"Nothing" received mostly positive reviews from music critics, who praised it as "classic pop", and noted that it was possibly influenced by her brother Michael Jackson's recent death.

[1] Music supervisor Joel C. High, who recruited artists to appear on the film's soundtrack, commented "we were lucky to have Janet involved, especially at a time where she was going through a lot.

"[8] Co-producer Jermaine Dupri also spoke about the song, revealing "We had to do this record in like three days to get it into this movie – it was a last minute thing that her and Tyler [Perry] talked about."

Cristen Maher from AOL Music's The Boombox called the song "an uplifting ballad...about the ups and downs that occur when two people are in love.

Maher adds "Jackson — who is still coping with the loss of her brother Michael — drew inspiration from her grief for her theatrical performance...transferring her sorrow beautifully into a moving and deeply heartfelt ballad.

"[15][16] Idolator stated that the song "reminds us that, despite all the overproduction and sexed-up whispering on her last few singles, Janet can actually still deliver solid vocals—something that was hardly apparent on “We Are The World 25".

It's no stretch to think that Jackson, who's known for having a particularly strong work ethic and occasionally losing herself in creative projects during turbulent times, was channeling the fallout of her personal tragedy into her music.

[19] The video was directed by Tim Palen, photographer and co-President of Theatrical Marketing at Lions Gate Entertainment, the company that released Why Did I Get Married Too?.

AOL Music's The Boombox commented "the superstar’s newest video for ‘Nothing’ encompasses the message of the song, with a stark blackness acting as a backdrop to Jackson's emotional release.

"[15] Idolator called the video "heavy on the singing, light on the Nasty", noting the stripped down approach of the clip was "hardly a tour de force".

The song was performed after a video interlude displaying scenes from Jackson's various acting roles, including Poetic Justice, Why Did I Get Married Too?, and Good Times.

MuuMuse commented on the tour's performance, saying "Perched on top of a stool, Jackson delivered a 1-2-3 punch of some of her biggest ballads–including 'Again,' 'Let's Wait Awhile,' and her latest offering, 'Nothing'–as the crowd lovingly swayed and sang along.