# If I Say, I Love You

"If I Say, I Love You" (Korean: 오늘만 I Love You; lit. Just for today 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 (EP) 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

   Although the theme is about breakups, since it has a cheerful aspect, we focused on vocally expressing a middle ground — not too excited but not too depressed either.
"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

Professional ratings :
| Review scores ||
| Source | Rating |
| IZM | |
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.

## Release and promotion

"If I Say, I Love You", alongside its music video, was released on January 6, 2025. The single was promoted with a winter concept, with accompanying promotional images released on December 27 and 28. The band collaborated with the department store franchise Shinsegae to screen the release of the music video on the landmark digital billboard of its flagship store in the Myeong-dong neighborhood in Seoul. A Japanese version of the song followed as a digital single on January 31.

### Lyric changes

The inclusion of the Japanese phrase for "I love you" (愛してる, aishiteru) in the chorus prompted KOZ to change the line in English to "I want you" in some promotions for terrestrial television. A broadcasting official interviewed by The Dong-a Ilbo noted that while the blanket ban on Japanese pop culture instituted by former President Kim Dae-jung was lifted in January 2004, regulations on the use of the Japanese language in Korean songs remains ambiguous, being left to producers who "take into account anti-Japanese sentiment".

## Release history

Release history for "If I Say, I Love You" :
| Region | Date | Format | Version | Label |
| Various | January 6, 2025 | Digital downloadstreaming | Original | KOZ |
| Various | January 31, 2025 | Digital downloadstreaming | Japanese | KOZ Universal Japan |