Music critics found the song's style and group member Raphael Wiggins' singing reminiscent of Smokey Robinson.

[2] "Leavin'" has an upbeat mood,[2] a light, affectionate tone,[1] soulful vocals, and sweeping string arrangements.

[7] Billboard observes "an overall summery feel" on "Leavin'" and calls it "a smile-inducer for pop and urban outlets.

[8] Laura Zucker of The Sacramento Bee compares Saadiq's falsetto singing on "Leavin'" to that of Robinson.

Michael Saunders of The Boston Globe finds the video analogous to the group's musical fusion of classic and contemporary styles on Sons of Soul, writing that it "attempts to capture that merger visually with high-tech graphics, with a slinky soundtrack powering the mood.