hits from the early portion of her career, featuring a catchy chorus and one of her most tender vocal performances." It has a "relaxed pop" tempo of 80 beats per minute. The song features a "double voice" which is an effect Carey created in the studio, where her lower vocal notes are used as backup, and her higher chest notes are used as the song's main focal point. Carey's vocal range spans two octaves and one semitone from the low note of E3 to the high note of F5. Describing the track as "buoyant", Pitchfork's Jamieson Cox wrote that "there are moments ... where all you hear is Mariah singing over rock-solid piano chords," finding the arrangement and simplicity "almost surprising given her taste for the ostentatious." Jordan Runtagh, writing for People, described the song as "somewhere between a breezy love song and wistful breakup ode". The Daily Telegraph described the track as a love song whose "lyrics describe the sense of attachment Carey still feels towards her former lover". Its lyrics feature several ad libs, opening with "doo-doo-doo dow", which is also used throughout the song's chorus. Critical reception "Always Be My Baby" received acclaim from music critics. Larry Flick from Billboard described it as "a delightfully bright and funky finger-snapper". He added that "the pop princess reminds us that she has the loose-wristed soul to go with those deliciously soaring and dramatic high notes amid a sweet arrangement of easy acoustic guitars, rolling piano lines, and chipper jeep beats." Daina Darzin from Cash Box noted its "swoop of pure, airy harmonies and gently syncopated R&B rhythms". Ken Tucker from Entertainment Weekly complimented the song's "relaxed swing", and felt that its instrumentation helped make it a standout from the album. Alan Jones from Music Week stated that "it's a concise, fairly subdued and very catchy tune and a fine showcase for Carey, who resists the temptation to indulge too heavily in vocal gymnastics." Stephen Holden, editor of The New York Times, complimented "Always Be My Baby," calling it one of "the best on the album." At the 38th Grammy Awards the song received a nomination for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance. In 2017, Rolling Stone readers voted "Always Be My Baby" the fifth greatest song of Carey's career, while Entertainment Weekly ranked the song second in a similar poll, writing, "there’s no way we would ever try to shake