Media response to "One Beat" was highly favorable; aggregating website Metacritic reported a normalized rating of 85 out of 100 based on 22 critical reviews, indicating "universal acclaim". Prominent music critic Robert Christgau, writing for "The Village Voice", explained that Sleater-Kinney aim for "defiant uplift" and seem energized by the challenge. Neva Chonin of "Rolling Stone" pointed out that the trio's "riotous manifesto remains the same". Victoria Segal of "NME" stated, "Few bands could explore motherhood and terrorism without making you want to shoot them: Corin Tucker's electric-shock voice and the adrenal guitars make them... essential pop topics".