"Tally" was subject to generally positive reviews from music critics for its bold message and personal lyrics, and has been described by Blackpink as a meaningful song in their discography.
[3] "Tally" was written by Nat Dunn, David Phelan and Alex Oriet of the production duo Saltwives, Brian Lee, and Soraya LaPread, and composed by them alongside 24.
[11][12][13] In the opening line, Rosé boldly proclaims that they do not care about others' opinion and will do as they please: "I say fuck it when I feel it, ‘cause no one’s keeping tally I do what I want with who I like./ I ain’t gonna conceal it, when you’re talking all that shit I’ll be getting mine.
"[8][10] They continue to express their freedom with lyrics such as Jennie's line, "Sometimes, I like to go play dirty/ Just like all the fuck boys do/ That’s my choice," flipping the double standards that the girl group and many other women have faced throughout their careers.
[13] The expletive-filled song and its daring message marked a more mature direction for Blackpink compared to their previous releases, and was seen as a ground-breaking move for a band in the more restrictive K-pop industry.
Jennie described how she gained the confidence to express herself on stage from the group's fans, named Blinks, and how Blackpink's headlining set at Coachella, which contained "Tally" in the setlist, was an emotional experience, resulting in her first time crying afterwards due to the overwhelming support she received from the crowd.
"[13] Writing for Rolling Stone, Rob Sheffield named the song one of the "best bangers" on the album and praised the punk guitar introduction and the bold opening line for being attention-grabbing.
[8] Park Jun-hee of The Korea Herald commended the song for "infusing a fresh sound to Blackpink's musical vessel" and predicted that it "will likely have a special place in people’s hearts."
[10] The Harvard Crimson's Alisa S. Regassa praised the production for taking its stripped electric guitar loop and elevating it "into something modern and deeply nostalgic with the complex layering of swelling violins.
"[18] On the other hand, Tanu I. Raj from NME saw potential in the song's hip-hop and rock production but was disappointed by the lyrics, which she believed fell short of being "anthemic and empowering" as intended.
[23] In April and June 2023, Blackpink performed the song during their headlining sets at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in Indio, California and BST Hyde Park in London.