It was written by Rihanna, Brittany Hazard, Charles Hinshaw, Derrus Rachel, the producer DJ Mustard, and the co-producers Twice as Nice and Frank Dukes.

"Needed Me" is a "mellow" dubstep-influenced electro-R&B song, that contains a downtempo and loose production with synthetic sounds and hard heavy trap beats.

The video is set in Miami and depicts Rihanna with a gun, riding on a motor bike, before attending a strip club where she kills a man.

"[2] "Needed Me" was written by Dijon McFarlane, Rihanna, Nick Audino, Lewis Hughes, Khaled Rohaim, Te Whiti Warbrick, Adam Feeney, Brittany "Starrah" Hazzard, Charles Hinshaw and Derrus Rachel.

"Needed Me" was mixed by Manny Marroquin at Larrabee Studios in Universal City, California and was assisted by Chris Galland & Ike Schultz.

"[16] Neil McCormick of The Daily Telegraph described the track as a downtempo song with synthetic sounds, elements of electro, and a loose, casual vocal.

[20] Jon Caramanica of The New York Times declared that, on "Needed Me", she sings "about using men for sex and disposing of them like tissues,"[14] while Adam R. Holz of Plugged In (publication) added that Rihanna "obscenely and explicitly brushes off a clingy guy by demeaning his prowess in bed.

"[22] Considering an album highlight, Jon Caramanica of The New York Times explained that "Rihanna has always shined when at her most assertive," and praised her singing for being "reserved and cool.

[25] Troy L. Smith of Cleveland was positive, praising "the stellar production" and "Mustard's forceful synths [that] take center stage on a soaring hook.

"[26] Brittany Spanos of Rolling Stone enjoyed the song's flow, while also adding that it "sounds like our collective fantasy of Rihanna.

"[18] Forrest Wickman of Slate stated that "Needed Me" was a departure from DJ Mustard's usual production style and compared it to the work of Drake on his 2013 album Nothing Was the Same.

"[13] Amy Davidson of Digital Spy called it an "all about female empowerment, and if she sounds indifferent, it's because she's too busy not giving a damn about some "faded f**k" feeling jaded after being the latest guy she's cast aside.

"[17] Chris Gerard of PopMatters criticized her vocals for being "inexplicably slurred [...] dreary and tired," adding that the song was "third-rate at best compared with most of Rihanna's prior work.

"[29] Billboard ranked "Needed Me" at number 9 on their "100 Best Pop Songs of 2016" list: "We already knew that Rihanna was a savage -- her supreme self-confidence and total lack of f---s to give have made that abundantly clear over the years.

But in case you missed the memo, "Needed Me" is the perfect reminder, pairing nihilistic razor-sharp lyrical barbs with a bass-heavy down-tempo beat that could almost be confused with a pained love song—but only if you weren't paying attention.

[31] In the annual Village Voice's Pazz & Jop mass critics poll of the year's best in music in 2016, "Needed Me" was ranked at number 21, tied with Ariana Grande's "Into You" and Miranda Lambert's "Vice".

Later, she slowly makes her way through the grungy strip club with a pistol, setting her sights on one unlucky tattoo-heavy guy getting a lap dance—and kills him.

"[52] Adelle Platon of Billboard called it "a badass clip",[54] while Brittany Spanos of Rolling Stone noted it to be reminiscent of her "Bitch Better Have My Money" video and named it "violent" and "dark".

With Spring Breakers director Harmony Korine at the helm, Needed Me explores the hazy, sordid underbelly that this version of RiRi inhabits, with visuals so eye-poppingly WTF that you can’t look away from the carnage.

[57] Josh Duboff of Vanity Fair praised the "Needed Me" performance, noting that it "came alive more in the live setting than [it] do[es] on the album, perhaps due to Rihanna's evident passion in selling [it].

"[58] On August 28, 2016, "Needed Me" was part of the third medley Rihanna performed at the 2016 MTV Video Music Awards, along with "Pour It Up" and "Bitch Better Have My Money".