 Upon its release, "Beautiful" received universal acclaim from music critics. Stephen Thomas Erlewine of AllMusic complimented the song for not following the "club and street-level R & B, which fit her poorly". Similarly, a reviewer from Billboard recognized "Beautiful" as a "single-worthy ballad" from a record of "pleasantly surprising depth". In a separate review, Chuck Taylor from the same magazine labeled the song "breathtaking", and recognized its melody and lyrical message. Entertainment Weekly's David Browne called the song one of Stripped's "moments", noting that it is "more restrained" than the other songs from the album. Sal Cinquemani of Slant Magazine commented that the collaboration with Linda Perry found Aguilera "truly naked" and reflective of the album's title. Stylus Magazine's Todd Burns gave Stripped a negative review, but complimented "Beautiful" for "tastefully [reining] in Aguilera's frequent vocal acrobatics". Jane Dark of The Village Voice compared the song to the works of Mariah Carey "made back when she was a natural". In contrast, Amanda Murray from Sputnikmusic criticized the "platitude-drenched" lyrics but praised the overall production. At the 2004 Grammy Awards, "Beautiful" won the award for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance and was nominated for Song of the Year.
