In Square Circle

Did You Know?

• Go Home was performed during the 1986 Grammy Awards ceremony as part of a synthesizer jam with Thomas Dolby, Herbie Hancock, and Howard Jones.
• Go Home and Overjoyed were performed on the May 7, 1983, episode of Saturday Night Live, which Wonder hosted.

Critical reception

Jon Pareles of Rolling Stone wrote that Wonder seems immune to posturing self-importance and that his unforced optimism and audio perfectionism make the listener happy repeatedly, calling him as irresistible as ever on In Square Circle. Robert Christgau of the Village Voice gave the album a B+, noting that while it is hard to specify what is missing compared to earlier works like Talking Book or Hotter Than July, the album feels cushy as polyrhythmic pop rather than polyrhythmic rock; he added that Wonder's effervescence remains a pleasure but nothing rises far enough out of the stew. Ron Wynn of AllMusic rated it 3 out of 5 stars, stating that although it went platinum, the response to In Square Circle exemplifies the cyclical nature of pop experience; he considered songs like Overjoyed and I Love You Too Much superior to the hit single Part-Time Lover, which nonetheless became the album's definitive tune. RJ Smith of Spin described the album as a pleasant muttering packaged as a Major Statement, questioning where the energy and comedy of Wonder's stage presence had gone. Stephen Holden of the New York Times declared the album chock full of surging chromatic melodies, powerful dance rhythms, and churning synthesized instrumentation, calling it classic Stevie Wonder that combines primitivism with lofty spiritual and artistic aspiration; he found it more concise and less experimental than Songs in the Key of Life and Journey Through the Secret Life of Plants, and more consistently melodic and danceable than Hotter Than July. Wonder won a Grammy for the album in the category of Best Male R&B Vocal Performance.