"it seems to be a song that my fans really love too, so we are both on the same page. Me and my fans are insync." The release of "Overdose" still went ahead; its single cover was unveiled on September 18, 2013. "Overdose" officially impacted Urban radio stations in the US on September 18, 2013 and a month later, it impacted Rhythmic stations. Critical reception Ciara received generally positive reviews from critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received an average score of 72, based on 15 reviews. Writing for The Guardian, Alex Macpherson viewed the album as a high-quality addition to her already "formidable discography", particularly for its breadth. He also felt that the features from Nicki Minaj were welcome in a time where artists like Rihanna had maligned Ciara's previous work as commercial failures. Mikael Wood of the Los Angeles Times found "Keep on Lookin'" and "I'm Out" to be particular highlights, saying the rest of the album had a mellow sound compared to those tracks; he ultimately praised Ciara for not playing it safe, however, seeing her adventurous with both lyrics and production. Allmusic's Andy Kellman praised Ciara's use of producers and writers stating "the result isn't a muddled mess but another lean and focused set, despite the involvement of several writers and producers." Pitchfork Media's Tim Finney felt that Ciara improves the songs with her charisma and wrote that her "uncomplicated exhilaration raises the straightforward, 2013 carbon dated club-pop of 'Livin' It Up' and 'Overdose' from throwaway to highlight status, their obviousness transformed into a virtue through the singer's palpable enjoyment." In a mixed review, Evan Rytlewski of The A.V. Club found the album to be too dance and R&B-oriented and felt that it should have explored her "airy voice", as found on singles like "Body Party", that recaptured the zeitgeist of her earlier work. At USA Today, Steve Jones said that "bass-fueled club bangers and libido-driven ballads tend to hit their mark but ultimately, don't leave a lasting impression." The Boston Globes Ken Capobianco criticized the album for "missing a unique lyrical or musical vision", further elaborating, "we've heard these tropes before," and concluding their review that "now deep into her career, the real Ciara still proves elusive." Jon Carmanica of The New York Times found the production "vivid", but felt that Ciara's voice