Music moves fast. One minute a track is everywhere, and the next, it’s a footnote in a Spotify playlist from five years ago. But then you have "You Know You Like It." Honestly, it’s one of those rare instances where a song didn’t just peak; it mutated.
Originally, AlunaGeorge released the track in 2012. It was cool. It was vibey. It had that London electronic-soul grit that Aluna Francis and George Reid were perfecting. But it wasn't a global monster yet. Not until a then-rising French producer named William Grigahcine—better known as DJ Snake—got his hands on it.
The remix changed everything.
It’s weird to think about now, but back in 2014 and 2015, the "You Know You Like It" remix was basically the blueprint for the "future bass" and trap-pop crossover that dominated the decade. You couldn't walk into a H&M or turn on a Top 40 station without hearing that pitched-up, almost vocal-synth hook. It felt fresh then. Weirdly, it still feels fresh today.
The AlunaGeorge Original vs. The DJ Snake Boom
Most people assume the remix is the only version that exists. That's kinda unfair to the original. The 2012 version from the Body Music album is much more of a slow burn. It’s trip-hop adjacent. It’s sultry. It has this sparse, almost minimalist production that lets Aluna’s unique, thin-yet-piercing vocals breathe.
Then came Snake.
He didn't just add a beat. He recontextualized the entire emotional weight of the lyrics. While the original felt like a private conversation in a dimly lit room, the remix felt like a neon-soaked late night in a city you’ve never been to. He took the line "You know you like it but it drives you insane" and turned it into a rhythmic mantra.
Statistics from that era are wild. The song ended up going 2x Platinum in the US. It peaked at number 13 on the Billboard Hot 100, which is honestly impressive for a song that started as an indie-electronic deep cut in the UK. According to Billboard’s year-end charts for 2015, it was one of the most played songs on dance/mix show airplay, beating out tracks with much bigger marketing budgets.
Why the Production Style Stuck
What really made "You Know You Like It" work was the "vocal chop."
In the mid-2010s, every producer was trying to figure out how to make electronic music "human" again. DJ Snake used Aluna's voice as an instrument. By slicing her vocals and pitching them up into that signature melody, he created a hook that was wordless but instantly recognizable.
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It was a pivot point.
Before this, EDM was often about the "big room" house sound—think Swedish House Mafia or Avicii. It was loud. It was aggressive. "You Know You Like It" was the opposite. It was "chill" but still had enough low-end bass to rattle a car trunk. This ushered in the era of "vibes." Music that you could dance to, but also music you could study to or drive to.
The Influence on Pop Music
You can see the DNA of this song in almost everything that followed. Look at Jack Ü (Skrillex and Diplo) and their work with Justin Bieber on "Where Are Ü Now." That "dolphin" sound? That’s just a more evolved version of what Snake was doing with Aluna’s vocals a year prior.
- It popularized the "anti-drop."
- It brought UK "pbr&b" to the American mainstream.
- It solidified DJ Snake as a hitmaker, leading directly to "Lean On."
The song basically bridged the gap between the underground Soundcloud scene and the Coachella mainstage.
The Lyrics: More Than Just a Catchy Hook
If you actually listen to the words, "You Know You Like It" is kinda dark. It’s about the tension of doing something you know might be bad for you, or at least something that people judge you for.
"I'm no object, not a prize."
Aluna’s lyrics are about agency. She’s saying she’s going to do what she wants, even if it "drives you insane." There’s a rebellious streak there. In an interview with The Guardian, Aluna Francis talked about how her songwriting often deals with the friction of being a woman in the music industry.
When you pair that defiant message with a beat that makes you want to move, you get a classic. It’s not just a "club song." It’s an anthem about self-determination.
The Viral Second Life on TikTok and Reels
Fast forward to the 2020s. Usually, a ten-year-old dance track is dead.
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Not this one.
"You Know You Like It" has seen multiple resurgences on TikTok. Why? Because the "drop" is perfect for reveal videos or transitions. It’s that half-time tempo. It gives creators enough space to do something visual before the beat hits.
