▁Need ▁a ▁Friend ", ▁the ▁album ' s ▁final ▁single , ▁experienced ▁success ▁on ▁the ▁charts , ▁becoming ▁Care y ' s ▁first ▁number - one ▁single ▁in ▁Finland ▁and ▁reaching ▁the ▁top - ten ▁in ▁many ▁countries , ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁pe aking ▁at ▁number ▁twelve ▁in ▁the ▁United ▁States . ▁It ▁became ▁the ▁second ▁single ▁in ▁Music ▁Box ▁to ▁perform ▁better ▁throughout ▁Europe ▁than ▁in ▁the ▁U . S . ▁ ▁Crit ical ▁reception ▁ ▁Music ▁Box ▁received ▁mixed ▁reviews ▁from ▁critics , ▁many ▁of ▁whom ▁found ▁the ▁performances ▁un in vol ved ▁and ▁de void ▁of ▁substantial ▁song writing . ▁In ▁Rol ling ▁Stone , ▁Stephen ▁Hold en ▁said ▁the ▁lyr ics ▁were ▁" made ▁up ▁entirely ▁of ▁pop ▁and ▁soul ▁cl ich és " ▁on ▁an ▁album ▁" so ▁precisely ▁calculated ▁to ▁be ▁a ▁block b uster ▁that ▁its ▁impact ▁is ▁ultimately ▁a ▁little ▁un ner ving ". ▁Christopher ▁John ▁Far ley ▁from ▁Time ▁called ▁it ▁" per fun ct ory ▁and ▁almost ▁passion less " ▁in ▁spite ▁of ▁highlight s ▁in ▁" Any time ▁You ▁Need ▁a ▁Friend " ▁and ▁the ▁title ▁track . ▁In ▁Entertainment ▁Week ly , ▁David ▁Brow ne ▁found ▁Care y ' s ▁performance ▁low ▁on ▁energy ▁and ▁her ▁voice ▁no ▁longer ▁so aring ▁above ▁the ▁backup ▁ch orus . ▁Instead , ▁he ▁wrote ▁in ▁Entertainment ▁Week ly , ▁she ▁" dri ps ▁over ▁them ▁like ▁sy rup ▁instead ▁of ▁over power ing ▁them ; ▁she ▁lets ▁the ▁mel od ies ▁speak ▁for ▁themselves