The album received a mixed reviews from critics, many of whom praised Tamia's vocal talents and the range of tracks but found the material too generic and uneven.

[3] Rhone, who had been instrumental in Tamia's transition from Qwest to Elektra in the late-1990s, had served as the executive producer on More and previous album A Nu Day (2000) and worked closely with the singer.

[9][10] An intimate process, the pair met on a daily basis in an Orlando recording studio to write and produce new songs "from scratch.

"[11] During their sessions, Rodney "Darkchild" Jerkins called Tamia after he had heard that she was in the studio, and convinced her to record additional material with him in Atlantic City.

Allmusic wrote that "with production help from Shep Crawford and Rodney Jerkins, Between Friends offers up a range of tracks, including bouncy club numbers, sensual love songs, and mainstream pop and R&B.

But while the music sounds great, it is Tamia's instrument that takes center stage throughout," adding that the album "is packed to the gills with displays of the artist's spectacular, elastic vocal talent.