"As I Am" is a popballad set in the key of B major and has a moderate tempo 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 with Vogue, Bieber spoke on the nature of the song and revealed that it was about the promises that he made to his wife Hailey 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 on Justice, 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 from Vulture 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 of USA Today thought that Khalid's vocals on the track were a "genius addition".[9] Similarly, Chris Willman of Variety believed Khalid was one of several guest artists on Justice "who actually feel like they complement Bieber somehow".[10] By contrast, Ali Shutler of The 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 of Believe'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.