • Dani Pampuri – engineering (5, 8, 9)
  • Kaelen Russell – engineering (5)
  • Christian Williams – engineering (7), engineering assistance (4)
  • Stephanie D'Arcy – engineering (12)
  • Blu2th – engineering (13)
  • Dem Jointz – engineering (13)
  • Kyle Mann – engineering (14)
  • Jennifer Ortiz – engineering (15)
  • Mark "Spike" Stentmixing
  • Randy Merrillmastering
  • Danforth Webster – engineering assistance (1, 2, 6, 10)
  • Collin Clark – engineering assistance (2, 7, 10)
  • Joel Quatrocchi – engineering assistance (2, 12)
  • Jason O'Neill – engineering assistance (2)
  • Juanita Manrique – engineering assistance (3)
  • Kelsey Porter – engineering assistance (4)
  • Cam Hogan – engineering assistance (5, 9)
  • Connor MacFarland – engineering assistance (7, 11)
  • Ivan Marcelo – engineering assistance (10)
  • Ethan Harrelson – engineering assistance (14)
  • Leif EIsemann – engineering assistance (14)
  • Matt Wolach – mixing assistance
  • Kieran Beardmore – mixing assistance (9, 11, 15)

References

  1. 1 2 Blistein, Jon (October 8, 2025). "Halle Bailey Is Finally Ready to Release Her Debut Album Love? Or Something Like It". Rolling Stone. Retrieved October 23, 2025.
  2. Mamo, Heran (October 8, 2025). "Halle Bailey Is Bringing 'Love, Heartbreak, and Everything' to Debut Album 'Love? Or Something Like It'". Billboard. Retrieved October 25, 2025.
  3. Olson, Samantha (August 4, 2023). "Halle Details the Beauty of Growing Up as a Black Girl in Her First Solo Song, "Angel"". Cosmopolitan . Retrieved August 18, 2023.
  4. Jones, Okla (September 1, 2023). "Chlöe And Halle Bailey Working On New Album: "It's Going To Be Special"". Essence . Retrieved October 25, 2025.
  5. 1 2 Cho, Regina (October 8, 2025). "Halle Bailey Announces Debut Album, Love? Or Something Like It, With Dreamy Trailer". Vibe.
  6. Mamo, Heran (October 20, 2025). "Halle Bailey Will Reunite with Sister Chlöe on Debut Album Love? Or Something Like It: See the Tracklist". Billboard. Retrieved October 23, 2025.
  7. 1 2 3 Hussain, Shahzaib (October 24, 2025). "Halle - love?... or something like it". Clash.
  8. 1 2 3 Samuels, Keithan (October 28, 2025). "Halle Turns Chaos Into Catharsis on 'Love?...Or Something Like It': Album Review". Rated R&B.
  9. 1 2 W, Jamila. "Album Review: Love?... or Something Like It by Halle". Shatter The Standards.
  10. "On 'love?...or something like it' Bailey embraces herself, sheds public perception". The Emory Wheel.
  11. 1 2 "love?... or something like it / Halle / Credits". Tidal . Retrieved October 31, 2025.