Adema released the single “The Way You Like It” on November 27, 2001. It followed “Giving In” as the second single from Adema, the Bakersfield band’s debut album for Arista.
Vocalist Mark Chavez gave the song a pointed explanation in a 2001 interview with Rocknworld. Discussing the album track by track, he described “Freaking Out” as a song about high school, the pressure to fit in and the cruelty that leaves kids feeling alienated. Asked about “The Way You Like It” immediately afterward, he called it “my laugh back at all those people.” He was doing what he wanted, with those experiences behind him.
The debut took shape during an intensive period of writing. In its 2002 profile of the band, BMI reported that Arista sent Adema to a cabin in Northern California after signing them. Those sessions produced material for the album. Tobias Miller and Bill Appleberry produced the record, while Alan Moulder mixed “The Way You Like It.” All five band members share songwriting credit on the track.
Arista’s attention mattered to the musicians. In the same Rocknworld interview, drummer Kris Kohls said being one of the label’s few rock acts appealed to them because it meant more support. He described label staff joining them on the road and following through on their commitments.
The single’s video gave the band a less serious setting. Directed by Gregory Dark, it follows their attempts to get into a club, with Linkin Park’s Chester Bennington and Joe Hahn appearing near the end to help them past the guard. The connection extended to the road: Adema toured with Linkin Park in early 2002 while the single was gaining airplay.
By December 2001, “The Way You Like It” and “Giving In” were appearing together on Billboard’s Modern Rock Tracks chart. The second single eventually reached No. 15 on that chart and No. 21 on Mainstream Rock Tracks in 2002. Its video was getting television exposure, too: HITS reported MTV rotation in January as the song’s radio run continued into the new year.
Listeners buying the 2002 UK enhanced CD received more than the album recording. It included live versions of “Giving In” and “Freaking Out,” plus a CD-ROM video, putting performances of two other debut tracks alongside the single.
Adema returned to “The Way You Like It” on their 2002 EP Insomniac’s Dream. Sam “Sever” Citrin remixed the song and played drums on that version, which also featured acoustic bass and turntables.
