[4] Counteract Magazine wrote that on the song, "Kele's vocals feel freer and less dominating, giving the whole band a chance to loosen up."

"[5] Pretty Much Amazing blog summed up the song by saying that it "has more pop appeal than it initially lets on.

"[6] The music video for "Octopus" debuted on 10 July 2012 on Bloc Party's official YouTube page and on their website.

"[3] They called the video "a fitting complement for the song's simple, driven indie sound.

"[3] The song frequently appears in the band's set, and was played extensively on the 2016 Hymns tour.