På den kritiske side afviser ''[[The Daily Telegraph]]''s Jenny McCartney metaforene i omkvædet og syntes at sangens tema var over-hypet.<ref name="tel">{{Cite news|url=http://www.telegraph.co.uk/comment/columnists/jennymccartney/7957505/Emimen-and-Rihannas-brutality-chic-is-a-bit-beyond-me.html|first=Jenny|last=McCartney|title=Emimen and Rihanna's brutality chic is a bit beyond me|work=[[The Daily Telegraph]]|publisher=[[Telegraph Media Group]]|date=21. august 2010|language=en|access-date=20. december 2011|archive-date=11. januar 2013|archive-url=https://www.webcitation.org/6DaqbwypU?url=http://www.telegraph.co.uk/comment/columnists/jennymccartney/7957505/Emimen-and-Rihannas-brutality-chic-is-a-bit-beyond-me.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Hun er uenig i de kritiske roser, og mener at kvinder accepterer deres voldelige forhold af andre dybere liggende grunde end seksuel og emotionel nydelse, såsom familie og finansielle problemer og hjælpeløshed.<ref name=tel/> I en [[National Public Radio|NPR]]-artikel skrev [[Maura Johnston]] at lyrikken viser Rihanna som et subjekt for Eminems vold.<ref name=smoothjohnston>{{Cite web|url=http://www.npr.org/blogs/therecord/2010/08/03/128960713/pop-off-is-the-new-duet-a-dude-rapping-on-a-woman-s-pop-song|first1=Maura|last1=Johnston|first2=Jay|last2=Smooth|title=Pop Off: He Raps, She Sings. Does It Still Count As A Duet?|publisher=[[National Public Radio|NPR]]. National Public Radio|date=4. august 2010|language=en|access-date=20. december 2011|archive-date= 7. oktober 2012|archive-url=https://www.webcitation.org/6BEaXqeb7?url=http://www.npr.org/blogs/therecord/2010/08/03/128960713/pop-off-is-the-new-duet-a-dude-rapping-on-a-woman-s-pop-song|url-status=live}}</ref> [[Jay Smooth]], en radiostjerne fra [[New York City|New York]], svarede at "mens Eminem udforsker psyken hos en voldelig person med en næsten foruroligende dybde og detalje," er Rihannas perspektiv nedtonet og bliver ikke udforsket fuldt ud.<ref name=smoothjohnston/> Johnston og Smooth skrev at sådanne ubalancer er et fremherskende problem i [[populærmusik]] duetter.<ref name=smoothjohnston/> Doyle føler ikke at "Love the Way You Lie" roder bod på Eminems tidligere [[misogyni|misogyne]] handlinger og hadefulde sange, selvom det er en Eminems sange der påvirker mest og gør ham mest angerfuld.<ref name="atlantic">{{cite web|url=http://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2010/08/why-love-the-way-you-lie-does-not-redeem-eminem/61641/|title=Why 'Love the Way You Lie' Does Not Redeem Eminem|first=Sady|last=Doyle|work=[[The Atlantic]]|publisher=[[Atlantic Media Company]]|date=18. august 2010|language=en|access-date=6. august 2011|archive-date=11. november 2011|archive-url=https://www.webcitation.org/636RKoNEH?url=http://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2010/08/why-love-the-way-you-lie-does-not-redeem-eminem/61641/|url-status=live}}</ref>
Kunst Musik