 " We Belong Together " became a " career re @-@ defining " song for Carey , at a point when many critics had considered her career over . Unlike most of Carey 's recent singles at that time , " We Belong Together " received generally positive reviews from critics , most of whom hailed the song as her " return to form " , following reviews for Charmbracelet ( 2002 ) , that suggested Carey had lost her signature vocal range and power . Sal Cinquemani of Slant Magazine wrote " the ... diva [ keeps ] cool with breathy , rapid @-@ fire verses until the final full strong @-@ voiced climax that ... proves that ' The Voice ' has indeed returned . " Additionally , he said that " The song is as ' innovative ' as Mariah has been in years . " Other critics commended Carey on her novel singing style which , according to Kelefa Sanneh of The New York Times , gave the song its propulsion , writing " This style is part of the reason why she has been able to turn a ballad into a summer smash . ' We Belong Together ' doesn 't have a guest rapper , or a hard @-@ hitting beat , but Ms. Carey 's tricky vocal lines give the song more propulsion than you 'd expect , with tightly coiled counter @-@ rhythms that tug against the beat . " Johnny Loftus from Metro Times called it a " summer hit " and wrote " We all know it ’ s the intangibles that make a summer single anyway , those untraceable currents that grab the heart and feet , and despite not being an anthem , ' We Belong Together ' is that rousing . " 
