smile, the whole world stops and stares for a while/ 'Cause girl you're amazing, just the way you are". Billboard concludes, "Mars pens lyrics that aim to make female listeners feel nothing short of perfect in their own skin". Byron said the lyrics are "effective – the repeated lines at the start of the verses are catchy". Consequence of Sounds Alex Young described the song "Mars sticks to the song's name and insists that he wouldn't want to change anything about his particular gal. You believe him, too. With an undeniably catchy chorus". Lester said the lyrics are "about a girl Mars could 'kiss all day'." Reception and accolades The song received mixed reviews from music critics. Digital Spys Nick Levine gave it four out of five stars and described it as a "huge-hearted urbany piano ballad [...] with a similar, if not quite as undeniable, instant classic feel to 'Empire State of Mind' by Jay-Z featuring Alicia Keys". Billboard wrote: "With its steady, danceable pulse and singalong chorus, Mars has created a feel-good jam that should establish him as a solo contender in his own right." Alex Young from Consequence of Sound praised the track's chorus for being "undeniably catchy" and didn't find surprising for the single to be a "radio staple". AllMusic's Tim Sendra gave the single a mixed review saying, "it's not very deep and it's not poetry, but sweetly played and sung". He believes it, "will melt hearts from tweens to old folk". Tony Clayton-Lea of The Irish Times dubbed the single "a slice of wide-eyed pop that automatically coaxes a smile." On the other hand, Tim Byron of The Vine compared "Just the Way You Are" to Billy Joel's 1977 hit single of the same name, saying the latter "is a little more ambiguous...more aware of the ups and downs that characterize relationships". Jamie Milton of musicOMH explained that "Just the Way You Are" can be mistaken for a pop song due to its tempo. However, it is one of the most "sappiest ballads" to be heard in some time. Nima Baniamer from Contactmusic.com felt the single didn't make Mars stand out from other R&B artists. Baniamer added, "The song never builds to any climax and it simply falls a bit flat, coming across quite corny and cheesy." The Guardian Paul Lester dubbed Mars's vocals as breezy on the track as a "breezy falsetto as