Critical Reception
Bill Lamb of About.com praised the song, calling it the "erfect beach pop anthem" and "irresistible bubblegum." Though he criticized Duff's "thin" voice, Lamb noted, "While Britney and Jessica have turned toward a more adult, risque image, 17-year-old Hilary Duff shows us that a significant part of being a teenager is simply having fun hanging out with friends." Talia Kraines of BBC Music said that the song "could have been straight off Britney's debut."
Sal Cinquemani criticized the song's lyrics, calling them "insipid." Stephen Thomas Erlewine of Allmusic described the song as "a sweet-natured, slightly listless spin on Gwen Stefani's 'Cool,'" and according to him, it "sound a bit like leftovers" from Duff's previous releases.
Read more about this topic: Wake Up (Hilary Duff Song)
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