Upon its release, "Just Whitney" received mixed reviews from critics, with aggregated reviews on Metacritic awarding the album 53 out of 100. Stephen Thomas Erlewine of Allmusic commented that "Just Whitney" was "an assertion that she's returning to her basics." He also said that "It would be a good standard-issue Whitney album if it wasn't for her disarming, defensive attempt to defuse every rumor hurled in her direction." "Billboard" reviewed the album commenting that ""Just Whitney" appears and sounds more like a work-in-progress than a finished disk". Steve Jones of "USA Today" graded the album fairly well, giving it two-and-half stars out of four, but stating, "At her best, Houston is full of sass and attitude and, most of all, joy. But with so much emphasis on what's bothering her, you can't help but wonder whether the thrill is gone." According to "The Guardian", the album takes "a musical step backwards".