Written in parallel to Raye's departure from Polydor Records, the label she was signed to until 2021, the song sees her confronting misogyny and patriarchy in the music industry.

In 2021, Raye started writing "Hard Out Here" after declaring that Polydor Records, the label she was signed to at the time, prevented her from release her debut studio album for seven years.

[17][18][19] Raye confronts male executives and "white men CEOs", implying that she has been silenced by them,[16][20] and declares that they should take their "pink chubby hands" off her.

[5][2] In an interview with Consequence, the singer stated that "Hard Out Here" represents her fight to have her own voice and decisions, without the permission of the "men in charge".

[23][24] Alex Gonzalez of Uproxx believed that Raye "proved her a promising act" with the track,[19] while Dork's Abigail Firth wrote that it is "an immediate indication of what she's capable of".

[14] When adding it to a list of the best pop songs of its release week, Billboard's Lyndsey Havens said that "each lyric is more eviscerating and empowered than the last".

[13] Andy Kellman of AllMusic described the song as "defiant, strutting",[25] while Woods wrote that it depicts "the exhilarating sound of a woman calling out those who have treated her badly".

[12] Writing for Beats Per Minute, JT Early believed that releasing "Hard Out Here" as the album's lead single was a risk, and highlighted the pre-chorus.

[27] The accompanying music video of "Hard Out Here" was filmed in one of Henry VIII's hunting lodges; Raye said that he was "renowned for his disrespect and disregard of women in history".