Per Perry, the song "is about the feeling of being invincible and the unshakable belief that you can overcome any difficulties" and it "depicts the beginning of the Icarus story; celebrating the courage when he decides to take flight, the excitement of breaking free and knowing that leap of faith is worth all the risks.

Perry was "instantly drawn to this interpretation which showed her a view of the world where, instead of being tied down by the risks of flight, we soar the sky as we become something more", and this EP "explores the success and failures of attempting to do so."

[11] In an interview with The Fader's Raphael Helfand, Walton described the goal of the EP by stating that "there's a link between the people that are into the more extreme pop stuff and noise music.

[12] Pitchfork's Sam Goldner compares Icarus to Perry's previous work by writing "Instead of singing over a miniature symphony of Donkey Kong Country MIDI flutes, she and producer Jennifer Walton opt for something a little more "Ponyboy": screeching nu-metal sub-bass thrashes and stomps its way through these songs, while bruised club beats provide a searing anchor for Perry's childlike vocals to glide overhead ... as though she's swapped out her colorful graduation gown for a shopping spree at Dolls Kill."

The EP's best moments "feel as if they were tailor-made to be spun at the next Heav3n party, but Perry transcends the project's trendy exterior with the same legitimate vulnerability that's made her a cult star in the first place.

"[14] Per Spectrum Culture's Aymeric Dubois, Icarus seems to be telling its namesake myth backwards, starting with the "frenetic hyperpop and bubblegum ballad" "Touch the Sun" which "distorts the mythological tragedy to point the finger at the jealous characters who want to burn her wings", and closing on the "more triumphant flourish" of "See You Again" on which "Cryalot summarizes perfectly her interpretation of the story of Icarus as misunderstood rather than doomed by hubris: 'We are eternal/And we are free/And the blue sky hides unlimited possibilities'".