"Tension" received positive reviews from
music critics. Yeung of AllMusic described the song as "sensual" with "another chorus for the ages", while Lucy Harbon of
Clash called it "playful".
DIY writer Otis Robison chose "Tension" as an album highlight while reviewing its parent album, calling it "euphoric". Similarly, Harry Tafoya of
Pitchfork highlighted "Tension" and the album track "Padam Padam" as standouts, stating, "Both songs land on the right side of silly-serious and wield sledgehammer-subtle choruses with the feverish commitment required to make a hook like "Call me Kylie-lie-lie/Don't imitate-tate-tate/Cool like sorbet-et-et" feel ecstatic rather than clunky." Maksymiuk of
Riff wrote, "It plays with the formula a bit, using a variety of synth sounds and other electronic production. The sweet melodic verses are paired with a hard and punchy hook, recalling the dance music of the last couple of decades." Kyriakos Tsinivits of
QNews called it "absolute pop perfection" and one of Minogue's best releases.
PinkNews writer Marcus Wratten called the track "fresh, slick and steamy, which just about sums up the entire
Tension era", and compared the lyric "Call me Kylie-lie-lie" to "
It's Britney bitch" from "
Gimme More" by American singer
Britney Spears. Few critics were ambivalent about Minogue's processed vocals and lyrical content. David Smyth of
The Evening Standard had a mixed reaction, describing the track as "just fine" in comparison to other album tracks. Despite giving the parent album a glowing review, Jeremy Allen of
The Quietus was critical of Minogue's vocals on the title track, writing that "It's auto-tuned and chopped up to the point where Minogue's vocal seems to have been replaced by a bawdy replicant with an eerie, automated American twang, juddering jarringly with the machine-like production."
Impact Following the viral success of the song's predecessor "Padam Padam", publications hailed "Tension" as a
gay anthem and a notable track within the
LGBTQ community upon its release. Beth Ashley of
PinkNews highlighted the song's viral phenomenon of internet memes created on social media and commented, "To say that 'Tension' has sent LGBTQ+ fans into a frenzy would be an understatement [...]". Mathew Rodriguez of
Them wrote an op-ed about "Tension", praising the song's sound, Minogue's craftsmanship, and how it captures 2000s aesthetics, citing the current resurgence of the
Y2K aesthetic. "Tension" was ranked 47th in
Genius' community-based 50 Songs of 2023, while
Rolling Stone India ranked it third in 2023. Additionally, the song has been nominated for
Song of the Year at the
2024 ARIA Music Awards. ==Commercial performance==