The song was first revealed via the album's tracklist just hours prior to its release.[2]
Critical reception
Michael Saponara of Billboard ranked "Red Leather" as the fifth best song on We Still Don't Trust You.[3] Saponara described the track as "seven minutes of smooth raps".[3]
Writing for Clash, Robin Murray wrote that the track is "one of the best" on the album and that the track has a "breezy West Coast feel" accompanied by "Cole’s introspection offering something distinctive".[4]Sputnikmusic's Dakota West Foss compared the beat to NyQuil, suggesting that it's boring and stated that Cole's verse matches the beat. He also states that "Future completely drops the ball" on the track.[5]