A reggaeton groove is introduced in the chorus with an extended reverberation percussive hit, and a single D chord is played for two full measures at the end.

Cabasa, handclaps, and shakers are added in this section, ahead of the second chorus that includes a snare drum triplet fill in the final measure.

'"[12] Prior to its Polydor Records single release on 18 January 2019, Mabel debuted "Don't Call Me Up" live during her These Are the Best Times Tour in December 2018.

In his review for Clash, Robin Murray called the song Mabel's "most potent pop moment yet", noting her "surging vocal, and the addictive, nuanced songwriting".

[20] The Line of Best Fit's Cerys Kenneally found the track "huge" and said it "ignites that Friday feeling",[7] while a reviewer for DIY deemed it "a bit of an empowerment anthem".

[21] Roisin O'Connor, a music correspondent for The Independent, included the song in her list of favourite new releases, calling it "a self-love banger".

"[23] Billboard named it an early contender for song of the summer in the US with writer Gab Ginsberg likening its "infectious" beat to Ed Sheeran's "Shape of You" and its empowerment message to "New Rules" by Dua Lipa.

"[9] In a less favourable review, Michael Cragg of The Guardian found the pre-chorus "exquisite" but the song too "risk-free", and said it "rips [off]" the "plinky-plonky" beat from "Shape of You".

"Don't Call Me Up" eventually peaked at number three for three consecutive weeks in March 2019, making it Mabel's highest-charting single in the UK and her second to reach the top ten following 2017's "Finders Keepers".

[27][28] The track also topped the UK R&B Chart for ten consecutive weeks, tying "Old Town Road" as the longest running number-one of 2019.

[33] The following day, Mabel released a preview of the clip and hosted a live chat on YouTube, ahead of the music video's premiere on the platform at 08:00 GMT on 18 January 2019.

[34] According to Sajae Elder of The Fader, "the colorful clip finds the singer surrounded by a gang of her girls, dancing through parking lots, joyriding and smashing phones to help with the heartbreak.