James Hunter from Vibe felt the song was a "leading candidate for the years best single" and that Aaliyah had "one of those "Who's that?" voices". In a review for Age Ain't Nothing but a Number, Tonya Pendleton from The Washington Post praised Aaliyah's vocals on the song by saying: "Aaliyah's silken voice caresses the beat, which swings rhythmically through "Back and Forth," one of this summer's street anthems".
James Hunter from Vibe and Tonya Pendleton from The Washington Post both recognized Aaliyah's exceptional vocal performance in the song "Back and Forth." They praised her voice for its unique quality, smoothness, and ability to perfectly match the rhythm of the track.