The track was written by Steve Anderson, Dave Seaman, and Owain Barton, whilst production was handled by British trio Brothers in Rhythm.

Several critics selected the track as a standout from many of her records and compilation, whilst individual reviews commended Minogue's vocals, the production and influence of Middle Eastern elements.

[1][2][3] During her time with PWL, she felt that her producers, the British trio Stock Aitken Waterman was treating her "very much [like] a puppet in the beginning.

[4] "Confide in Me" was written by Steve Anderson, Dave Seaman, and Owain Barton, whilst production was handled by British trio Brothers in Rhythm, whom the former two writers are members of.

[1] Seaman was surprised with the development process, stating to Smith; "It just all kind of flowed out and slotted into place, which is usually the case with the good stuff".

[1] Anderson was impressed with the demo that he decided to use it as the final recording; he commented "Obviously, there were embellishments to it and we spent a lot of time on the whole production, but it was still the original one that we were using".

[3] Brothers in Rhythm composed the track, and is a pop song that incorporates elements of indie music, dance-pop, and Middle Eastern instrumentation such as strings and percussion.

[6] According to Jason Lipshutz, writing for the American magazine Billboard, "'Confide in Me' continued Minogue on her path away from simplistic pop atop a swath of strings and Middle Eastern influences".

[7] Jude Rogers from The Guardian gave it a similar review, "before it pivots off the hook of an early-80s cult classic (the melody of Jane and Barton's 'It's a Fine Day', already revisited a few years earlier on Opus III's rave-era hit)".

[8] She also noted that the track samples from the 1974 Jimmy Smith jazz cover of Barry White's "I'm Gonna Love You Just a Little More Baby".

[8] Similarly, Nick Levine from Digital Spy labelled it "Middle Eastern pop", with elements of "string-swathed dance-pop".

[9] Larry Flick labelled the sound as "atmosphere", and believed it was influenced by downtempo music,[10] while AllMusic's Tim Sendra described it as a "dramatic trip hop ballad".

"[25] Mike Wass from Idolator wrote that "the Brothers in Rhythm-produced gem was the stepping stone that took her from the glorious pop of 'Better the Devil You Know' to collaborating with Nick Cave on 'Where the Wild Roses Grow'."

all elegantly weeping violins, then a loose breakbeat kicks in, the guitar from The Doors' "The End" tingles round the edges, and a soaring melancholic chorus finally ties your stomach in a knot."

[30] Quentin Harrison from PopMatters highlighted the track from the parent album, and said "Minogue's international perspective lent her canvas precision, not iciness as witnessed with 'Confide in Me'.

[31] Tim Jeffery from the Record Mirror Dance Update said, "Very Madonna-ish, in fact, even down to the giggly chuckle thrown in occasionally.

[33] Sylvia Patterson from Smash Hits gave it three out of five, writing, "Gone are the pop stonkers and instead Kylie does our heads in with a husky "epic" featuring Eastern charm and a distinct anxiety attack via Madonna's 'Justify My Love'.

He declared the track "Arguably still her finest musical moment to this date," and found the production and lyrical delivery "classy".

[35] Billboard's Jason Lipshutz wrote of the track: Deeply flirtatious and as knowingly dramatic as a James Bond theme song, "Confide in Me" continued Minogue on her path away from simplistic pop atop a swath of strings and Middle Eastern influences.

[38] Mike Wass from Idolator said "the Australian diva switched labels and reemerged with a haunting Brothers in Rhythm-produced indie-pop anthem that still seethes and seduces 20 years later.

"[6] Writing for the Herald Sun, Cameron Adams placed it at number two on his list of the singer's best songs, in honour of her 50th birthday, calling it: "THE one that changed everything – where Kylie became instantly cool [...] a lush, six-minute experimental epic with middle eastern vibes and modern dance beats, it automatically drew a line in the sand to reboot Kylie".

[3] Minogue had shot the video just before working on the 1994 action-film Street Fighter, which she already had a tight schedule at the time due to promoting the single's release in the US, South East Asia, and in Australia.

'Confide in Me' presented Minogue singing in front of six different colourful paintings symbolising murder, war and peace, sexuality, and drug use (as a nod to the 90s clubbing culture).

[65] The song was included on the 2005 Showgirl: The Greatest Hits Tour, during which a male dancer in eveningwear pursues the singer through gas-lit streets, until the pair engage in a ballroom dancing.

[71] At the London stop of Hurts's Happiness Tour, on 4 November 2011, Minogue joined duo band to perform a duet of "Confide in Me".

[75] It was also included on the setlist of the Summer 2019 tour, being performed with Minogue stood with her dancers collapsed around her feet, "looking like Delacroix's Liberty Leading the People" according to NME's Dan Stubbs.

[78] Similarly, a cover version by Australian artist Ben Lee appeared on his extended play The Dirty Little Secrets in 2002 and the b-side to his single "Something Borrowed, Something Blue".

[79] In 2006, another cover was added to Angtoria's album God Has a Plan for Us All, whilst British singer Nerina Pallot recorded her version for her single "Sophia".

[82][83] British rapper Example sampled the track for his own song "No Sleep for the Wicked", whilst Australian artist Missy Higgins recorded it for her fourth studio album Oz (2014).

[9] Louis Virtel, writing for the website NewNowNext.com, hosted by Logo TV, listed it as her third best track from 48 selected songs; he compared it to the work of Irish singer Sinéad O'Connor and said "Demanding intimacy is a Kylie strong suit, and her performance on this gently prodding, yet desperately longing track is so lovely and vulnerable ... Kylie's comfort in provocatively challenging a lover to be more honest is one of her greatest audio moments.