[3] In the UK, McKee originally intended to follow-up her number one hit "Show Me Heaven" with "To Miss Someone", a track from her debut album.

"[4] Upon its release as a single in the UK, Stuart Bailie of New Musical Express considered "Breathe" to be "a more profound and anxious prospect" than its predecessor "Show Me Heaven" and "a wild description of lovers' empathy and personality transference".

"[5] In a review of Maria McKee, Steve Terrell of The Santa Fe New Mexican noted the song's melody and "American Indian-style beat" being reminiscent of Patti Smith's "Ain't It Strange".

He added, ""Breathe" [is] built on the tension among Thompson's patented dark modal guitar fills, Marotta's tom-tom rhythms and McKee's brooding vocals.

"[8] Holly Crenshaw of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution noted the "all-consuming intimacy" of the song, "heard in its quietly pulsing rhythm and painfully vulnerable lyrics".