Nolan Feeney of
Entertainment Weekly gave it a B rating, saying "The track itself makes similar alterations to the band's sound without straying too far from the formula: You'll find the familiar chilled-out keyboards of '
Closer', a guitar loop like the one in '
Don't Let Me Down', and more lyrics about nostalgia and youth and living wild and free, but there's no real drop, and the synths that kick in at the end are relatively subtle. On paper, that all sounds like a bid to showcase some stripped-down musicianship, and The Chainsmokers have certainly earned the right to do so: anyone who thinks they're just DJs who twist knobs just hasn't been paying attention. But in the end, 'Paris' feels like the demo of a song that wants to take more risks than it actually does."
Idolator's Carl Williott claimed "it's a subdued piece of EDM-pop, relying more on guitars than synths, but it's still that signature 'smokers MOR sound", and also stated "the song is about Paris, but the visual takes place on a beach with a supermodel because nothing makes sense in 2017." Raisa Bruner of
Time labeled it "a less-than-encouraging reflection on yet another tricky relationship" and went on to say "this seems to be The Chainsmokers' sweet spot: slow-burning tunes—this one is especially down-tempo—with tropical house undercurrents, a little bit of nostalgic story, and an emotionally ambiguous core."
USA Todays Patrick Ryan stated, "the low-key banger is a nostalgic ode to the City of Lights, painting a schmaltzy picture of millennial romance that's marked by cigarette drags and disheveled hotel rooms." ==Chart performance==