The Lady in My Life is a song written by Rod Temperton, produced by Quincy Jones and performed by American singer-songwriter Michael Jackson.
[3] In a 2016 retrospective for Billboard, writer Andrew Unterberger lauded the song [and other non-single "Baby Be Mine"] as "earn[ing] every bit of the real estate they command on the biggest nine-track album in history.
"[3] Speaking on "The Lady In My Life" particularly, he considered the song "substantial enough a work to be selected as the LP’s closer — [it] is one of Michael’s finest quiet-storm slow burns, an ode of romantic commitment that also gives subconscious closure to “She’s Out of My Life,” the heart-rending breakup ballad from previous album Off the Wall.
[4] On a Billboard 2022 ranked list of the entire album, the song placed sixth, with writer Chuck Arnold considering the record "seductive soul", before comparing its' quiet storm structure and "grown... slow-jamm[y]" vibe to fellow Motown vocalist Marvin Gaye.
[5] Music publication American Songwriter praised the simplicity of the song, arguing that it "stacks up against any ballad the former Motowner put out during his career.