"Demons" was well received by critics. On "Demons", Robin Murray of
Clash described Doja Cat as an "American cross-genre inferno" with the track being "instantly infectious, with her biting rhymes cutting deeper than most".
RGM praised the track, sharing that Doja Cat "spits bars like she's on the
TDE roster". "Demons" was noted by critics as being a change in sound for Doja Cat. Thania Garcia and McKinley Franklin of
Variety commented that on "Demons", "the track sees Doja trade in her
pop sound that fans fell in love with on "
Say So" for a more
rap-centric aura". Jon Stickler of
Stereoboard commented that "the
trap-inspired tune deals in punchy beats and layered
synths that provide a foundation to lyrics addressing the recent criticism about her personal life". Sal Cinquemani of
Slant Magazine stated that "the three-minute 'Demons' kicks off with a heavy,
distorted beat and menacingly
looped string sample, further fulfilling Doja Cat's promise that her latest album will eschew pop for a harder-edged hip-hop sound". "Demons" additionally drew comparisons to the work of many other artists.
Pitchforks Shaad D'Souza compared the beat to a "pop-ified" version of
Tyler, the Creator's work circa
Goblin, while comparing Doja's "clipped"
flow to a
text-to-speech app, characterizing the song as "smart, sinister, and knowingly dumb, all at the same time."
RGM additionally compared Doja Cat on "Demons", stating "at times, she sounds like
Nicki Minaj, then channels
Kendrick Lamar, and even takes on the persona of an irate teacher". == Music video ==