[7][8] Its arrangement has been compared to 1990s British music "when everyone started jet-setting around genres and playing with samples", including the songs "Tender" by Blur and "Bitter Sweet Symphony" by the Verve.

[11] The lyrics "I want my house in the hills / don't want the whiskey and pills" have been attributed to "a big separation between 2019 Miley and the [2013] party girl persona.

"[12] Bonnie Stiernberg from Billboard called the song "three-and-a-half minutes of emotional, self-reflection [that] appears to reflect the dramas in her own life".

[8] Brittany Vincent from MTV News commented that "it's hard to deny the heartbreak" in the perceived context of the lyrics, but spoke favorably of "[the] beauty in the acceptance".

[9] Craig Jenkins from Vulture wrote that the lyrics were "just about knowing when to cut your losses and move on" and avoided being "vindictive or tabloid-y", and that the production "suits Cyrus' voice, pushing her without overwhelming her.

[20] On September 1, 2020, Cyrus performed "Slide Away" on BBC Radio1 Live Lounge along with her 2020 hit Midnight Sky and cover of Billie Eilish's "My Future" and the Eagles' "Take It to the Limit".