The song was written and produced by Ammo, DallasK and Ester Dean, and has an interpolation from MC Hammer's 1994 single "Pumps and a Bump".

Ally Brooke describes the characteristics of an attractive man, by singing: "He got that rough neck swaggy, but he know how to hide it/He got that dope boy cash, but he get it nine to five-ing.

[7][10] Identifying the song as an album highlight, Entertainment Weekly's Marc Snetiker wrote that it flits along with "a strident tropical bounce".

[10] Raisa Brune of Time responded positively to the production, and said the track "turns into a catchy, almost tropical hip-hop tune that lets each member of the foursome stretch her voice".

[7] While comparing "He Like That" to songs Ester Dean had written for Rihanna, Spin's Katherine St. Asaph felt that its use of a guitar was similar to Britney Spears' 2016 single "Make Me...".

[8][12] Citing it as one of the best songs from the album, Mike Nied from Idolator wrote that it "oozes confidence and sex appeal" absent in their previous single "Down" (2017).

Close up shots of each girl are shown, drenched in neon lights; then the scene shifts to Dinah Jane, sporting a long pink skirt, performing a choreographed dance routine with a male dancer.

The video then cuts to Normani Kordei, who dances a sensual and intimate choreography with a back-up dancer; the singer wears a red latex top with pants.

The clip ends with a shot of Kordei and Hansen, sensually lying on their dance partners' backs who are doing push up exercises.