"Team" is a hybrid of alternative pop and electropop featuring synthesiser, bass and snare drum instrumentation over a handclap-based beat.

"Team" was well received by contemporary critics, who praised its musical style, lyrical content and Lorde's vocal delivery on the track.

[1] To promote "Team" and Pure Heroine, Lorde performed the song on several occasions, including on Late Show with David Letterman and at the ARIA Music Awards of 2013.

[2] The track was recorded, produced and mixed by Little at his Golden Age Studios in Morningside, Auckland, with Lorde providing additional production.

[12] Written in the key of G-flat major,[13] "Team" features synthesiser,[14] bass,[15] and snare drum instrumentation over a handclap-based beat.

[16] Amanda Dobbins of New York magazine and Maura Johnston of Spin likened the chorus of the song to that of Lana Del Rey's "Born to Die" (2011),[17] while Drowned in Sound's Sammy Maine compared the beats to works produced by Timbaland for Missy Elliott.

Club critic Kevin McFarland labelled "Team" as a "club-ready" and "sparkly thumper",[24] while Nathan Jolly from The Music Network simply described it "interesting".

[25] John Murphy, in his review of Pure Heroine for musicOMH, commended the lyrics "I'm kinda over getting told to throw my hands up in the air" for being catchy.

[32] Following its impact on US radio stations, "Team" debuted at number thirty-two on the Billboard Rock Airplay, and topped the chart on 7 October 2013.

[22] On 12 November 2013, Lorde performed several songs from Pure Heroine during the Late Show with David Letterman to promote the album, including "Team".

[50] It also featured during April Kepner's bridal shower on "Man on the Moon", the eleventh episode of the tenth season of Grey's Anatomy which aired in December 2013.

[citation needed] At the 2014 MuchMusic Video Awards, Lorde performed a Goth-influenced medley of "Tennis Court" and "Team".

[51] American alternative rock band Local H recorded a cover version of "Team" at Electrical Audio in Chicago, Illinois.

Noisey gave the remix a positive review, stating that J Gramm "turns the ballad up a notch—with some triumphant drums and overall, a more victorious feel for the stories of the cities she's dreaming up.