Initial critical response to
Imperial Blaze was mixed. At
Metacritic, which assigns a
normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album has received an
average score of 44, based on seven reviews, indicating "mixed or average" reviews. Despite this, the album was nominated for
Best Reggae Album at the
52nd Annual Grammy Awards.
USA Today editor Steve Jones found that Paul's "music's intensity is as hot as ever. [He] has lost none of his penchant for sexy club scorchers, and percussive first single "So Fine" sets the tone early on [...] He's also avoided trendy hip-hop and R&B producers, relying instead on up-and-coming Jamaican producers like Stephen "Di Genius" McGregor to maintain his edge. He smartly sticks to his roots, and shows no signs of flaming out."
Entertainment Weeklys Simon Vozick-Levinson found that "Paul's limitless energy carries him through these 20 tracks, helping him tap-dance over every flashy dancehall riddim that comes his way. The album sags toward the middle, but when he sticks to his strengths, Paul is arguably the ablest pop ambassador Jamaican music has ever had who isn't surnamed
Marley."
Now critic Jason Richards felt that
Imperial Blaze was picking up "exactly where
The Trinity left off: at the centre of the dance floor. [...] He delivers a new set of sleek mashup anthems about how you're "So Fine" he'd like to see you in your "Birthday Suit" so he can "Press It Up" at his "Private Party." Tim Sendra of
AllMusic gave the album three and a half out of five stars, praising the sound of the album. He found that "it may bode ill for the commercial prospects of the album, but it does mean that the people who do buy
Imperial Blaze will be purchasing a record that is very good, and more importantly, a great deal of fun from beginning to end." Jay Soul of
RapReviews gave the album a negative, stating: "It's almost like watching a heavyweight champion past his prime being forced to fight, when all he wants to do is quit the game and be a coach." Christian Hoard, writing for
Rolling Stone, gave the album a 2/5 rating, describing the album as "pale versions of past hits."
Slant Magazine critic Jesse Cataldo concluded: "Heard at a party or a club, his songs may have a certain offhand charm; in a row they form a bland marathon that's a challenge to take on," while Michael Miller from
PopMatters called
Imperial Blaze the "worst album of 2009". ==Critical reception==