Honestly, if you were scrolling through TikTok or lurking on music Twitter back in the late 2010s, you probably ran into Bea Miller. She was everywhere. But while everyone was busy obsessing over "feel something" or her Arcane anthem "Playground," there's this one track that kinda sits in the shadows, waiting for people to realize how ahead of its time it actually was. I'm talking about "like that."
Released back in June 2017 as part of her Chapter Two: Red EP, Bea Miller Like That wasn't just another pop song. It was a vibe shift.
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It feels weird to think that it’s been nearly nine years since that drop. At the time, Bea was only 18. She was fresh off the X Factor machine and trying to figure out how to be a person—and an artist—without a bunch of corporate suits breathing down her neck. If you listen to the lyrics now, you can hear that struggle. It’s raw. It’s kind of angry. And honestly? It’s exactly the kind of "composed rebellion" that defined her transition from reality TV teen to independent alt-pop powerhouse.
The Story Behind Bea Miller Like That (It's Not What You Think)
Most people hear a pop song and assume it’s about a messy breakup. Sometimes it is. But with Bea, it’s usually a bit more layered than that.
She’s gone on record saying she wrote "like that" on a day when she just... woke up done. Done with feeling sorry for herself. Done with letting people—whether that was the industry, critics, or toxic friends—bring her down to a point where she felt small. There’s this one line: "I should've walked away one year ago / When you said I wouldn't make it out alive." That's not just a lyric. That’s a middle finger to anyone who ever doubted her longevity.
Why the "Red" Era Mattered
In 2017, Bea did this cool, albeit exhausting, thing where she released three EPs color-coded by mood:
- Chapter One: Blue (The sad, mopey, "everything hurts" phase)
- Chapter Two: Red (The "I'm actually pissed off now" phase)
- Chapter Three: Yellow (The "I'm okay and maybe even happy" phase)
"like that" was the anchor of the Red era. It was produced by Dreamlab and Jarrad Rogers, and it has these slick, pulsing synths that feel like they're driving through a city at 2 a.m. It’s moody. It’s independent. It’s basically the sonic equivalent of finally blocking your ex and feeling a rush of adrenaline instead of regret.
Why We’re Still Talking About This Song in 2026
You might be wondering why a song from 2017 is still surfacing in 2026. Music has a weird way of recycling itself. With Bea's recent independent moves and her 2024 releases like "Out of Time" with Zedd, fans are digging back into the archives.
They're finding that "like that" fits perfectly into the current "feral girl summer" or "villain arc" playlists that dominate streaming right now. It’s got that gritty, industrial pop edge that artists like Billie Eilish or Halsey eventually took to the mainstream. Bea was doing it when she was still a teenager.
The Evolution of the "Bea Miller Sound"
If you compare "like that" to her newer stuff—like "lonely bitch" or "cynical"—you can see the DNA. She’s always been about being "brutally honest."
She once told Substream Magazine that she tries to be the artist she needed when she was younger. Someone who wasn't just singing about parties and glitter, but about the "glitchy" parts of being human. "like that" is the bridge between her bubblegum beginnings and the distorted, guitar-heavy alt-rock she’s leaning into now.
What Most People Get Wrong About Bea's Career
People love to pigeonhole her as "that girl from X Factor."
That’s such a lazy take.
Bea Miller has spent the last decade fighting to be seen as a songwriter first. Going independent in 2022 was a massive gamble. She left the safety of Hollywood Records to do things her way. When you listen to a track like "like that" today, you're hearing the seeds of that independence. She was already tired of the "persona" back then.
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Today, her stats are actually insane. We're talking billions of streams. And yet, she still feels like an underdog in the best way possible. She’s not "mainstream" in the way a Kardashian is; she’s mainstream in the way that if you’re a certain age, her songs are the literal soundtrack to your worst breakdowns and your best "I'm that bitch" moments.
How to Actually Support Bea Miller Right Now
If "like that" just hit your "On Repeat" playlist, here is what you should actually be doing to keep up with her:
- Check the 2024-2025 Singles: Don't just stay stuck in 2017. Tracks like "Tangerine Rays" and her collab with Zedd show exactly where her head is at now.
- Watch the Visuals: Bea has always been big on the "visual album" concept. The music video for "like that" (the one where she’s driving in the dark) sets the mood perfectly.
- Follow the Indie Journey: Since she’s no longer on a major label, her tour dates and merch drops usually happen directly through her socials or Discord.
Stop treating her like a legacy act. She’s currently in her "purest era yet," according to her own team at Blood Company. Whether she's voicing characters in Arcane or dropping EPs that make you want to scream-sing in your car, Bea Miller is still proving that she "only gets stronger" when things get tough.
If you haven't revisited the Red EP lately, do yourself a favor. Crank up the bass, find a long stretch of road, and let "like that" remind you why being a little bit "offended that I walk the line" is actually a superpower.
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Next Steps for Fans: Go back and listen to the full aurora album—it’s where "like that" eventually found its permanent home alongside tracks like "S.L.U.T." and "re-percussions." It's the best way to see the full emotional arc Bea was building before she went fully independent.