 In 1999 "Spin" included the song on their Top 20 singles list and they felt that Aaliyah's vocals and timbalands production on the song was like "an R&B singin in the rain".Damien Scott from Complex felt that Are You That Somebody perfectly captured multiple traits found on Aaliyah's first two albums.According to Scott "Aaliyah's oeuvre was an exercise in self-awareness.