 Brad Wete of Entertainment Weekly coined the song as "thumping" and said that "Brown and guest Justin Bieber trade verses assuring their ladies of their dedication." Joanne Dorken of MTV News UK said "It seems that everything Justin Bieber touches turns to gold at the moment and this cutesy ballad is no exception." Dorken complimented how well the song showed the blending of the pair's voices, and she commented, as "the most' pop'song on the LP, we are hoping Chris decides to make this a single ... a sure fire hit." Nadia Noir of WNOW-FM wrote, "What do you get when you combine two of pop's best-looking / greatest dancers, the sexy rasp of Justin Bieber, and a dance-jam / love-song? A combination of all the best elements of music!" Nick Levine of BBC Music said the track was part of Brown's identity crisis on the album, as "Next to You" was just two tracks after the "grisly sex jam" of "Wet the Bed" featuring Ludacris. Levine called the collaboration a "wholesome-as-homemade-chutney hook-up." While complementing that the album had "something for everyone", Jody Rosen of Rolling Stone called "Next to You" a "puppy-love declaration." Bri LaPelusa called the song a "dreamy ballad" and said it melted Brown and Bieber's "angelic" voices. She went on to add that "Next to You" "might be affirmation that Chris Brown is once again an accepted celebrity."
