The song has themes of rebellion, reflecting Higgins' general mood of failure after a business partnership fell through.

Following the overwhelming success of Girls Aloud's debut single, "Sound of the Underground", the group waited five months until May 2003 before releasing the follow-up.

The music video features Girls Aloud dressed in futuristic silver outfits and hologram effects.

The track was lauded by many contemporary music critics, who deemed it a worthy sequel to its predecessor and praised Higgins' production.

However, according to an interview for The Guardian in July 2004, Brian Higgins said that the song reflected his general mood of failure after a special deal between Xenomania and London Records fell through in 2000, and about persisting in spite of what people told him to do or not to do.

"[9] Girls Aloud reportedly had to re-record "No Good Advice" because "it features rude words", such as "damn" and "shit".

"[12] Unlike many other songs, it was said to be "not obsessed with trying to be a cutting-edge club hit, [...] with at least three different killer hooks welded together" that borrowed heavily from the 1980s.

[13] It provides "more brassy and in-your-face lyrics of defiance and determination [...] Higgins injects an element of instant-catchy-cool to the songs without going overboard in trying to shape uber-chic dance floor hits.

"[14] On a less positive side, Tourdates.co.uk said that "No Good Advice" was a failure at adding attitude to Girls Aloud's music and imitates "as many songs as possible.

Popjustice founder Peter Robinson wrote that the song "established a motif that would saturate Girls Aloud's string of subsequent singles: an unpredictable and triumphantly contrary desire to push and pull the band in exciting new directions at every turn.

"[6] "No Good Advice" debuted at number two on the UK Singles Chart, held off by R. Kelly's "Ignition Remix".

"No Good Advice" suffered a similar fate on the Irish Singles Chart, peaking at number two behind Ireland's Eurovision finalist Mickey Joe Harte.

[29] It features the members of Girls Aloud clad in metallic, silver, futuristic outfits (which are seen on the cover of the original release of their album Sound of the Underground).

In a separate scene, while a black background with bright pinkish lights being emitted from behind, all five girls shake tambourines and dance.

In a special programme shown exclusively on MTV to promote their second album What Will the Neighbours Say?, Girls Aloud confessed that they hated the "No Good Advice" video shoot.

"No Good Advice" was performed live for the first time on CD:UK on 5 April 2003, a month ahead of the single's release.

Girls Aloud sang in front of a checkered background in red outfits with black accents, as seen on the single's artwork.

After a dance break, the mad scientist dancers performed a "magic trick" in which he made Cheryl Cole "disappear" and then reappear.