"[6] Billboard ranked "Bae Bae" at number fifteen in their "20 Best K-Pop Songs of 2015" list[7] while Dazed placed the track at number eight in their list of the same name, stating that the song "offered a playful wander through young love in contrast to their signature airtight construction, with rappers G-Dragon and T.O.P delivering a bouncing, energetic flow while Taeyang, Daesung and Seungri's vocals smoothed out its brashest moments.
"[8] Korean online magazine IZM also named it one of best singles of the year, complimenting the song's confidence over its "shameless beat", and how the track was able to get the unusual achievement of being both popular in the mainstream and an experimental piece.
[10] While commenting on the single, Alicia Tan from Mashable stated that "one can't deny how Big Bang always hits the nail on the head when it comes to balancing out soothing vocals with hard-hitting rap to make on point songs.
[27] The song ranked eight as the most popular Korean singles in 2015 in Taiwan by music streaming service KKBOX.
T.O.P's part was noted for its heavy innuendos, with the rapper symbolically ejaculating with a syringe while cosplaying as the Joker.
Seungri's visuals were described as "masquerading as a Christian Grey-esque sugar daddy in what looks like an Evanescence video circa 2000."
"[3] Vulture.com choose the single in the "10 Best New Songs of the Week," stating that "Big Bang is the best at blending aesthetics, and the music video is a prime example of how they jump from romance-novel realness to the Mad Hatter like a psychedelic bumblebee in.