Kyann-Sian Williams of NME called 22 a "nostalgia-loving [...] silky R&B revival record". She wrote that "heavily relying on the feel-good nature of classic '00s R&B, Craig David could have dangerously made a gimmicky throwback album. Yet, in a time when many UK R&B fans are crying out for great music and recognition, Craig David not only feeds that appetite but uses his platform to laud up some stars to watch too."[1] Kate French-Morris, writing for The Telegraph, remarked that the album "isn't addled by trends, unlike its 2018 predecessor, which caught David toying with autotune and EDM drops [...] A fresh generation of ears have given him a fairer hearing and comeback success. 22 is no Born to Do It, but it at least reminds us of that album's deserved prestige."[3]
22 debuted at number seven on the UK Albums Chart.[4] This marked David's sixth album to enter the top ten album.[4] Elsewhere in the UK, the album also debuted and peaked at number one on the Independent Albums Chart,[5] while also reaching number 2 on the UK Album Downloads,[6] and number 4 on both the Physical Albums,[7] and the Albums Sales Chart.[8]22 also debuted at number 25 on the Scottish Albums Chart.[9]