[2] The song sparked a trend where users would juxtapose clips of themselves crying in private with other clips where they appear perfectly happy and content, suggesting projecting happiness outwardly while going through a lot internally, to correspond with the lyrics "You said it looks like I've been going through hell.

"[7] The song received positive reviews from critics, praising the lyrics, production and McRae's vocal performance.

Caitlin White of Uproxx notes that the song sits comfortably within McRae's sad-streaked palette.

[7] Writing for Stereogum, Rachel Brodsky remarks, that the song is well-executed with a "lovely hook, smartly deployed strings, and some stylish distorted vocals around the edges of the chorus.

"[4] The song has been praised for accurately capturing the pain and glum of growing up, and for McRae's emotional delivery.