"Honey" was acclaimed by music critics, who called Carey's musical transition "genuine". "Honey" was successful in the United States, becoming Carey's third single to debut atop the "Billboard" Hot 100, setting the record for most singles to debut at number one, a record she held for 23 years. It stayed at number one for three consecutive weeks. "Honey" also topped the charts in Canada, and reached the top-ten in Australia, New Zealand, Hungary, Poland, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom. The song was nominated in two categories at the 40th Annual Grammy Awards, for Best Female R&amp;B Vocal Performance and Best R&amp;B Song. Carey included the song in the setlist of various live shows and future tours, where she would sing both the original and remix versions.