 Upon its release , " Fantasy " garnered mostly positive reviews from contemporary music critics . Bill Lamb from About.com was very positive on the song , calling it " truly inspiring " and a " career high water mark " for Carey . Stephen Thomas Erlewine from Allmusic also praised the song , saying " Carey continues to perfect her craft and that she has earned her status as an R & B / pop diva . " Stephen Holden from The New York Times gave the song praise , writing " with ' Fantasy , ' Ms. Carey glides confidently into the territory where gospel @-@ flavored pop @-@ soul meets light hip @-@ hop and recorded some of the most gorgeously spun choral music to be found on a contemporary album . " Additionally , he claimed " Fantasy " held some of the album 's best moments , writing " she continues to make pop music as deliciously enticing as the best moments of " Fantasy . " Slant Magazine ranked the song at number sixty on their " Best Singles of the ' 90s " list , writing it is " escapism perfected , [ a ] summer bubblegum gem with a sweet , flawless vocal line driven by a diva in her prime . " 
