"Dancer" was met with primarily positive reviews. Rolling Stone described the "raucous" song as showing the band's "trademark post-punk instrumentals mix with [...] a poppier and more melodic chorus", while Hot Press characterized the "playful and scuzzy" track by its "heavy bass, dirty guitar riffs, and joyous vocals".[11][12][13] Uproxx praised frontman Joe Talbot's vocals as "[taking] command [reigning] over the dance floor", while American Songwriter commented that the backing vocals from members of LCD Soundsystem "[lend] themselves to a spooky, urgent tone that complements Talbot’s guttural, grungy voice", and also added that "there’s a note of [lyrical] innuendo"[14][15] Consequence described it as "swampy, spine-tingling, [and] hypnotic", naming it the "song of the week" on October 20 and commenting that "being hip-to-hip and cheek-to-cheek has rarely sounded so visceral".[16]
Regarding its overall style, Medium commented that the song is "[reminiscent] of disco, but with loud guitars instead of funky, electronic beats" and that it shows the band "make an effort to artistic boundaries" as they "put a rhythmic spin on their sound".[17] The comparison to this genre was furthered by Music Feeds' conclusion that "IDLES have entered their disco era – albeit with a great deal of sweat, horror, and aggression laced with something that looks a little like love, if you squint at it sideways".[18]
