"The Promise" was promoted through numerous live appearances, including a high-profile performance on the fifth series of The X Factor, and served as the opening number of 2009's Out of Control Tour.

[6] The day before the song was due to be delivered to Fascination Records, the entire backing track was re-recorded to allow for a last-minute key change in the final choruses.

[3] "The Promise" is an homage to 1960s music,[8] particularly American record producer Phil Spector's famous Wall of Sound technique.

[10] Peter Robinson, however, noted that the song "also hinted at a mellower side of 1970s New York disco, as if it were some sort of long soundtrack from a deleted scene in Saturday Night Fever.

The album version of "The Promise" is around fifteen seconds longer, opting for a repeat and fade of Sarah Harding's first verse following the final chorus.

Although it was said to be "not what you'd necessarily expect from the gorgeous girl group," the song was praised for "its fantastic melody" and being "more interesting than the average retro-pop nugget.

"[25][7] Digital Spy referred to the single as "a cute, wistful pop song" with "some nice Spectorish touches in the production and a lovely, classic-sounding melody" that "grows more persuasive with every listen.

"[8][7] Rebecca Nicholson of The Guardian felt the song was "disappointing" because "Girls Aloud's producers have always been capable of making exciting and innovative pop music".

[26] However, Caroline Sullivan of the same publication thought the song was an album highlight: "Nothing hits the spot like the Phil Spector-like single "The Promise", one of this year's better chart-toppers.

"[27] John Murphy of MusicOMH argued that although "it may lack the innovation and attitude of some of their previous work, but if you're looking for sparkling, fresh and sheer bloody fun pop music, then there's nobody better right now than Girls Aloud.

Music found that the production" on the song was "so overegged and the vocals so treacly [...] you'll get a sugar rush, but you won't feel good about yourself afterwards.

"[31] On the other hand, Robin Carolan from Slant Magazine said that while it "suggests the girls have [...] shallowly jumped aboard the retro-soul bandwagon led by Duffy and Amy Winehouse, [...] the song's go-for-broke, very modern re-imagining of Spector's Wall of Sound proves to be more authentic and entertaining than most other recent attempts".

[9] It has also received comparisons to Girls Aloud's previous single, "Can't Speak French",[8] with Terry Wogan claiming that the tune features the melody from the theme song of his 1980s British TV quiz show Blankety Blank.

Girls Aloud first performed "The Promise" on BBC Radio 1's Live Lounge on 25 September, as well as a cover of Timbaland and OneRepublic's "Apologize.W[51] Nadine Coyle was not present, for she was ill with shingles.

[52] The first televised performance occurred on 18 October 2008, on The X Factor, on which Cheryl Cole served as a member of the judging panel at the time.

[53] The group wore their hair in big bouffant style with sparkling gold dresses, similar to those in the music video.

As the song's key change occurred, pyrotechnics exploded from the ceiling and a shower of sparks fell behind Girls Aloud.

Girls Aloud "first appeared rising up through the floor on podiums in a haze of silver sparkle" for the opening, in which they are "wearing long, spangly dresses which they whipped off to reveal short mini skirts.