Critical reception
What kind of reviews did the song I Won't Give Up mostly receive?
I Won't Give Up
The song received generally favorable reviews. David Greenwald of MTV wrote, "The fresh track's wispy acoustic guitars and patient melody remind us of Irish crooner Damien Rice's 'Delicate,' though when Mraz soars into the chorus, it's with his own signature full-blast hook." Loh Chuan Junn of MSN Music wrote that "The string-drenched, acoustic-guitar-based sound makes for easy listening, and gets into the listener's head after just the first listen. With such an honest revelation of emotions in his lyrics, it's hard to imagine the tune does not stir hearts." According to Katherine St Asaph of PopDust, the song was probably the closest to his and Colbie Caillat collaboration “Lucky.” She added that it was "a gentle acoustic ballad with a hint of speak-singing a ways in but otherwise straightforward and straight-faced soft-rocks its way through sentiments like “when I look into your eyes, it’s like watching the night sky or a beautiful sunrise–there’s just so much they hold”–still earnest, but joke-free." Amy Dawson of Metro UK called it "a delicate, countrified guitar ballad that drives into a power-chorus singalong conclusion." Colin McGuire of PopMatters was mixed in his review, writing that "'I Won’t Give Up', for instance, is acoustic guitar-laden folky pop that falls at least a little bit flat with its predictably bland approach. While the song’s hook proves itself memorable enough, the track never graduates into anything other than the ballad-like tediousness the singer has a tendency to revert into."