Allmusic editor Leo Stanleyndi found that Back to the World "is proof positive that the teen idol is now a man [...] For the most part, he succeeds in establishing himself as a vocalist of prodigious talents and significant worth [..] No matter how Campbell tries to phase out that sweetness on Back to the World, he retains that appealing quality, which makes the album all the more endearing."[2]
Commercial performance[]
Back to the World was a commercial disappointment, only reaching Gold status compared to his first two albums T.E.V.I.N. (Platinum) and I'm Ready (Double Platinum). Three singles were released off the album: "Back to the World", "I Got It Bad" and "Could You Learn to Love".