Upon its release, the album received generally favorable reviews from music critics, many noting that the album showed more confidence while slower tracks helped showcase JoJo's "superb vocal abilities". "The High Road" debuted at number three on the "Billboard" 200 with 108,000 copies sold in its first week. It also peaked at number 12 on the Canadian Albums Chart and at number 24 on the UK Albums Chart. The album received gold certifications in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom, and as of December 2018, it had sold three million copies worldwide.