On November 21, 2017, Billboard magazine ranked "Like a Surgeon" at #98 on its list of the 100 Best Deep Cuts by 21st Century Pop Stars, writing "A planned-but-canceled single from Ciara's third LP, it's not hard to see why "Like a Surgeon" was ultimately deemed unfit for radio: The song's lurching beat, overstuffed chorus and "Weird Al"-reminiscent title all seemed a little off-kilter for late-'00s pop. That slight discomfort is what makes the song a fan favorite, though, an assured CiCi just a little more sinister than usual with the scalpel, but still making all the right cuts, proving herself the "true tactician" of the chorus."
