Her version of the song, produced by Greg Kurstin, musically quotes the Christmas standard "Carol of the Bells" and was met with positive reviews.
Sean Ludwig of the university publication The Maneater wrote that "Just for Now" features just the right number of instruments and amount of emo-tinged lyrics,[7] while The Boar's Daniel Mumby noted its similarities with "Hide and Seek".
[8] Ayo Jegede of Stylus Magazine wrote that the track "initially pulls in a different direction, mostly using an orchestral score as a backbone, but never quite reaches a fulfilling apex.
[12][13][14] In a review of the live performance of the song, Laura Sinagra of The New York Times remarked that "The opening grand piano version of her ethereal "Just for Now" turned the album track's compressed "Get me out of here" refrain from what sounds in the recording like the cry of a trapped video game character into a more standard lover's lament.
"[17][19] In his review for MTV, Brad Stern lauded Clarkson's version of "Just for Now" as the best surprise from Wrapped in Red, he wrote, "Kelly puts her melodic spin on the indie track and makes hectic holiday get-togethers sound so, so beautiful.
"[20] Alan Raible of ABC News wrote in his review, "Yes, that is a holiday song disguised in its original album's context, but Clarkson delivers it well.
"[21] Matt Casarino of PopMatters was equivocal, in which he praised her performance but wrote about the risk of covering it, "It’s a fantastic song, mature and self-aware, and Clarkson nails it, but the adult-alternative sound and complex, dysfunctional-family tale may be off-putting to those lulled by the abundance of fireside romance that precedes it.