"Julien" is a "squelchy"[15] and "shimmery"[16] midtempo[17] funk-pop,[18] synth-pop,[19] disco,[20] electropop[21] and dance[20][22][23] song composed in the key of A minor.
[16] Lyrically, the track is a "simmering reflection on fleeting romance",[27] which portrays Jepsen as a "wounded animal, searching for a way to cauterize her injuries as she lies on the road to heartbreak".
[25] Jepsen "sings about somebody she wishes she was with"[23] and "tells the story of a long lost love that she prays will come back but knowing deep down that he probably won't"[28] on the song.
[29] Writing for Pitchfork, Anna Gaca noted the "windshield-wiper synths that open Julien", "pointing to Jepsen's other guiding aesthetic: chill disco".
[30] Music critics Heather Phares of AllMusic and Anthony Fantano highlighted "Julien" as one of the best songs on Dedicated.