[5] AllMusic gave the album 4 and half stars out of 5 and wrote, "If Showtime isn't the equal artistic success of Boy in da Corner, it's slightly superior, stunning for the facts that it arrives so swiftly after the debut and is far from a retread".

Scott Plagenhoef from Pitchfork felt that "The album naturally lacks the shock of the new, the jolt of Boy in Da Corner-- instead, it's a consolidation of his strengths, lyrically and sonically, and a more satisfying listen than its predecessor".

[16] The Guardian gave the album 4 out of 5 stars, saying "Beyond his trademark agitated yelp and panic-attack rhythms are all manner of surprising and compelling sonic twists".

[11][15] Alternative Press gave the album 5 out of 5 stars, writing that "It's the urgency of [Dizzee's] brash Brit patois that dares you not to decipher it".

Mojo gave a very favourable review to the album, saying that "What Dizzee Rascal has done with this record is find his own—profoundly satisfying—balance between grime's digital vortex of ringtones and car alarms and an older more contemplative electronic tradition".