 Bernard Zuel of The Sydney Morning Herald referred to it as a " mechanical " track . Phil Harrison of Timeout commented that " [ ' Upgrade U ' ] hints at ambivalence towards bling aspirations . " Mike Joseph of PopMatters wrote that the song survives not only due to Knowles ' confident vocals , but also due to the chemistry that she and Jay @-@ Z have both in the song and in real @-@ life . He also added that Jay @-@ Z ’ s rhymes strongly suggest that " this rhyme animal is hungrier than ever " . Carolyn Davis of US Magazine described " Upgrade U " as a " catchy track " where Knowles and Jay @-@ Z address rumors concerning " a possible engagement " . 
