if T-Pain falls in a studio, will anyone be around to hear him?

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[4.70]

Leela Grace: Charming and dated: I’m in high school again listening to Jay Sean and Jason Derulo and thinking that for smooth talkers they have remarkably dumb excuses.  And Latimore isn’t any better.  “Had another lover but she just won’t do it”?  Swoon, I guess? 
[4]

Crystal Leww: Anyone who still doesn’t “get” autotune and T-Pain only needs to listen to his feature here. The way that he sings “Even with this auto-tuned you got me singing like ooohhhhhhh” is an aesthetic choice, a deeply affecting aesthetic choice. “Heartbreak Heard Around the World” feels expansive and great in the way that only teen romances can feel. I know why Jacob Latimore isn’t as famous or popular as Justin Bieber, but it’s bullshit. This kid should be a huge deal.
[9]

Micha Cavaseno: This song is composed of the ghosts of the plastic cage in the boxes that toy dolls are shipped in. It’s not fair to talk about the hollow qualities of the performers or the production — you could probably watch it crumble if you hit it at the right angle. But one point goes for T-Pain for embarrassing himself and everyone around with his rapping.
[1]

Thomas Inskeep: No, this won’t be the “heartbreak heard around the world” because not that many people are gonna hear this limp late-’00s R&B track. And here’s a tip, would-be teen dreams: in 2014, T-Pain is not the way to make your single sound super-current. Seven years ago, this would’ve been a huge 106th & Park smash.
[3]

David Sheffieck: T-Pain single-handedly almost manages to redeem this waste of a great emo title, his delivery of “And even with this autotune you got me singing like ooh” giving meaning to a line that’d already seemed overused. But this is a song where Latimore’s “Thinking like I’m losing my mind” is treated like profundity, and even a late-game injection of genuine emotion can only do so much to save it.
[6]

Alfred Soto: With acoustics, clip-clap percussion, and a keening melody, it evokes a Stargate production from 2006; with T-Pain’s name on the credits, it’s even easier to imagine. His bit sounds like a salvage job though. It’s pretty without justifying its existence.
[6]

Patrick St. Michel: This guy is so heartbroken he can’t even drive a car. Talk about an emo revival.
[4]

Katherine St Asaph: How about a little Jaysean Derulaz for old times’ sake?
[3]

Will Adams: “Heartbreak Heard Around the World” sounds timeless, not just because of its mid-aughts guitar-nB groove, but its exquisite pop songwriting:a hook-filled verse; accelerating beats for the chorus’ B-section to bolster the new musical information; the bridge that ramps up the drama by switching up the harmony; and a coda that half-quotes “Always Be My Baby,” all clocking in at a neat three minutes. The talent is there too: Jacob Latimore is a winsome vocalist, and T-Pain’s refined presence is a more than welcome surprise.
[9]

Brad Shoup: “Even with this Auto Tune, you got me singin’ like [melismatic run, the contours and angles of which can only be achieved by Auto Tune]”. T-Pain’s entertainability takes another step back with this anodyne relationship hostage note. I like how the bass negotiates its way to the chorus alongside Latimore, but it’s just about the only flourish here that doesn’t involve vocal processing. Latimore just can’t yet swear to God and make it sound threatening or pathetic. Hope it’ll come.
[2]