 Kennedy particularly noted a difference in Keys' vocal tone, describing it as "smokey" and comparable to that see on Keys' 2009 single "Un-Thinkable (I'm Ready)".Mark Edward Nero from About.com also compared the "Girl on Fire" to Keys' single "You Don't Know My Name" (2003).Idolator's Carl Williot described how on this stripped version, "gone is Minaj, gone are the piano plinks and gone are the martial drums" completely changing the composition of the Bluelight version.