Have You Ever? - Critical Reception

Critical Reception

The song received generally mixed to positive reviews from music critics upon its release. In his single review for Billboard, journalist Chuck Taylor noted that it was hard "to imagine this single as anything but another jewel in the pop/R&B princess' crown." He called that the melody "instantly gratifying, with a harmony-soaked hook that's dedicted to memory after just a couple listens," and concluded that "Have You Ever?" was "a prime example of how, in the course of just a few short years, Brandy has proved to be one of the most versatile and promising stars on the fast real track to superstar royalty." Richard Harrington of The Spokesman-Review called the song a "luxurious inevitable Diane Warren-penned power ballad", which was "begging to be redone as a duet, perhaps with Usher?"

Generally critical with the Never Say Never album itself, Angela Lewis of The Independent found that Norwood's "voice is pure honey, but she lacks real command of tracks like "Have You Ever?", showing she's better at playing by the rules than anything else." Daryl Easlea of BBC Music wrote, that "working with session players the calibre of bassist Nathan East and David Foster on keyboards, Never Say Never was aimed at the widest audience possible. This was most evident on "Have You Ever?" Written by Dianne Warren, the ballad sounds a little too formulaic and off-the-peg, aimed for the summit of the hit parade.