[7] He added elements of hip hop to his sound on More Than Friends; "True Love Never Fails", a duet with Vanessa Bell Armstrong, incorporated gospel influences.

[12] The Washington Post opined that Butler "has all but abandoned whatever musical and vocal distinctiveness he once had in favor of his copycat commercial bent.

"[15] The Austin American-Statesman determined that the music "is upbeat and infectious with a backbeat that overpowers its occasional lapses into formulaic radio fare.

"[16] The Richmond Times-Dispatch called More Than Friends a "slickly produced album" that "moves toward the pop mainstream.

"[17] AllMusic wrote that the album "continued the de-emphasis on his guitar playing, and was his biggest, most lavishly produced set.