[2] In February 2016, he covered the February/March 2016 edition of Complex magazine he mentioned the songs "Chainsaw" and "Don't Make Me Choose", and also revealed a surprising collaboration with Purity Ring’s Corin Roddick.

[6] During a radio interview with Carson Daly, Jonas noted that the album was supposed to be named Unhinged like the song on the record.

[7] Two songs of the record ("Don't Make Me Choose" and "Under You") were performed on several dates of his Nick Jonas: Live in Concert tour.

[9] On the evening of March 24, 2016, Jonas previewed four tracks from Last Year Was Complicated during a listening party, held for the press and television bookers.

[11][12] On April 24, 2016, Jonas performed the songs "Bacon", "Close" and "Voodoo" during his set at the New Orleans Jazz Fest.

Stephen Thomas Erlewine of AllMusic claimed that the album "feels assured in a way its eponymous 2014 predecessor did not," noting that "the entirety of 'Last Year Was Complicated' walks a fine line between immaculately produced pop confection and personal confession: it may not be heartbreaking but it feels as if it comes from the heart.

"[33] In his review for Entertainment Weekly, Nolan Feeney declared that it "grows into the neon pop-R&B sound of 2014’s Nick Jonas while adopting a show-don’t-tell approach to maturity on [its] songs.

"[35] Keith Harris wrote for Rolling Stone that Jonas is "personable and versatile" on the record, while praising his "supple falsetto" for "sounding wounded or seductive as required, allows him to stake out his own patch of territory on the border between pop and R&B.

"[39] Sam C. Mac of Slant Magazine noted that despite the break-up themes, "'Last Year Was Complicated' offers an even more vibrant collection of colorful, propulsive beats than 'Nick Jonas' did."

"[40] Harriet Gibsone of The Guardian highlighted that "There are many quirks to this glossy, compelling record, but [...] it’s not savvy or strange enough to stand out.