Musically, "Justify My Love" is a trip hop song, with mid-tempo settings and instrumentation. The lyrics of the song are primarily about sex and romance. "Justify My Love" received mixed reviews from older critics, but was critically appreciated by many contemporary critics, noting it as one of Madonna's best songs to date. The song became Madonna's ninth number-one single on the "Billboard" Hot 100, peaking at number two in the United Kingdom, while reaching the top-ten in several countries including Australia, Canada, Finland, New Zealand, Italy and Switzerland.