"What the Hell Just Happened?" received mixed assessments from music critics. Neil McCormick from The Telegraph ,Roisin O'Connor from The Independent ,and Ed Potton from The Times gave the song four out of five stars. McCormick called the track "a breathless pop pastiche of imperial period Queen with a dash of Elton John singing country with the Andrews Sisters". He also described the song's lyrics "a witty account of waking up the morning after a night before in comedic disarray". [29] O'Connor commended the song's production,describing it as "full of fun and flair",with "dramatic piano crescendos,squalling guitar riffs,and bombastic blasts of synth". She further commented that the song "sounds like a result of a drunken one-night stand" between "Bat Out of Hell" by Meat Loaf and "Pink Pony Club" by Chappell Roan. [28] Potton applauded the group's vocal harmonies and describing the track as having "shades of The Last Dinner Party,before an audacious tonal shift to urgent pop that’s worthy of Girls Aloud in their pomp,and cries of 'Freedom!' that bring to mind George Michael". [30]
Writing for the British newspaper Metro ,Robert Oliver also gave the song a positive review,dubbing the song as an "ambitious vocal masterclass" that the group are "sure to match on the night of the Eurovision grand final",and further describing it as "hyperactive and fidgety pop,trying to keep a smile on its face despite a crippling hangover". [32] In an article for Attitude ,Dale Fox called the song a "country-pop earworm" which "lands somewhere between The Chicks and Fearless -era Taylor Swift,with an anthemic chorus that sounds built for the Eurovision stage". [33] Jo Forrest from TotalNtertainment described the track as "brimming with fun and infectious energy,a dancefloor-filler that relatably narrates a raucous night out with friends". [10] Jo Twist,chief executive of the British Phonographic Industry,and Wlll Hodgkinson from The Times both mentioned that the growing presence of country music in the United Kingdom was further highlighted by choosing "What the Hell Just Happened?" as the country's Eurovision entry. [34] [35]
On the other hand,Tom Morton from National World criticised the song for its chaotic,shapeshifting mix of genres and styles,transitioning rapidly between vocal harmonies,synth-pop,and soft rock. While he described the lyrics as a "girlpower Taylor Swift personal diary intimate confessional vibes" with a "carpe diem theme",he also added that the song "feels like it's been written by committee,not by a songwriter,or as if AI was told to assemble music from a list of prompts which might attract Eurovision votes". [36] Ed Power from The i Paper also gave the track a negative review,describing it as a song "you don't hum,much less listen to again and again";instead calling it "a plea for Eurovision to sit up and pay attention". He also dubbed the song as having a "subtlety-deficient chorus barely 30 seconds in". [37]
In a critique for CNN,Rob Picheta ranked the song 24th out of the 26 finalists,praising the vocal abilities of Remember Monday but expressed concerns about the song's overall presentation. He described the track as "dreadful",with staging he found underwhelming and a change-of-pace chorus that "grows tiresome fast". Picheta noted that the song’s theme and style appeared outdated,reminiscent of early 2010s pop trends associated with artists like Kesha and Katy Perry. [38] Good Morning Britain host Charlotte Hawkins,in an interview with 2025 Swedish representatives KAJ,dismissed the United Kingdom’s Eurovision chances,stating,"we know the UK aren’t going to win",and calling victory "a tall order". [39]
Harmen van Dijk,Peter van der Lint,and Nienke Schipper from the Dutch newspaper Trouw described the song as "musically well-constructed" and called it as "one of the better entries from the United Kingdom in recent years". [40] Eva Frantz from the Finnish broadcaster Yle gave the song a mixed review,stating that while the band has the vocal ability,the different directions that the song takes felt like a cut-and-paste of "at least seven different songs". [31] Similarly,Jon O'Brien from Vulture ,ranking the song 28th,praised the group's vocal delivery but panned the song as an incohesive blend of styles,comparing it to "Taylor Swift-esque confessional,Broadway show tune,or a The Last Dinner Party–style display of middle-class girl power". Described as a "Frankenstein's mess of an entry",O'Brien described the track as failing to successfully execute any of these approaches. [41]
