 The song garnered mainly positive reviews from critics . Craig Lytle of Allmusic noted that Houston 's voice " sailed " through the song . Christopher John Farley of TIME commented Houston " particularly held her own " , with a " masterly balance of pop , zip , and soulful melancholy " . Steve Knopper of Newsday wrote : " It 's lower @-@ key and the singer , who also stars in the film , doesn 't feel compelled to perform constant vocal feats . " A writer for Boston Herald noted that the song was " understated " . Similarly , Larry Flick of Billboard commented that the song should have been released as the follow @-@ up to " Exhale ( Shoop Shoop ) " . " Paired with Babyface , Houston is positively luminous on [ this ] heartbreak ballad , performing with a perfect blend of theatrical melodrama and guttural soul , " he added . Deborah Wilker of South Florida Sun @-@ Sentinel was mixed in her review commenting that the song was a " predictably histrionic follow @-@ up " to " Exhale ( Shoop Shoop ) " . But , Nick Krewen of The Spectator was even less enthusiastic , writing " [ ... ] the two guaranteed [ Whitney Houston ] hits – ' Exhale ( Shoop Shoop ) ' and ' Why Does It Hurt So Bad ' – don 't really offer anything new . " Similarly , Cary Darling of Rome News @-@ Tribune gave a negative review . She noted that " [ the ] ballad ' Why Does It Hurt So Bad ' is [ more ] standard Whitney @-@ fare " . 
 The song garnered mainly positive reviews from critics . Craig Lytle of Allmusic noted that Houston <a href='null_genetive' title='1'><mark>'s</mark></a>voice " sailed " through the song . Christopher John Farley of TIME commented Houston " particularly held her own " , with a " masterly balance of pop , zip , and soulful melancholy " . Steve Knopper of Newsday wrote : " It 's lower @-@ key and the singer , <a href='null_relcl' title='2'><mark>who</mark></a>also <a href='uninflect' title='3'><mark>stars</mark></a> in the film , doesn 't feel compelled to perform constant vocal feats . " A writer for Boston Herald noted that the song was " understated " . Similarly , Larry Flick of Billboard commented that the song should <a href='been_done' title='4'><mark>have</mark></a> been released as the follow @-@ up to " Exhale ( Shoop Shoop ) " . " Paired with Babyface , Houston is positively luminous on [ this ] heartbreak ballad , performing with a perfect blend of theatrical melodrama and guttural soul , " he added . Deborah Wilker of South Florida Sun @-@ Sentinel was mixed in her review commenting that the song was a " predictably histrionic follow @-@ up " to " Exhale ( Shoop Shoop ) " . But , Nick Krewen of The Spectator was even less enthusiastic , writing " [ ... ] the two guaranteed [ Whitney Houston ] <a href='uninflect' title='5'><mark>hits</mark></a> – ' Exhale ( Shoop Shoop ) ' and ' Why <a href='uninflect' title='6'><mark>Does</mark></a> It Hurt So Bad ' – don 't really offer anything new . " Similarly , Cary Darling of Rome News @-@ Tribune gave a negative review . She noted that " [ the ] ballad ' Why <a href='uninflect' title='7'><mark>Does</mark></a> It Hurt So Bad ' is [ more ] standard Whitney @-@ fare " . 
The song garnered mainly positive reviews from critics . Craig Lytle of Allmusic noted that Houston  voice " sailed " thru the song . Christopher John Farley of TIME commented Houston " particularly held her own " , with a " masterly balance of pop , zip , and soulful melancholy " . Steve Knopper of Newsday wrote : " It 's lower @-@ key and the singer , also star in the film , doesn 't feel compelled to perform constant vocal feats . " A writer for Boston Herald noted that da song was " understated " . Similarly , Larry Flick of Billboard commented dat the song should done been released as the follow @-@ up to " Exhale ( Shoop Shoop ) " . " Paired with Babyface , Houston is positively luminous on [ this ] heartbreak ballad , performing w/ a perfect blend of theatrical melodrama and guttural soul , " he added . Deborah Wilker of South Florida Sun @-@ Sentinel was mixed in her review commenting that the song was a " predictably histrionic follow @-@ up " to " Exhale ( Shoop Shoop ) " . But , Nick Krewen of The Spectator was even less enthusiastic , writing " [ ... ] tdatwo guaranteed [ Whitney Houston ] hit – ' Exhale ( Shoop Shoop ) ' and ' Why Do It Hurt So Bad ' – don 't really offer anything new . " Similarly , Cary Darling of Rome News @-@ Tribune gave a negative review . She noted that " [ thda ballad ' Why Do It Hurt soo Bad ' is [ more ] standard Whitney @-@ fare " .