[4] In its original review of the song in August 1980, Billboard described Cara's performance as "a sensitive vocal reading with only acoustical keyboard supporting her graceful voice", and noted it was certain to impact "pop and adult contemporary play".
[1] Upon the re-release of the soundtrack in 2003, Chuck Taylor of Billboard wrote that the song "remains as simplistic and memorable a statement of isolation as has ever been written".
[5] Dance Magazine wrote, "The lyrics to “Fame”, “Out Here on My Own" and “I Sing the Body Electric” became anthems for young performers following their passions".
[6] Comparing the 1980 film and 2009 remake, Today.com wrote that Naturi Naughton's version is a "gigantic and booming...anthem for careerist kids determined to bulldoze their way into a multi-platform revenue stream deal with ICM", while in the original film, "Cara sings the song, gets told how good she is, then dismisses the entire thing by calling it 'sentimental s---'".
[8] FilmSchoolRejects wrote "only one scene transcends the façade and evokes genuine feeling: Naughton’s terrific rendition of “Out Here on My Own,” which gets closer to evoking the emotions swelling in an artist struggling to find her place in the world than a thousand heavily choreographed hip-hop dance numbers ever could".