[1] On 20 April 2017, Hurts shared a small clip on their official Facebook page, announcing something to come out on the next day, which turned out to be the release of their new single "Beautiful Ones".

Aaron Powell of tmrw magazine said the song is "sonically akin to their previous work", calling it "strong, well informed, catchy but also dark in places".

[7] The video features reverse chronology and tells the story of a man, portrayed by vocalist Hutchcraft, being chased down and assaulted for being dressed as a woman in a nightclub.

The duo described the video as a "colourful celebration of gender fluidity" and it deals with themes of "hate, love, brutality and beauty" that are explored throughout the piece, which is rooted in both intrigue and empathy.

[9] Michael Cuby of Paper praised the importance that the video brings, saying: "California is the only state that has banned the use of gay or trans 'panic defenses', which allow perpetrators of assault or murder against members of the LGBTQ community to get away with their crimes by claiming that a victim's sexual or gender identity caused them to act out in a temporary fit of insanity."