 "The Sweet Escape" received generally positive reviews from contemporary pop music critics. In a review for AllMusic, Stephen Thomas Erlewine described the song as "an irresistible [...] track, driven by a giddy 'wee-oh!' hook and supported by a nearly anthemic summertime chorus". John Murphy of musicOMH referred to "The Sweet Escape" as "a lovely, summery bouncy pop song with a very infectious chorus". Murphy compared the song to Weezer's 2002 single "Keep Fishin'", and Blender's Ben Sisario compared it to the work of The Beach Boys. Alex Miller from the NME compared the song to Madonna's early work but added that it sounded "cringey and saccharine". Anna Britten from Yahoo! Music commented that it sounded like music from 1970, specifically that of soul group Chairmen of the Board. Bill Lamb of About.com called the song "a welcome change from the over-produced 'Wind It Up'", but noted that it "easily jets in one ear and out the other leaving little trace of its presence". MuchMusic's video review program Video on Trial referred to the song as "incredibly intoxicating".
