How Do You Like Me Now?! (song)

"How Do You Like Me Now?!" is a song co-written and recorded by American country music artist Toby Keith. It was released in November 1999 as the second single and title track from his album of the same name. Keith wrote it with Chuck Cannon.

Not to be confused with How You Like Me Now? (The Heavy song).
"How Do You Like Me Now?!"
Single by Toby Keith
from the album How Do You Like Me Now?!
B-side"When Love Fades"
ReleasedNovember 22, 1999
GenreCountry
Length3:29
LabelDreamWorks Nashville 459051
Songwriter(s)Toby Keith
Chuck Cannon
Producer(s)James Stroud
Toby Keith
Toby Keith singles chronology
"When Love Fades"
(1999)		 "How Do You Like Me Now?!"
(1999)		 "Country Comes to Town"
(2000)

The song spent five weeks at Number One on the Billboard U.S. Hot Country Songs chart beginning in March 2000.[1] It was his first major crossover hit peaking at number 31 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100. The song was also the first number-one single for the now defunct DreamWorks Nashville label. The song also became the fourth number one hit of his career and his first since "Me Too" in 1997. At the 2001 Academy of Country Music awards, the song was nominated for Single of the Year and Song of the Year.[2]

Background and writing

Keith discussed the inspiration for the song on his website in 2000. "Initially, I said, 'Here's my title: "You Never Loved Me Before, So How Do You Like Me Now?'" It's one of my catch-phrases. A lot of people become successful after they've been told they won't ever be, so people can relate to this. It can be about an old flame or a boss or a teacher -whatever it means to each individual. It was a fun song to write.[3]"

Keith had originally recorded the song near the end of his contract with Mercury Records Nashville in the late 1990s. According to a 2005 interview with Billboard, Keith had the album How Do You Like Me Now?! completed, but label executives rejected the entire album except for two songs: "Getcha Some" and "If a Man Answers", both of which were put on his 1998 Greatest Hits album. After he recorded two more songs which were also rejected, he asked to terminate his contract with Mercury, and purchased the rights to the rest of the album. Upon the album's release in late 1999, both the album and its lead single, "When Love Fades", were performing poorly on the charts; as a result, Keith asked that "When Love Fades" be withdrawn as a single in favor of "How Do You Like Me Now?!" Keith stated that DreamWorks executives were "scared to put it out", but within five days of Keith's request, "When Love Fades" was withdrawn and "How Do You Like Me Now?!" was released.[4]

Content

The song discusses Keith's attraction to the female valedictorian of his high school—a beautiful woman who ignored him at the time. Keith wonders if the woman remembers him now that he is famous.

Music video

The song's music video debuted on the television network CMT on November 22, 1999, and was directed by Michael Salomon. It features Toby Keith singing the song at a hometown football field in the middle of the night.

Critical reception

Deborah Evans Price, of Billboard magazine reviewed the song favorably, calling it a "great little tune about the underdog fulfilling his dreams, and the story is wrapped in a melody that demands attention." She goes on to call Keith's performance "feisty" and say that the production "just percolates."[5]

Jessica Andrews references both Keith and the song in her 2002 single "There's More to Me Than You".[6]

Track listings
  1. "How Do You Like Me Now?!" (Rock Version) – 3:30
  2. "How Do You Like Me Now?!" (Live Version) – 3:42
  3. "How Do You Like Me Now?!" (Club Version) – 4:13

Chart positions

"How Do You Like Me Now?!" debuted at number 57 on the U.S. Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks for the week of November 20, 1999.

Peak positions
Chart (1999–2000) Peak
position
Canada Country Tracks (RPM)[8] 1
US Billboard Hot 100[9] 31
US Hot Country Songs (Billboard)[10] 1

Year-end charts
Chart (2000) Position
US Country Songs (Billboard)[11] 1
US Hot 100 (Billboard)[12] 82

Certifications
Region CertificationCertified units/sales
United States (RIAA)[13] Gold 500,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

Parodies

On his 2000 album Just Another Day in Parodies, country music parodist Cledus T. Judd recorded a parody entitled "How Do You Milk a Cow." This version peaked at number 67 on Hot Country Songs.

References
  1. Toby Keith Bio - How Do You Like Me Now?!
  2. BMI.com | Toby Keith Leads ACM Nominations With Six
  3. Toby Keith Bio - TobyKeith.com at The Internet Archive. Retrieved September 19, 2009
  4. Waddell, Ray (June 18, 2005). "Toby Keith: Superstar graduates from 'Honkytonk University'". Billboard. 117 (25): 45, 46, 48, 50. ISSN 0006-2510.
  5. Billboard, November 20, 1999
  6. Lanert, John (26 July 2003). "Headline: MUSiC". Louisville Courier-Journal. Retrieved 25 June 2013.
  7. "How Do You Like Me Now [single]: Toby Keith: Music". Retrieved 25 May 2014.
  8. "Top RPM Country Tracks: Issue 8301." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. March 13, 2000. Retrieved July 8, 2013.
  9. "Toby Keith Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard.
  10. "Toby Keith Chart History (Hot Country Songs)". Billboard.
  11. "Best of 2000: Country Songs". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. 2000. Retrieved August 15, 2012.
  12. "Billboard Top 100 - 2000". Archived from the original on 2009-03-04. Retrieved 2010-08-31.
  13. "American single certifications – Toby Keith – How Do You Like Me Now". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved December 12, 2012. If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Single, then click SEARCH. 
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