the synthesizers that dominate the record." Critical reception "Dreamlover" earned widely positive reviews from music critics, many of whom praised its production, the sampling of the hook, and the vocals. In reference to the common criticism that Carey over-sings and over-uses her upper registers, Cummings wrote "truth is, she is never crass in the use of her amazing instrument. On 'Dreamlover', especially, she keeps a close, tasteful rein on the acrobatics." Ron Wynn from Allmusic called it personal and intense. He enjoyed Carey's more mature vocal style on the album, as well as the usage of the hook and the instrumentation. J. D. Considine from The Baltimore Sun called its melody "breezy", while The Buffalo Newss reviewer described it as "a sassy, pop rocker with a dance beat". Larry Flick from Billboard said it is "direct, unfussy, and profoundly pretty". He added, "The production is elegant but appealingly simplistic. Mariah's openhearted singing is up front, where it belongs, with a funky snare and kick-drum just a subtle half-step behind. The gliding, devotional pledge culminates in a lovely vocals-only tagline." Troy J. Augusto from Cashbox named it Pick of the Week, stating that Carey "tones down the vocal here, her seductive, captivating voice flowing smoothly and beautifully on this sprite, sparsely produced love song". David Browne from Entertainment Weekly felt the singer's soft singing and lack of volume was hurtful to the song, saying she "lost herself." He thought the hook was catchy, but overly familiar. In 2018, the magazine noted the track's "glorious, frolicking-in-cutoffs groove." Blogger Roger Friedman from Fox News named "Dreamlover" and "Vision of Love" Carey's best, calling them "the original hits." Dave Sholin from the Gavin Report said that the song is "a pop delight." In his weekly UK chart commentary, James Masterton noted, "This new track debuts strongly then, and being far more catchy and original than most Mariah Carey material may well breach the Top 10 at least." Alan Jones from Music Week gave it four out of five and named it Pick of the Week, deeming it as "an ultra-commercial, hook-laden and impeccably sung confection" that "starts with a supersonic screech and ends with an a capella tag." He added further, "In between, Carey exercises more restraint than usual in the vocal gymnastics department to great effect, proving that sometimes less is more." Jeff Silberman from The Network Forty described it as "a delicious