"It's Different for Girls" contained lyrics that feature Jackson "deliberately turn[ing] clichés on their head" in that, while originally sounding as if the song would suggest that the male protagonist was looking for sex and his female partner was looking for love, the opposite is revealed to be the case.

The song opens with a simple repeated two-note pattern on guitar which is quickly joined by a pulse on bass and drums.

In the second section of the verse the dynamics change, with two strident beats on the lyrics "She said", and then drop back down to a quieter chorus driven by a slow arpeggiated guitar pattern, over which the vocal floats in a more complex melody, before returning to the original two-note guitar and bass pulse of the introduction.

[7] James Belsey of the Bristol Evening Post picked it as the newspaper's "single of the week" and noted the "attractive sound" and "nicely observed lyrics".

[8] In the US, Billboard wrote, "Though the lyrics may be scathing, the instrumentation is laidback and backup singers provide nice harmonies.

"[9] Record World called it "a power pop ballad with echoing vocals and keyboards that carry Jackson's thoughtfully poignant message about male/female roles.