Critical Reception
"Don't Forget About Us" garnered generally positive reviews from music critics, though many compared it to, and felt it shared several similarities with Carey's previous single, "We Belong Together". Bill Lamb from About.com rated the song four out of five stars, who while noting the song's careful formula, complimented Carey's more mature and lower range vocals: "Mariah is clearly settling into a more mature style and lower range vocals than in her early career." Additionally, Lamb commented that although not as "strong" as "We Belong Together", the song was marginally better than another single from The Emancipation of Mimi, "Shake It Off". Billboard's Michael Paoletta drew heavy comparisons to "We Belong Together", noting the song's similar tempo, lyrical style, instrumentation and vocal stamp. He commented that although "Don't Forget About Us" was "satisfying" on its own, it suggested that Carey had hit a creative wall. Andre Meyer from CBC News described the song as "stronger" than anything Carey released from 2001–2005, and wrote " cops the jittery R&B vibe that made Destiny’s Child so potent." Reviewers from The New Yorker and Music Week were both taken aback by the single, calling it "beautiful" and "gentle", respectively. Todd Martens from the Los Angeles Times compared it heavily to Carey's 2008 single "Bye Bye", describing their piano melody as "a close match". In 2007, "Don't Forget About Us" was nominated for two Grammy Awards, in the "Best Female R&B Vocal Performance" and "Best R&B Song" categories, although not winning either.
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