[6] However, the band later decided to push back the tour to accommodate the release of the Deluxe Edition of Golden and in order to prepare a better show.

[12] Eric Allen of American Songwriter told that with just "one listen to Golden [and it] immediately declares that Lady A has returned to form and isn't going anywhere in the imaginable future.

"[23] Glenn Gamboa of Newday graded the album a B, and found that the band is "picking approaches that suit the songs best, rather than what keeps all the talented folks occupied most.

"[17] Roughstock's Dan MacIntosh alluded to how "Golden may be better than all past Lady Antebellum efforts, but it’s by no means perfect".

"[19] David Burger of The Salt Lake Tribune graded the album a B−, and found that the release contains "both sweet, full-bodied songs that will sound great on the radio this summer, but also features a lot of filler.

"[25] At Toronto Star, Ben Rayner evoked that the release is "a touch less prissy and overdressed than the high-gloss wallpaper that has come before," which the band "occasionally takes a stab at rockin’ out in restrained fashion without embarrassing itself at all.

"[21] Billy Dukes of Taste of Country projected forward by stating that "there’s a new maturity on this record that, if allowed to progress, promises something even bigger with the next album.

"[20] At USA Today, Brian Mansfield affirmed that "a bittersweet edge makes even the liveliest songs more poignant.

"[22] However, Stephen Thomas Erlewine of Allmusic criticized the release as being "so cheerful" that it makes the album seem "a little churlish", and he felt the need "to complain that the songs here aren't grabbers: they're slow burns, designed to sink into the subconscious through repeated plays on radio, in-store sound systems, waiting rooms, and bumper music.

"[13] Yet, Erlewine noted "that's fine", and called the album a "professional product at its finest, meticulously assembled, polished until it gleams, designed to be nothing more than thoroughly agreeable.

[28] On November 20, 2013, the album was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for sales of over 500,000 copies in the US.