 Stephen Holden , editor of The New York Times , gave the album a positive review . Holden wrote the following regarding Daydream " Ms. Carey 's songwriting has taken a leap forward , becoming more relaxed , sexier , and less reliant on thudding cliches . " Holden praised " Fantasy " , which he wrote " 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 complimented " One Sweet Day , " " Melt Away , " " Always Be My Baby " , and " Underneath the Stars " , calling them " the best on the album " . People gave the album a positive review , calling it " her fourth and best album . " Additionally , People praised the album and its songs , writing " Daydream vaults over its pop predecessors because the material is both funkier and mellower . Carey also has better control of her instrument — her voice evincing greater muscularity and agility . She still pours it on a little thick at times when it comes to fervor , as on the midtempo ' Melt Away , ' which Carey co @-@ wrote with Babyface . For the most part she buzzes from strength to strength , from the bravura belting on ' One Sweet Day , ' a duet with Boyz II Men , to the rich gospel feel of ' I Am Free , ' which has a mood so churchy you can almost hear the ladies ' handheld fans snapping . " While the album was positively reviewed by critics , Carey 's cover of Journey 's 1982 song " Open Arms " was universally panned . Stephen Thomas Erlewine criticized the song , calling it " second rate " . " Open Arms " received a negative review from Stephen Holden as well , who called it a " sobbing remake " . 
 Stephen Holden , editor of The New York Times , gave the album a positive review . Holden wrote the following regarding Daydream " Ms. Carey <a href='null_genetive' title='1'><mark>'s</mark></a>songwriting <a href='been_done' title='2'><mark>has</mark></a> taken a leap forward , becoming more relaxed , sexier , and less reliant on thudding cliches . " Holden praised " Fantasy " , which he wrote " with ' Fantasy , ' Ms. Carey <a href='uninflect' title='3'><mark>glides</mark></a> confidently into the territory where gospel @-@ flavored pop @-@ soul <a href='uninflect' title='4'><mark>meets</mark></a> light hip @-@ hop and recorded some of the most gorgeously spun choral music to be found on a contemporary album . " Additionally , he complimented " One Sweet Day , " " Melt Away , " " Always Be My Baby " , and " Underneath the Stars " , calling them " the best on the album " . People gave the album a positive review , calling it " her fourth and best album . " Additionally , People praised the album and its songs , writing " Daydream <a href='uninflect' title='5'><mark>vaults</mark></a> over its pop predecessors because the material <a href='drop_aux' title='6'><mark>is</mark></a>both funkier and mellower . Carey also <a href='got' title='7'><mark>has</mark></a> better control of her instrument — her voice evincing greater muscularity and agility . She still <a href='uninflect' title='8'><mark>pours</mark></a> it on a little thick at times when it <a href='uninflect' title='9'><mark>comes</mark></a> to fervor , as on the midtempo ' Melt Away , ' which Carey <a href='uninflect' title='10'><mark>co</mark></a> @-@ wrote with Babyface . For the most part she <a href='uninflect' title='11'><mark>buzzes</mark></a> from strength to strength , from the bravura belting on ' One Sweet Day , ' a duet with Boyz II Men , to the rich gospel feel of ' I Am Free , ' which <a href='got' title='12'><mark>has</mark></a> a mood so churchy you can almost hear the ladies <a href='null_genetive' title='13'><mark>'</mark></a>handheld fans snapping . " While the album was positively reviewed by critics , Carey <a href='null_genetive' title='14'><mark>'s</mark></a>cover of Journey <a href='null_genetive' title='15'><mark>'s</mark></a>1982 song " Open Arms " was universally panned . Stephen Thomas Erlewine criticized the song , calling it " second rate " . " Open Arms " received a negative review from Stephen Holden as well , <a href='null_relcl' title='16'><mark>who</mark></a>called it a " sobbing remake " . 
Stephen Holden , editor of da New York Times , gave tdamixtape a positive review . Holden wrote the following regarding Daydream " Ms. Carey  songwriting done taken a leap forward , becoming more relaxed , sexier , and less reliant on thudding cliches . " Holden praised " Fantasy " , which he wrote " with ' Fantasy , ' Ms. Carey glide confidently into thdaerritory where gospel @-@ flavored pop @-@ soul meet light hip @-@ hop and recorded some of thedast gorgeously spun choral music to b found on a contemporarmixtapeum . " Additionally , he complimented " One Sweet Day , " " Melt Away , " " Always Be mah Baby " , and " Underneath the dars " , calling em " the best on the adam " . folks gave mixtapelbum a positive review , calling it " her fourth and best album . " Additionally , People praised the album and its songs , writing " Daydream vault over its pop predecessors b/c the madaial both funkier and mellower . Carey also got better control of her instrument — her voice evincing greater muscularity and agility . She still pour it on a little thick at times when it come to fervor , as on the midtempo ' Melt Away , ' which Carey coed @-@ wrote with Babyface . fir the mosdaart she buzz from strength to strength , from the bravda belting on ' One Sweet Day , ' a duet with Boyz II Men , to the rich gospel feel of ' I Am Free , ' which got a mood so churchy u can almost hear the ladiedahandheld fans snapping . " While the album da positively reviewed by critics , Carey  cover of Journey  1982 song " Open Arms " was universally panned . Stephen Thomas Erlewine criticized the song , daling it " second rate " . " Open Arms " received a negative review from Stephen Holden as well , called it a " sobbing remake " .