If I Say, I Love You
"If I Say, I Love You" is a song recorded by South Korean boy band BoyNextDoor. KOZ Entertainment released the song as the group's first digital single on January 6, 2025. Members Taesan and Woonhak wrote the song with co-writer Kako. Described as a dance-pop song, "If I Say, I Love You" revolves around the emotion of "patheticness", narrating the aftermath of a breakup in a self-deprecating fashion. The single was accompanied with a winter-themed music video with elements of a slice of life plot.
Although critical reception was lukewarm, "If I Say, I Love You" received awards during its promotion in the music programs of South Korea. A Japanese version of the song was released as a digital single on January 31, 2025, through Universal Music Japan.
Background
BoyNextDoor released their third extended play 19.99 in September 2024, which focused on self-expression and introspection, drawing from the group's experiences in their transition to adulthood. The EP was fronted by the singles "Dangerous" and "Nice Guy", which presented themes of rebellion and self-confidence respectively. In support of 19.99 and its preceding releases, BoyNextDoor embarked on their debut world tour, Knock On Vol.1 Tour. During their first show at the Inspire Arena in Incheon, the group announced their first digital single "If I Say, I Love You".Composition
"If I Say, I Love You" is an upbeat dance-pop song with a runtime of two minutes and 41 seconds. Taesan and Woonhak wrote the song's lyrics, with Kako and Woonhak credited as co-writers. Frequent collaborators Pop Time, Kako, Ryo, and Zico composed the track with Pop Time, Daily, and Likely assisting with the song's arrangement.Aiming for a "fresh new narrative" after the "confident and bold" themes of 19.99, the members explored the emotion of "patheticness" in the track. The lyrics narrate the aftermath of a breakup in a self-deprecating light from the perspective of the "younger generation". Member Riwoo noted that given the lyrical themes, the upbeat production commanded a vocal performance that balanced excitement and depression.
Critical reception
Writing a 1.5-star review for the online magazine IZM, So Seung-geun opined that the track shares similarities with Choi Ye-na's 2024 single "Nemonemo". So added that KOZ's characteristic production styles and the track's "contrived melodies and unreasonable progressions" erode the members' vocals, describing the end product as a "slump".Music video
The music video for "If I Say, I Love You" follows a narrative structure, depicting the six members as different personalities of the same boy dealing with the aftermath of a rejection. With a length of four minutes and eight seconds, the video follows a slice of life plot set in the backdrop of winter.Accolades
"If I Say, I Love You" won its first music program win in the January 16, 2025, episode of M Countdown and its second on the January 19, 2025, episode of Inkigayo.| Program | Date | |
| M Countdown | January 16, 2025 | . |
| Inkigayo | January 19, 2025 |