"As I Am" is apopballad set in the key ofB major and has a moderatetempo of 100 beats per minute.[1][2] The song marks the first collaboration between Justin Bieber and Khalid.[3] The "soulful and hopeful" song serves as "a sweet reminder of being grateful for the people who love you even when you are not perfect".[4] The "high-pitched synth and intense percussion" develop into the "upbeat, catchy chorus".[5]
On March 19, 2021, in an interview withVogue, Bieber spoke on the nature of the song and revealed that it was about the promises that he made to his wifeHailey Baldwin:
I love this song because it has a really hopeful message. A lot of us, including me at times, have felt unworthy of love and so [the hook] is saying, 'Take me as I am and I'll do the best that I can.' It's that commitment that I personally made to my wife. I'm here through thick and thin—this is me, take it or leave it.[6]
Billboard's Jason Lipshutz ranked "As I Am" as the twelfth-best song onJustice, opining that the pairing of Bieber and Khalid "plays out just as fans would have hoped" and that it "should be the first of several team-ups between the two".[7] Craig Jenkins fromVulture wrote that the collaboration "fools you into thinking it's another muted ballad before knocking you over the head with a massive drop".[8] Jennifer McClellan ofUSA Today thought that Khalid's vocals on the track were a "genius addition".[9] Similarly, Chris Willman ofVariety believed Khalid was one of several guest artists onJustice "who actually feel like they complement Bieber somehow".[10] By contrast, Ali Shutler ofThe Daily Telegraph turned down Khalid's guest appearance on the song as unexciting.[11]Uproxx's Bianca Gracie felt that the song was "a formulaic recreation ofBelieve's poppier moments".[12]
^"ČNS IFPI" (in Czech). Hitparáda – Digital Top 100 Oficiální. IFPI Czech Republic.Note: Select 12. týden 2021 in the date selector. Retrieved March 31, 2021.
^"ČNS IFPI" (in Slovak). Hitparáda – Singles Digital Top 100 Oficiálna. IFPI Czech Republic.Note: Select 12. týden 2021 in the date selector. Retrieved March 31, 2021.
