The song is Stapleton's first single since 2018's "Millionaire", although, during his break, he collaborated with other artists, including Justin Timberlake, Pink, and John Mayer.
[4] "Starting Over" carries a "raw, stripped down and vulnerable" theme,[3] with Stapleton singing of looking for new horizons, in "perpetual motion".
[2] The love song fuses acoustic guitar chords and a percussive shake,[5] while drummer Derek Mixon delivers a "brushed" snare rhythm, which Rolling Stone's Joseph Hudak said evokes Willie Nelson's version of "City of New Orleans".
[2] Rolling Stone's Joseph Hudak highlighted the single, stating it "is for a new day and, like its title implies, a fresh start", while noting that Stapleton "admits, the road is long and hard, but with loved ones by our side [...] we'll get where we're going".
[2] Billboard's Jason Lipshutz listed it among the most essential releases of the week, and, referencing the COVID-19 pandemic, said the song is "designed for this moment, an exhalation in the middle of an anxiety-stricken year, with Stapleton's gruff voice providing hope for a better future".