Vishal Bhardwaj and Sukhwinder Singh won the National Award for Best Music Direction of Songs and Best Male Playback Singer respectively.

The first single "Aao Na" is a composition that dominates electric guitar instrument with the drum kit providing background beats with upbeat rock elements.

The track was called "musically energetic, visually it’s vengeful" with composer Vishal Daldani's voice tones ranging from mild to vociferous.

[8]Firstpost called the second single "Bismil" as lyricist Gulzar's richly embellished lyrical work with tantalising symbols and innuendo that reflect the story of Haider.

The song is placed in the film when Haider re-enacts the murder but Bhardwaj chose to portray the situation retaining the poetic flavour.

[10] The track marks the point at which Haider (played by Shahid Kapoor) transforms from being conflicted and undecided to being committed to the idea of avenging the injustice meted out to his father.

[10] The track employs heavy use of violins and oud with the tune infused with Middle Eastern musical influences while retaining a folksy sound.

She called the album a "A master stroke" giving 4 stars (out of 5)[15] Kasmin Fernandes at The Times of India felt that director-composer Vishal Bhardwaj had ingeniously infused the flavours of Kashmiri folk songs and instruments while lyricist Gulzar had brought in the nuances of Urdu into the film's soundtrack.

[16] Surabhi Redkar for Koimoi gave the album 4 out of 5 stars stated, "The soundtrack of Haider is bold and expresses sorrow at its best without making the listener morose.

[21]Rajeev Masand of CNN-IBN stated, "Bhardwaj lines up his instruments, employing camera, music, and artful production design to deliver a moody drama that feels consistently authentic.

"[22] Writing for Deccan Chronicle, Kusumita Das noted, "The score is as intense as it is gorgeous, underplayed when needed, deftly supporting the story and its characters all the way.

"[29] Critic Shubhra Gupta at The Indian Express summarized, "The drama is pumped up by swelling orchestral background music, calling attention to itself.