 "Clash"s Robin Murray described "Sounds of the Skeng" as "a muscular workout from Stormzy, a bass-bin rattler that taps into his incredible live energy".Aron A. of "HotNewHipHop" called the song "a hard-hitting banger that serves as a reminder of his grime roots".Writing for "Complex", James Keith stated that it "sees Stormzy at his most direct, calling out the fakes and those too keen to seek the approval of US artists, all while Spyro's snarling bass line glowers menacingly in the background".