 " Upgrade U " received positive reviews from music critics , including those who complimented the assertive way in which Knowles expresses her desire of upgrading her partner with valuable assets . Eb Haynes of AllHipHop called the track " the finest of the Bonnie and Clyde , Ride or Die series " . Sarah Rodman of The Boston Globe complimented the way that Knowles " declares herself an equal " and " disturbingly conflates transforming her man into a leader " . Chris Williams of The Washington Post described the track a reflection of " buy @-@ me @-@ love sentiments " . Andy Kellman of Allmusic considered " Upgrade U " the " most potent track on the album " , which he described as a " low @-@ slung Cameron Wallace production where Beyoncé wears and buys the pants while making her proposition sound more like empowerment than emasculation " . Tim Finney of Pitchfork Media called it a " stiffly blaring " track and praised its lyrics , describing them to paraphrase as eccentric in a pleasant manner . Sal Cinquemani of Slant Magazine found " Upgrade U " could very well be a Destiny 's Child track . 
