[7] Joji stated in an interview with Triple J how he wanted to take a more pop-oriented approach to his style on the album, which began with the single "Yeah Right".

[11] Alongside the announcement for Ballads 1, "Slow Dancing in the Dark" was released on 12 September 2018 as the album's second single.

It retains the tormented intimacy of his music while elevating his approach to a more radio-friendly consistency than the runny compositions of In Tongues", giving the album a 6.7/10.

"[22] Rap and R&B blogs, the two genres which are the primary demographic of Miller,[23] gave the project positive reviews.

Highsnobiety gave the project 3/5 stars, calling it a "near-classic" with "on-point production" and complimenting Miller's progression.

"[25] RIFF magazine complimented Miller's attempt to expand on his potential and spoke on its "array of soundscapes.