Songs and lyrical content
The album opens with synth riffs introduced on the first track "Top Down". As well as finger snaps, it features tottering beats and a horn riff in the hook, which critics compared to Ariana Grande's "Problem". In the song's chorus the group sings, "Blaze it up we'll be cruisin', with the Top Down/Rev up the engine we'll be cruisin' watch it go down/Get in my truck and I'll be ridin' with my Top Down". Brennan Carley of Spin described it as "an unknowingly filthy anthem about riding in the car". During the hook, the phrase "electric city" is repeated several times. The song's hip hop-inspired production was also compared to "Fancy" by rapper Iggy Azalea featuring Charli XCX.
The second track "Boss" features trumpets, handclaps and heavy bass, creating a rhythmic, militaristic sound. The lyrics feature several cultural references. For example, the song's first verse refers to hip hop dance movement "Nae Nae": "Everyday is payday, swipe my card, then I do the nae nae." The second line clearly cites the rappers Kanye West and Ray J: "You're talking to a lady, I want a Kanye and not a Ray J." During the chorus, the group also praised female icons Michelle Obama and Oprah Winfrey. The song was compared to Destiny's Child's "Independent Women". Christina Garibaldi from MTV commented that the group "proudly sing about the fact they don't need a man as they "pledge allegiance to my independent girls in here". In an interview with Garibaldi, the group said "the whole point of this song is for girls who are our age to turn it on and feel confident and empowered because at this age being insecure is such a common occurrence. So we think when you turn that song on, you feel sexy and feel good about yourself." The next track, "Sledgehammer", is '80s-inspired synthpop. It features EDM beats, and heavy synths. Lyrically, the song uses "Sledgehammer" as a metaphor to express the physical effects of love.
The fourth track "Worth It" features a guest appearance by Kid Ink. Written from the perspective of a woman telling a man that she is "Worth It", it implies a sexual connotation. However, like other songs on Reflection, "Worth It" could also be interpreted as a feminist song. Jeff Benjamin of Fuse expands this notion by writing the song can inspire "young girls to truly believe they're 'Worth It' and can own Wall Street or any other place on which they set their sights". Its instrumentation consists of horns sample, trance synths and a trap-inspired Roland TR-808 drum machine. Critics compared the song to "Talk Dirty" by Jason Derulo (also produced by Norwegian production team Stargate and musician Ori Kaplan) for a similar use of horns in its production.
The Dr. Luke-produced track, "This Is How We Roll", is a pop rock and electronic dance music fusion, with the chorus driven by guitar chords that drop off during each EDM-influenced hook. Brennan Carley of Spin noted that a similar sound can be found on "Scream & Shout" by Will.i.am and Britney Spears, mainly during the song's breakdown. The sixth track, "Everlasting Love", is influenced by '90s R&B; the group sings over piano notes and chattering percussion. The following track, "Like Mariah" samples Mariah Carey's "Always Be My Baby". It also features guest vocals by rapper Tyga. The group sings the chorus: "Your loving takes me higher/You set my heart on fire/When you touch my body/Got me singing like" with Carey's hook harmonizing around. Jason Lipshutz of Billboard commented that in the song, "Fifth Harmony admirably pulls off the sunny R&B vibe and falsetto runs of the pop icon they're honoring on the track".
"Them Girls Be Like" lyrics also feature cultural references, as noted by Lipshutz who wrote, "like 'Boss', the song oozes self-assuredness, this time swatting down female rivals instead of tongue-wagging males. The millennial-friendly lyrics are an absolute blast to swim through". During the song, the group sings: "We ain't like them girls that do too much/If you thirsty, you can't sit with us." The verse directly refers to the movie Mean Girls. In the bridge, Lauren Jauregui belts out: "Do you ever post your pics with no filter" in a clear reference to the movement #Nofilter. Time editor Jamieson Cox noted that with the song, the group "promote[s] a positive body image". Musically, the track is strongly influenced by Caribbean music.
The title track "Reflection" is a hip hop number, with a trap-influenced chorus, where Normani Kordei sings: "You'd be rich if looking good was your profession/Think I'm in love, 'cause you so sexy/Boy, I ain't talkin' about you, I'm talking to my own reflection." Meaghan Garvey of Pitchfork commented that the track is a "celebration of self-love without the somberness and pedantry that often comes with the topic, purring flirty coos to their own mirror images and breezily refuting the idea that women dress up for male approval." Critics described "Suga Mama" as a 2010s update of "No Scrubs" by R&B group TLC. Jamieson Cox of Time stated that in the track, "they're affectionate but unwilling to fund their deadbeat boyfriends' lavish lifestyles."
The eleventh track "We Know" is a stripped-down song in comparison to the rest of the album and begins with Kordei singing the first verse followed by Camila Cabello. Jauregui performs the pre-chorus accompanied by a simple piano melody, member Dinah Jane then sings the hook with the second verse sung by Ally Brooke. Garvey of Pitchfork praised the vocal's division in the song writing that it "serves as the album's most impressive showcase of each member's solo talents." The song contains an interpolation of DeBarge's "A Dream".
On the first bonus track included on the album's deluxe version, "Going Nowhere" is an EDM number. During the song, the group sings and a synth riff and synthesized handclaps are featured. "Body Rock" contains an interpolation from "(I've Had) The Time of My Life" performed by Bill Medley and Jennifer Warnes. The song has one of the faster tempos on the album. It features a synthesized melody and sirens. The deluxe edition concludes with "Brave, Honest, Beautiful" featuring Meghan Trainor. The chorus praises several female singers such as Beyonce, Shakira, Rihanna and Madonna. The lyrics are complemented by a moderate dance beat. Lyrically, it express a message of female empowerment and positive body image.
