the way and that he loves her. Spears considered it a "pure and delicate" song. "It's just one of those songs that pull you in. That's why I like it, and I like singing it as well", she continued. "I think they wrote it 'specially for me, because the lyrics of the song, if you really listen... they're more of what I can relate to, 'cause they're kind of young lyrics, I think. I don't think Shania would probably sing some of the words that I'm saying." Critical response "Don't Let Me Be the Last to Know" received mostly positive reviews from contemporary critics. Stephen Thomas Erlewine from AllMusic deemed it "sweetly sentimental" and akin to the other ballads on Oops!... I Did It Again, while a Rhapsody review considered them "perfectly constructed ballads". Stephanie McGrath of Jam! called the song "the best showcase of Spears' talents". A NME staff reviewer considered the track "absolutely frightening", with Tracy E. Hopkins of Barnes & Noble deeming "Don't Let Me Be the Last to Know" a "polished ballad", and praising Shania Twain for the songwriting. Billboard journalist Michael Paoletta noted that Spears may not have the vocal range of "colleagues Jessica Simpson and Christina Aguilera, but she does have an instantly recognizable style-and Oops!... indicates that she's developing a soulful edge and emotional depth that can't be conjured with a glass-shattering note", further commenting that this can be confirmed "on the hitworthy, Shania Twain-penned ballad 'Don't Let Me Be the Last to Know'". While reviewing 2011's Femme Fatale Tour, Jocelyn Vena of MTV considered the song, along with "Toxic", "old-school jams". Bustles Alex Kristelis highlighted its "epic" chorus while the staff from Entertainment Weekly called it "a pretty mid tempo melody", and placed it at number 84 on their ranking of Spears' songs. For Pink News Mayer Nissim, "it's not that Britney can’t do slow tracks, but her vocals don’t always have the energy to push them", citing "Don't Let Me Be the Last to Know" as an example. Nicholas Hautman, from Us Weekly, concluded that "Spears showcases her soulful, unwavering vocals on this well-executed ballad". "Don't Let Me Be the Last to Know" was nominated at Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards for "Favorite Song" in 2002. Commercial performance "Don't Let Me Be the Last to Know" was not commercially available in the United States, and was sent only to mainstream radio on