[1] A break-up song, it finds SZA detailing what went wrong in a past relationship, expressing resentment towards an ex-partner but acknowledging that she still misses them.

[18] HotNewHipHop's Alexander Cole gave the song a "Very Hottttt" rating, complimenting the "dark production that complements the singer's voice perfectly", and noted, "throughout the track, she sings about a recent breakup and how she wishes things had played out differently".

[19] Ciaran Brennan of Hot Press said the song, along with "Joni" and "Nightbird", "showcases SZA's musical diversity", with the singer "switching up between passionate, emotional vocals and relaxed verses".

[21] NorthJersey.com's Jack McLoone deemed the track signature SZA, despite finding "her vocals on the chorus are more ethereal, while in the verses she skews closer to traditional R&B delivery with some clear hip hop influences.

[24] Billboard's Jason Lipshutz commended the song for showcasing "the vocal power that's made her such a captivating figure in mainstream pop and R&B".

[25] Similarly, HipHopDX's David Aaron Blake said, over the "wailing" synth and "lush" instrumental, is SZA's "uncontainable and booming voice".

[26] Upon the release of "I Hate U on SoundCloud, the song received a warm response from online fans and went viral on the video-sharing application TikTok.

[31] The song opened and peaked[32] at number seven on the Billboard Hot 100; its first-week figures included 26.7 million streams, 4,600 downloads, and 485,000 airplay audiences.

[39] On national charts, "I Hate U" peaked within the top 40 of New Zealand (8),[40] South Africa (8),[41] Canada (14),[42] Australia (16),[43] Ireland (27),[44] the United Kingdom (38),[45] and further reached Portugal (49)[46] and Lithuania (63).

The visualizer, directed by Jack Begert, centers around a man (played by actor Lakeith Stanfield) in a heated argument on the phone.