Irresistible (Jessica Simpson Song) - Critical Reception

Critical Reception

"Irresistible" was received with mostly negative reviews by music critics. Although a few critics called the song a "peppy" number, others commented that they did not like the song, and criticized the sexuality of its lyrics and the over-usage of digital sound manipulators. Stephen Thomas Erlewine of Allmusic stated that the song and "A Little Bit", the second single released from the parent album, were a "double-punch" and picked the former song as a standout from the album. Cashbox Canada, ranking the song at number ten on "Top 10 Love Songs: The Crush", praised it as "an ode to love at step one". Similarly, Chuck Taylor of Billboard reviewed "Irresistible" favorably, calling it "a sexy, uptempo romp about new found love that proves Simpson's pop intuition." In another review, Taylor complimented the contemporary appeal of the track and felt that it would be a staple at radios. He also noticed that the breakdown and spoken passages of the song gave it a "street edge", something not previously heard from Simpson. Teresa Gubbins of The Dallas Morning News had mixed feelings towards the song in her review, writing that its sound might help Simpson get attention on urban radios, but did nothing to demonstrate her voice. Larry Printz of The Morning Call also expressed a similar view of the song, stating that the song "is loaded with platitudes, but easy on the ears."

However, Siobhan Grogan of NME magazine stated "to the delight of lonely men everywhere, she tells us she's 'weak with desire' and knows 'I'm meant to say no'—and the mind boggles at how she'd have turned out if she'd spent her teens glugging cider on a street corner." Chuck Campbell of Daily News viewed the song as "gurgling" and noted that Simpson was singing it breathlessly. An editor of The Advocate remarked that the track sounded more manufactured than composed. Craig Seymour of The Buffalo News wrote that he felt "Irresistible" was a "limp seduction tune". Similarly, David Browne of Entertainment Weekly wrote that the single could have been easily reprocessed for a "new virginity ad campaign." The Northern Echo's Hayley Gyllenspetz dismissed the song, elaborating that it sounded similar to the works of Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera. She added, "If only this 21- year-old songbird had done something original she may indeed have been irresistible." An editor of The Malay Mail echoed Gyllenspetz's comment, writing that the track sounded like a typical Aguilera pop-Latino piece. In 2003, "Irresistible" won a Broadcast Music Incorporated (BMI) "Pop Music Award".