I Don't Want You Back

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[2]
Blender	[3]
Entertainment.ie	[4]
The Guardian	[5]
People	[6]
Q	[7]
Robert Christgau	[8]
Rolling Stone	[1]
Slant Magazine	[9]
USA Today	[10]

I Don't Want You Back received generally mixed reviews from music critics who found the production by-the-numbers and felt that his potty-mouth gimmick wore thin. Johnny Loftus of AllMusic found a lot of filler in the album but said that it is "still quite promising, especially with such a statement-making single."[2] Entertainment.ie was mixed about the album's tracks with their depiction of women, concluding that "Eamon certainly has plenty of attitude and his album is undeniably good fun. But he also has a bit of growing up to do."[4] Rob Kemp of Rolling Stone said he saw promise in Eamon through the album's competent R&B production and the track "I Love Them Ho's (Ho-Wop)," concluding that "you wonder if this modestly gifted kid has something special inside him that perhaps Kanye West or R. Kelly could coax out."[1]

Sal Cinquemani of Slant Magazine found Eamon's talent on the album limited, saying that the tracks that don't mix his dirty mouth with Motown and doo-wop melodies aren't "clever or well-constructed enough to transcend the misogyny and double-standards put on whorish display."[9] Despite praising Eamon's vocals, the album's beats and guest rap appearances, Caroline Sullivan of The Guardian found the swearing crooner gimmick throughout the album wearing thin before it even ended.[5] Robert Christgau graded the album as a "dud",[8] indicating "a bad record whose details rarely merit further thought."[11] Elysa Gardner of USA Today criticized the album for its lack of humor or irony throughout the tracklist, saying that "Eamon makes Eminem look like a standard-bearer for feminists."[10]

The album debuted at number seven on the Billboard 200 with first-week sales of 106,000 copies.[12] It dropped to number nine in its second week with sales dropping 31% to 73,000 copies.[13] It was certified Gold by the RIAA and sold 591,000 copies as of June 2006.[14]