It also fits the "Y2K" and "2014-era Tumblr" aesthetic that Gen Z is currently obsessed with. There’s a certain nostalgia for that specific window of time—before everything felt quite so chaotic—and this song is the soundtrack to that nostalgia. It’s "vintage" now, which is a terrifying thought for anyone who remembers when it first dropped.
Dealing with the Success
Success wasn't always easy for AlunaGeorge. While the remix was a global smash, it sometimes overshadowed their other work. They were a duo—Aluna and George. But often, the remix was just credited or associated mostly with DJ Snake.
Eventually, Aluna went solo to explore her identity as a Black woman in the dance music space. She’s been very vocal about the lack of credit given to the Black artists who practically invented the genres that white DJs now dominate.
In a way, "You Know You Like It" is a perfect example of this complexity. It’s a brilliant collaboration, but it also highlights the power dynamics of the music industry. Who gets the fame? Who gets the Spotify royalties?
Technical Details for the Nerds
For those who care about the "how," the song is set in the key of C# Minor. It runs at about 98 BPM (Beats Per Minute).
That’s the "magic" tempo.
It’s too slow for house, too fast for a ballad. It’s that sweet spot where the bass feels heavy but the groove stays sexy. Producers like Flume and Disclosure were playing in similar spaces, but Snake’s pop sensibilities gave this track a "gloss" that made it indestructible on the radio.
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The Legacy of the Music Video
There are actually two main videos. The original AlunaGeorge one is a black-and-white, stylish affair featuring Aluna dancing in a warehouse. It’s very "cool London."
The "official" remix video is... different. It features a guy in a chimpanzee mask living a depressed, suburban life. It’s surreal. It’s a bit gritty. It doesn't really have anything to do with the lyrics, but it captured that mid-2010s "weird for the sake of being weird" vibe that worked so well on YouTube. As of now, that video has hundreds of millions of views. It’s a time capsule of a specific aesthetic.
Common Misconceptions
People often get a few things wrong about this track.
- It's not a DJ Snake original. As mentioned, AlunaGeorge wrote and produced the original version. Snake just polished it for the club.
- It wasn't an instant hit. It took nearly two years for the remix to reach its peak popularity. It was a slow burn that eventually caught fire through word-of-mouth and festival sets.
- It's not "Techno." People use "EDM" as a catch-all, but this is technically a blend of Trap and Future Bass.
How to Actually Use This Track Today
If you’re a DJ or a content creator, you might think the song is "played out."
It’s not.
Because the production is so clean—especially the drum programming—it layers perfectly with modern tech-house or even melodic techno. If you slow it down by about 5%, it takes on a whole new "dark pop" energy.
For creators, the hook is still one of the most effective ways to stop a scroll. The human ear is trained to recognize that specific vocal chop. It triggers an immediate hit of dopamine.
Actionable Steps for Music Discovery
If you love this track and want more, don't just stay on the surface.
- Listen to the full Body Music album by AlunaGeorge. It’s a masterclass in electronic pop.
- Check out Aluna’s solo work, specifically her Renaissance album. It carries the spirit of this track but with a more house-focused, "Black girl magic" energy.
- Explore the early DJ Snake discography. Before he was doing massive pop collabs, his "Bird Machine" era was incredibly experimental and weird.
- Look into the "Future Bass" genre pioneers. Artists like Rustie and Hudson Mohawke were the ones who originally inspired the sounds you hear in "You Know You Like It."
"You Know You Like It" isn't just a song. It was a shift in the tectonic plates of pop music. It proved that you could be weird, soulful, and electronic all at the same time. Whether you’re hearing it for the first time on a throwback playlist or you’ve had it on repeat since 2014, its influence is undeniable. It’s the definition of a modern classic. It’s essentially a masterclass in how to remix a song without losing its soul.
The reality is that we’re still living in the musical world that this song helped build. The minimalism, the vocal manipulation, the "vibe-first" songwriting—it all leads back here. You might think you're over it, but the second that beat kicks in, you know you like it. You really do.