Billy Dukes of Taste of Country gave the album four stars out of five, saying that it was true that Changed is the most country project they’ve released in 10 years, and there are some new approaches on tracks like "Sunrise" and "Let It Hurt," on which he notes, "The second verse of this dark, brooding ballad is brilliant, and LeVox goes somewhere deep to bring it to life." Matt Bjorke of Roughstock gave it four stars out of five, saying, "Changed represents the continuation of a new chapter for the trio in their career and while the songs on the album don't represent the "change" some critics and some fans may have hoped for, what they have done is provide their loyal set of fans and other country fans a strong, consistent album of radio-ready material and something that can compete with the bands chompin' at their feet to take their place as the #1 band in country music."" Jessica Nicholson of Country Weekly gave the release three-and-a-half stars out of five, saying that "the album lacks some of the energy and freshness of 2010’s Nothing Like This, but introspective tunes such as “A Little Home,” “Sunrise" and “Come Wake Me Up” add even more depth to the trio’s sound." Allmusic's Stephen Thomas Erlewine gave the album three out of five stars, saying the album "errs on the side of caution" and "toned down the brightness" from their prior release, but praised the consistency of the songs and the "cool assured adult contemporary pulse of "Hot in Here."" Michael McCall of the Associated Press gave the album a positive review, saying that they sound wiser and more grounded, balancing grown-up, light country-rockers with ballads grounded in real life and the album proves they have moved forward in the most important of ways — with their music. Grace Duffy of the Under The Gun Review gave the album seven out of ten stars, saying that the album is an open and natural addition to Rascal Flatts’ repertoire. Meena Iyer of Musicperk gave the album eight-and-a-half out of ten stars, saying "the album is a mixture of soulful music which can melt your heart and few fun upbeat tracks to make you dance." Brian Mansfield of USA Today gave the album three out of five stars, saying "the trio has streamlined its mix of pop and country in 'Changed.'" Jon Caramanica of The New York Times gave the album a positive review, saying "on this album has largely taken to heart." Robert Silva of About.com gave the album three out of five stars, saying "the new record puts the trio in more rootsy territory than their previous effort, Nothing Like This."