"What They Want" production features "plodding rhythm section and eerie, reverb-drenched string/bell loops" created by Mike Will Made It and Marz.
[4] Jason Lipshutz of Billboard said, "Q is too serious-minded to stuff his debut with one-liners about booties, though, and instead pulls 2 Chainz into his murky world on "What They Want," a chilling stunner in which the headliner channels his aggression into peddling another bleak anthem to his supporters.
"[8] Nathan S of DJBooth stated, "Chainz is at his best when he’s at his most outrageous and borderline absurd, the exact opposite of Q, and the fact that the song still works is testament to ScHoolboy’s versatility, but it’s also one of the album’s least compelling tracks.
[15][16] In the video Q and 2 Chainz visit an above-ground cemetery, stalk a church with dudes wearing skeleton masks, and go to New Orleans strip club She She's, which is full of twerking dancers.
[17][18][19] The video is completed with shots of "creepy, abandoned buildings, red-lit strip clubs, empty parking lots, gray graveyards and backlit churches.