The songs on No Thank You contain subtle rhythms with orchestral instrumentation, featuring Simz rapping about her music industry experiences, intrapersonal communication, and spiritual revelations.

[4] Hip Hop Golden Age staff compared the release with Simz's previous two studio albums, saying the "neo soul direction" of No Thank You lands somewhere between the "short and punchy" energy of Grey Area, and the "sprawling and grandiose" nature of Sometimes I Might Be Introvert.

[15] Jack Lynch of Hypebeat highlighted the lyrical themes, saying: "[...] we hear the struggles that came with killing her ego, navigating a male-dominated rap industry, and how her love affiliations have been difficult to manage while staying embedded in her faith.

"[12] i writer Kate Solomon summarised the record's mood: "Hard beats are absent, in their place dreamy funk riffs and laidback flows that are in no hurry to get where they're going.

[11][20] Green highlights the "triumphant" and "victorious mood" of the song, accentuated by its bass plunks, drums, and horns, adding how "Gorilla" is "a retort against rap game bullshit".

On the "beautifully warped soft soul" of track nine, "Who Even Cares", Simz sings about on focusing her eyes towards the future with a subtle auto-tuned vocal.

"[24] On 10 December 2022, Simz revealed the album's release date, track list, cover art (shot by Karolina Wielocha), and producer (Inflo).

Emma Wilkes from NME noted how these songs are "combined with visuals that present the rapper as a giant presiding over a flock and delivering her lines before a crowd of wealthy observers.

[27] Larisha Paul from Rolling Stone felt that "Throughout the film, Simz settles into a lead role surrounded by other Black performers to not only reject praise provided by external validation, but also reject the harmful myth of the strong Black women that more often than not erases the sympathy of human struggle by discrediting emotions that don't line up with the preconceived narrative prescribed to them.

[2] Financial Times writer Ludovic Hunter-Tilney shared a similar sentiment, saying the album "confirms [Little Simz's] place at the summit of UK rap, and also the single-mindedness that has driven her to reach it.

[19] In a review for BrooklynVegan, Andrew Sacher summarised the album: "No Thank You has gorgeous production, samples, and backing vocals, but for the most part, Simz doesn't dress her messages up in anything fancy.

[35] The track "Broken" was singled out as an album highlight by critics for its emotional rawness, with Hip Hop Golden Age calling it "one of the best songs you’ll hear this year".