"Now" received acclaim from music critics, with reviewers praising its production, lyrical content, and Hayley Williams' vocal delivery on the track.

David Marchese of Spin rated the song an 8/10 and praised it for being catchy, commenting ""Now" is a pretty nifty bait-and-switch" and said that Paramore has been listening to "weirder" bands.

[1] James Brindle of Burton Mail rated the song a 4/5, saying it has a "fantastically catchy chorus and showcases Hayley Williams’ immaculate vocals to great effect" and compared it with Blink-182's newer material.

[8] Popdust rated the song a 4/5, commenting "When Williams sings about not giving up over scrambling drums and frantic guitars on the track’s bridge, it’s hard to not go all in with her.

"[9] The music video was directed by Daniel "Cloud" Campos and was inspired by a piece of artwork by Banksy.

"[10] The music video premiered on February 11, 2013, on MTV,[11] and was uploaded to the Fueled by Ramen YouTube channel the next day.

Williams eventually stands face-to-face with the soldier and gets hit with a baton as the song enters the bridge, causing bright blue dust to go everywhere on her.