"Exhale (Shoop Shoop)" received mostly positive reviews from music critics; most of which were positive about Houston's 'soulful' performance and vocal maturity.
Larry Flick of
Billboard magazine called it "a surprisingly understated shuffle-ballad with soul and far more interesting vocal colors than all the shrieking can provide." However, Patricia Smith of
The Boston Globe wrote that the "Shoop Shoop"s were "annoying". Anthony Violenti of
The Buffalo News gave the song a positive review, commenting that Houston's vocals were intoxicating. Steve Baltin from
Cash Box said it "has SMASH written all over it." He added that the song "has a soothing, gentle feel refreshingly free of Houston’s normal vocal melodramatics."
James Masterton for
Dotmusic deemed it as "a gorgeous piece of very, very hardcore soul with Whitney adopting a breathy, understated vocal style." Mike Wood from
Idolator described it as a "slow-jamming gem", noting "the soothing lyrics about learning how to let go and move on: “Sometimes you laugh, sometimes you cry / Life never tells us the whens or whys.” If only we all could keep that calm in light of life's calamities." Jean Rosenbluth of
Los Angeles Times praised the song, saying "Houston's elegant 'Exhale (Shoop Shoop)' [...] exude[s] maturity without resorting to the relentlessly big vocals that characterize so many R&B records aiming for adult audiences."
Robert Hilburn, pop music critic of
Los Angeles Times, noted Babyface's achievement in the song, saying "he [Babyface] brings Houston down to earth, trading her normal vocal exuberance for convincing warmth." Pan-European magazine
Music & Media stated that it is "fitting Houston like a glove". Alan Jones from
Music Week commented that it "is one of her more insidious, gradually getting under your skin. It's a very low-key affair, with Babyface keeping Whitney's "why sing one note when you can sing 10?" and delivering a charming, sweet and effective ballad destined for a long and high chart career." Steve Knopper of
Newsday said that the song was "irresistibly catchy" and irritating at the same time.
Rome News-Tribune noted that "Exhale' has an easygoing, infectious charm", and that Houston "delivers a soulfully relaxed vocal."
Geoffrey Himes of
The Washington Post wrote, "Sounding like someone who has just emptied her lungs after holding her breath a long time, Houston brings a surprisingly mature, world-weary tone to the song." "Exhale (Shoop Shoop)" was voted number twenty-three on
The Village Voices 1996
Pazz & Jop critics' poll, tied with five other songs,
Eels' "
Novocaine for the Soul",
Everything but the Girl's "
Missing",
Garbage's "
Only Happy When It Rains",
Rage Against the Machine's "
Bulls on Parade", and
Underworld's "
Born Slippy". In 2020,
Glamour ranked the song number 30 on their list of "53 Best '90s Songs That Are All That and a Bag of Chips". It was placed in
The Telegraph "50 Best Pop Songs Written for Movies" list. In 2024,
Billboard ranked the song 73rd place in its list of the 75 "Top Movie Songs of All Time". == Awards and nominations ==