Step It Up (song)

Critical reception

Billboard magazine called "Step It Up" a "lively unity anthem." Billboard editor Larry Flick said the U.K. group keeps successfully selling their mix of retro-dance, traditional jazz, and hip-hop, describing the track as a suggestive workout lifted by a blazing trumpet solo and positive lyrics. Dave Sholin from the Gavin Report observed that the band's unusual combination of styles puts them among the year's most original acts, adding that this fast-paced song carries a magical feel. Andrew Smith at Melody Maker chose it as Single of the Week, labeling it "ultra-dancey" and comparing it to "this year's 'Lost In Music'." He noted that each time the Stereos return, they seem more powerful, having shifted into a higher gear, and that "Step It Up" finds them speeding toward the top, a huge workout that shakes and grinds to an intense finish. Blake Baxter from Music Week's RM Dance Update wrote that the song has excellent texture, creating a mood for realists and fans of sequenced bass, with catchy vocals and funky drums enhanced by hot horns, making it soulful yet distinctive. An NME reviewer found it "less addictive" and compared it to what Happy Mondays might sound like trying an upward career move. Peter Stanton from Smash Hits awarded it four out of five stars, praising the thumping bass, trumpet touches, and a groove that could get a nursing home dancing until morning. Jonathan Bernstein from Spin noted that "lacerating hooks abound" on the track, calling it "nagging."