 Sarah Rodman of "The Boston Globe" wrote that the song is "gentle but maddeningly hook-y".Spence Abbott of IGN wrote that "Irreplaceable" and "Resentment" go for "a much more traditional contemporary R&B vibe" than any of the previous tracks on "B'Day", making them stand out as if they were recorded separately from the rest of the album.Roger Friedman of Fox News Channel wrote that "Irreplaceable" is a "clever ballad" and the most memorable track on "B'Day".