Ike Rhein closes out summer with “Just Like You”

Ike Rhein is closing summer with new music. On September 3, he released “Just Like You,” a somber, heartfelt song about experiencing issues in a relationship. 

“‘Just Like You’ is about how sometimes people only focus on nitpicking the little things that their significant other does that makes them upset, but their significant other could do just the same to them,” Rhein said. Listeners understand the uneasy feeling Rhein seems to display at the top of the song, as he croons, “You never seem to focus on the right things that I do / Always pretending you don’t notice that sometimes you can do wrong too.” 

The second verse of “Just Like You” is much more self-critical and describes the stress Rhein places on himself in the relationship and the struggles he experiences in his own head. “Maybe I’m the one that’s driving myself to the edge / ‘Cause ain’t nobody there to listen to me,” he contemplates. The chorus seems to be the only forgiving part of the song, as he admits he can identify with the actions of the other person in the relationship. “Yeah you know I’m just like you / I do the same things that you do,” he says. 

While the lyrics are quite heart-wrenching, the light, acoustic melody of “Just Like You” elicits a feeling of hope that the couple in the relationship can turn things around and focus on the good that brought them together in the first place. That said, perhaps Rhein is trying to remind listeners that focusing on the bad is never healthy for either party. 

“Just Like You” follows Rhein’s July release of “Not for Me,” a song about the breakdown of a relationship and realizing the person you thought was the one simply wasn’t. It seems like “Just Like You” could be the preceding story of the demised relationship in “Not for Me.” 

Rhein is a rising artist originally from Michigan, although he is pursuing his passion in Miami, Florida. He has created music since he was a child and only hopes to keep growing as an artist. You can listen to “Just Like You” below.