 It is composed in the key of D major with the singer's vocals ranging from the lower octave of G3 to the higher note of A♭4. The song follows a basic sequence of D–Am–C–G as its chord progression. Ben Greenbank from <i>Sputnikmusic</i> described the track as a "country meets dance" song with trip hop beats, accompanied by acoustic guitar riffs. Chuck Arnold of <i>Billboard</i> described "Don't Tell Me" as a "twangy trip-hop" track. The song begins with a "plucked" guitar riff in a jagged stop/start