[8] John Bush from AllMusic felt that Elliott was "sounding more assured of her various strengths than at any time since her startling debut" and called "her best album so far."

He wrote that it's "a tribute to her incredible songwriting skills and Timbaland's continuing production excellence that she can have it any way she wants it and still come away with a full-length that hangs together brilliantly.

So Addictive "proclaims unto all the world that Missy (the singer-rapper-songwriter), along with Tim (the producer), is back on top, making the most sonically inventive, rhythmically explosive pop music around.

So Addictive is further evidence of Elliott's refusal to play male rappers at their own game and her desire to change the rules entirely.

Elliott's long-term producer Timbaland refuses to pad the album with filler, instead making every song count, from the driving hip-hop numbers to the languorous ballads.

[28] On July 18, 2001, the album was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for sales of over a million copies in the United States.