"[3] The album was preceded by lead single "I Ain't Hearin' U," an uptempo song about gossip and innuendo that Stone co-wrote with longtime collaborator Juanita Wynn.

[12] In his review for Clash, Kevin Angel declared the album Stone's "strongest to date, as she delivers an LP that effortlessly combines the finest elements of neo soul with old-skool R&B.

"[8] Chris Roberts from BBC Music called the album "a likeable blend of soul and funk with judicious little dashes of rap," adding: "It’s a neo-soul record.

"[13] AllMusic editor Thom Jurek found that with Unexpected Stone "delves deeper into funk and hip-hop than on her previous outings [...] These dozen tracks continue to reveal her versatility as a vocalist and recording artist; she can sing whatever it is she wants to with equal verve, authenticity, and flair.

"[7] Tyler Lewis from PopMatters noted that "it’s another great Angie Stone record that gives you plenty to savor [...] She is singular in her ability to be among the most stylistically diverse contemporary artists of our time, without being flashy about it.

"[11] The Boston Globe journalist Siddhartha Mitter wrote that Unexpected offers "more musical variety than previous discs," adding that "Stone needn’t fret about keeping up with the Beyoncés; her church-infused, middle-class songs carry a proud legacy, and when she decries her 'haters', it rings false."

"[14] Critical with its misleading title, Simon Vozick-Levinson from Entertainment Weekly noted that "for the most part, Unexpected is one tasteful midtempo jam after another, with Stone’s honey-sweet harmonies unfolding over easygoing throwback vibes.

[16] A major drop from her previous effort The Art of Love & War (2007), which had opened at number 11 on the Billboard 200, the album marked her lowest-charting entry yet.