Alan Jones from "Music Week" deemed it an "insidious cool tempo Jam/Lewis track weaves an intricate melody, at once maddeningly commercial and yet unbelievably delicate." Glenn Gamboa of "Newsday" declared "After two straight smash albums and a dozen immediate hits, Jackson takes a left turn," ultimately "focusing on vibe and groove and making the most of her voice." Jan DeKnock from "Orlando Sentinel" labeled it an "appealing midtempo number" with Jackson's vocals performed in a "lilt" technique. Touré from "Rolling Stone" described the song as a "warm bed of soul sounds." The publication praised Jackson's approach to sexuality, writing "Jackson evades reductive sexuality by demanding love and respect from both her partner and herself. She wants you to touch her, and love's got to do with it because "that's the way love goes." Janet won't stand for a trade-off — she wants love "and" sex." "Vibe" called it "cool, sensual, simple." Richard Harrington from "The Washington Post" labeled it as "supple" and "sensual". An additional review stated "That's the Way Love Goes" and the "janet." album "shattered any illusions the public still held that Janet remained a little girl. Filled with sexual desires and adult fantasies, Janet broke boundaries but still managed to channel her desires into chart-topping hits."