"Remember December" received generally positive reviews from music critics; the majority of them praised its hook and chorus.

The single did not achieve commercial success, peaking at numbers 70 in Scotland and 80 in the United Kingdom while failing to enter charts elsewhere.

In April 2009, Lovato explained about the album's process and collaborating with other songwriters and artists, such as Jon McLaughlin and The Academy Is... lead singer William Beckett.

[3] Unlike her first studio album Don't Forget, she did not collaborate with the Jonas Brothers, as she wanted to see what her sound would be like without their input.

[3] Lovato worked with songwriter Anne Preven wrote three songs on the album, "Solo", "Quiet" and "Remember December".

[5] John Fields, who helmed production on Don't Forget, co-wrote "Remember December" with Lovato and Preven, and produced all three songs, along with the majority of the album.

[5] In an interview with Jocelyn Vena of MTV News, Lovato said that the song is meant for "all her girls out there who need to remind guys that they messed up".

[11][12] Patrick Varine of The Observer-Dispatch noted "a bit of techno",[13] and Fraser McAlpine of BBC Music referred the verses to as "moody synth-pop".

[8] BBC Music's Fraser McAlpine rated it four out of five stars, and wrote, "I'm sure there's a punkrock reason why we should all get together and hate it, but for the life of me I just can't.

"[11] McAlpine praised the "grand" chorus and wrote: "Someone in Team Lovato has been cocking an ear to the musical stylings of Paramore and maybe suggested that the next logical step after Camp Rock's wholesome Disneyfication of popular song might be something a little more confessional.

"[11] Cody Miller of PopMatters was positive regarding the song, writing: "When a real hook pops up, as on 'Remember December', Lovato really bites into it, belting and howling with enough melodrama and bravado to actually make one believe [the] lines.

"[21] In a more mixed review, Nick Levine of Digital Spy awarded it three out of five stars and said that it lacked "original ideas", but said that it "does at least have a decent chorus".

[12] The second scene was Lovato with her friends portrayed by Meaghan Martin, Anna Maria Perez de Taglé and Chloe Bridges (guest stars of Lovato's then-upcoming Disney Channel television film Camp Rock 2: The Final Jam[23]) are taking their night out into the streets of Los Angeles.

[26] Thomas Kinter of the Hartford Courant commented that Lovato "loosened up a bit" with "Every Time You Lie" and returned to "full-bore vocal blaring" for "Remember December".

[25] During a string of promotional appearances in the United Kingdom in early-2010, Lovato performed "Remember December" on The Alan Titchmarsh Show on January 29, 2010.