Duncan Lindsay, writing for the "Metro", billed the two-parter as "dramatic and showstopping". He headlined "Wickedly Showstopping" with former "Wicked" star Lucy Durack. Ottawa Citizen described the song as "showstopping". "Showstopping choreography" is how "New York Post"s Zacharcy Kussin described the video. Grande does several showstopping looks of her own in the video, including white lingerie.