The song samples "Set the Mood (Prelude)" from FutureSex/LoveSounds (2006), written by Justin Timberlake, Timbaland, and Danja, who also received writing credits for "The Weekend".

[6][7] Built around a synth-line, the song is completed with finger-snaps, key thumps that resemble the sound of a ticking clock, hi-hats and a high-pitched vocal sample.

[16] Jessica McKinney of Vibe viewed its lyrical content as a "not-so-typical message of women empowerment", and said that instead of giving control to her lover, SZA is "forging a deal with the other woman that (hopefully) works for both of them".

[19] James Milton of NME appreciated its "glossy introspection" while Karas Lamb from Consequence of Sound observed that by "The Weekend" and "Go Gina"—another track from Ctrl—SZA's affection for the "slow-burning body roll classics popularized by artists like Guy and Keith Sweat and perfected by R. Kelly is pretty clear".

[6] Echoing the sentiment of Kennedy from Los Angeles Times, Aaron Williams of Uproxx called "The Weekend" a "sexy, slow-burner" and "a clear standout from ...

[23] Naasambala who writes for Crack Magazine highlighted "The Weekend" along with "Supermodel" and "Normal Girl", saying the candour with which SZA lays "her cards on the table" through these track "touched nerves beyond her core fans, in a time of political uncertainty and doublespeak".

[27] The subject also generated public debate on the internet; Celie Almeida of Miami New Times said questions such as "Has SZA fallen prey to the insecure side-chick mentality?

Almeida recognized SZA appeared to be "less concerned with judgment calls than painting an honest portrait of her inner life, and that honesty has made her music accessible to listeners".

[29] For NPR's Jenny Gathright, "The Weekend" is an example of a moment in the album in which SZA "hasn't taken a super defined moral stance" still "feels like self-care to me".

[30] Mathys Rennela from Drowned in Sound reflected about it saying: The much talked about "The Weekend", in which she discusses being the other woman and being cool with it, is particularly within the context of a year marked by a strong advocacy for (sex-positive) feminism, and echoes to black female-led TV shows such as HBO's Insecure and Netflix's She's Gotta Have It which portray self-care and self-determination as acts of rebellion, telling young women that their lives can be messy, and that there's nothing wrong with that.

[32] Sidney Madden of NPR considered it the ninth best song of 2017, praising its sample, and commenting, "Offering something of an olive branch to her perceived rival, SZA courageously flips the negative connotation that comes with being the other woman on its head".

[33] Meskin Fekadu of The Advocate was extremely positive, considering it the best song of 2017, saying, "SZA paints the picture vividly with her crisp vocals matched to a smooth beat".

[47] SZA's appearance as a guest performer during Saturday Night Live on December 9, 2017 also contributed to the song's increase in sales, as reported by Billboard's Trevor Anderson.

During the second verse of the song, she is in an empty art studio surrounded by red and blue glasses and light sheets covering the scenery.

"[54] Kevin Goddard from HotNewHipHop described the video as an "artistic and beautiful 4-minute clip find[ing] the TDE songstress showing off her seductive and elegant figure.

"[49] Writing for Vulture, Hunter Harris observed that "The Weekend" video goes for something "abstract", concluding that it "isn't a side-chick anthem; SZA is reclaiming her time, and Solange has stepped in with the best visual representation of it.

"[56] Anna Gaca of Spin was as positive as the other editors, she viewed the video as "super-stylish and strikingly contemporary," and further wrote that it is shot in a "cinematic widescreen that showcases the grand yet minimal backdrops.

"[57] Applauding the video's "soft appeal", Andrew Roberts from Uproxx felt that it "blows the intentionally risque clips put out by Nicki Minaj and other artists away."

[63][64] American singer Khalid sung a medley of "The Weekend" and "Love Galore" accompanied by the melody played on an acoustic guitar in a tempo faster than the original version.

[65] Jessica McKinney for Vibe called the cover "expressive" while Stereogum's Chris DeVille said Khalid gave a "characteristically rich reading of SZA's source material".

[66] American rapper Wale released a remix of the song written from a male perspective, serving as a response to SZA's original version.

[70] "The Weekend" also gained another male perspective from rapper Maino, who responds to SZA's lyrics in his rap-sing verses about the privacy he needs with women.

[71] Writing for Uproxx, Aaron Williams recognized the song's impact while acclaiming Khalid's cover; he wrote, "It's been interesting to note that SZA's ostensibly female-empowering CTRL has resonated so strongly among male artists, but that's good music for you.

"[72] In April 2018, American rapper WordPlay uploaded a remix to his YouTube channel, with an official music video released in July of that year.

SZA first promoted "The Weekend" at the 2017 BET Awards on June 25, 2017, in front of a grassy backdrop that Billboard's Lindsey Havens noted for being reminiscent of the cover artwork of Ctrl.

[75][76] On December 9, 2017, SZA appeared on the 43rd season of Saturday Night Live as the second artist from her label following Kendrick Lamar—who had performed a week before—on the program.

She was introduced by host James Franco and performed "The Weekend" backed by a full-female choir, using sultry flute, clarinet and a trumpet as instrumentation.

[77][78] Entertainment Weekly's David Canfield called her performances "powerful" and said SZA brought a different vibe to her first presence at the night show combining her signature vocals with some "soothing, unique instrumental choices".