Through The Rain - Critical Reception

Critical Reception

"Through the Rain" received generally positive reviews from music critics; many complimented Carey's restrained vocal performance, as well as the song's simple instrumental accompaniment, while others criticized it for being overly-dramatic. Jon Pareles of The New York Times described it as "inspirational", and felt that due to its vagueness, the song is would be applicable to all listeners, not just Carey. The Daily Union's David Germain commented how the song's simple musical arrangement and Carey's "restrained" vocal delivery aided it in becoming "modest and reserved". Writing for Billboard, Michael Paoletta chose "Through the Rain" as a top pick from the album, as did Allmusic's Stephen Thomas Erlewine. He described it as a song that was designed as "'Vision of Love' meets 'Hero'", and wrote, "Mariah is back in the adult contemporary camp, no longer trying to prove that she's real." Cara DiPasquale from the Chicago Tribune called it a "powerhouse ballad", while Entertainment Weekly's Tom Sinclair wrote "embellished with her trademark vocal pyrotechnics, it is one of those highly personal songs about finding your way out of an emotional wilderness, but it sinks in its own sodden sentimentality". Similarly, a writer from Newsday also described "Through the Rain" as a "powerhouse ballad", and felt it was reminiscent of Carey's previous single "One Sweet Day" (1995). Writing for the Los Angeles Times, Randy Lewis noted how the song was able to effectively take listeners right into Carey's personal struggles from the previous year. Tina Brown from Newsweek felt that while Carey's personal troubles may not have been fully solved, the song made her appear "strong and triumphant".