Snake debuted the song during a Facebook Live video stream on 6 September 2017. He also performed other songs such as "Turn Down for What", "Here Comes the Night" from his 2016 album Encore, and a remix of his Justin Bieber collaboration "Let Me Love You" in the 23-minute mix. It took place on top of Arc de Triomphe,[4] one of the most famous monuments in Paris, Snake's hometown.[5][6] He announced on social media the previous day that he will be live streaming from an undisclosed location in Paris,[7][8][9] with the accompanying hashtag "#ADifferentWay".[10] The stream was directed by Grammy-nominated American director Colin Tilley.[11][12] Snake later announced the single's release date on Twitter.[13] On 21 September 2017, Snake premiered the song on Zane Lowe's Beats 1 Radio show.[14][15][16]
"A Different Way" was well received from music critics. David Rishty of Billboard wrote that the song features "a bouncy melody and punchy backbeat", and that it "carries a similar style to that of 'Let Me Love You'".[17] Jeffrey Yau of Your EDM deemed the song "a mid-tempo ballad that features a furious, futuristic drop which should be radio friendly enough to be a smash while still retaining the energy and atmosphere in a classic Snake main stage banger".[18] Rajrishi Murthi of Bangin Beats felt "the infectious vocal-driven track boasts of all the ingredients to take over airwaves in the coming days".[19] Mike Wass of Idolator opined that the song "doesn't reinvent the wheel", but regarded it as "a no-brainer for pop radio and manages to inject a little emotion into the increasingly soulless club banger".[20]
