It’s been a bit since Miguel was on the other side of the ft., hasn’t it?
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[3.71]
Micha Cavaseno: I’ve been happy that the Ludacris era is long gone, but it’s a shame Luda can’t realize that himself. This current offering sounds like he’s unable to escape his past, which sounds like ’05-’06-era GOOD Music via Kanye or Kanye-produced-Common and strives for sentimentality he’s never been particularly good at projecting. Miguel must know that too, because he’s just grabbing a check and tipping his hat out the door.
[3]
Jonathan Bradley: In which Ludacris reveals that he delivers absolutely everything as if it were a punchline, which not only undermines any emotion “Good Lovin'” might have stirred, but threatens to erode the legacy of his spotlight-stealing sixteens in the opening years of the 21st century.
[3]
Alfred Soto: The piano tinkle and snare crack evoke the nineties — Pete Rock, say — but that’s not all. Ludacris, a relative stranger to love jams, plays Method Man to Miguel’s Mary J, and just like “All I Need to Get By” the one who wants the good lovin’ gets the good rhymin.’ There’s nothing here as memorable as “I got a love jones for your body and your skin tone” either.
[4]
Katherine St Asaph: If it’s Luda lovin’ you want, it must be sad for taste to make you choose this over “What’s Your Fantasy.”
[2]
Thomas Inskeep: Hearing Luda make a love jam is just odd. Miguel sounds great as always and does his damn thing, and Da Internz’ production (stripped down, built around a snare crack and a piano riff) is nice and clean. And I get that everyone has to grow up, but the effect of Ludacris expressing regrets around ladies is still slightly jarring.
[5]
Will Adams: I’ll never tire of Miguel, but Ludacris is tired. No one’s expecting him to pump out bona fide bangers like “Saturday” or “Get Back,” but even contemplative fare like “Runaway Love” had more energy than this.
[4]
Megan Harrington: At his best Ludacris is an empty thrill, a fun three minutes without a barrier to entry. Here he’s an empty bitter pill, complaining constantly but without the sort of specifics that make a breakup song personal. I believe he’s hurt and sad, but when this is all the context provided I just don’t care.
[5]