Quincy Domonic of The Ratings Game said that "Chris Brown will undeniably go down as one of the greatest entertainers to ever live" and that with the "timeless song" Brown "proves that, delivering an absolute jam that has him singing glowingly about trying to find his way to love over a vibrant instrumental." Music video Ken Hamm of SoulBounce described the song as "meaningful", saying that the song is a revival of Michael Jackson's music from the 1990s. Alex Zidel of HotNewHipHop said that the song is "lyrically deep and conscious, while musically has a worldwide and timeless sound", noticing that with "Back to Love", and his previous single " Undecided", Brown is successfully trying to bring himself close to his early R&B roots. Andy Kellman of AllMusic defined the song as a "career highlight". "Back to Love" received an excellent response from music critics. The song is about a man that wants to leave his past behind him, apologizing to his girlfriend, for mistreating her, needing to get back to love in the correct way, thanking her for helping him to open his eyes, promising to be a better man. The song is also bass-heavy while featuring extended guitar chords, riffs, and a woodwind synth that makes an appearance halfway through the track. The instrumentation is dominated by percussive elements, experimenting with different sounds and a slapping snare. Sonicly "Back to Love" is a midtempo love song that runs for three minutes and forty two seconds. The song was written by Chris Brown and Mark Pitts, and was produced by Cam Wallace.
Chris Brown teased the song, called "Back to Love" with a post on his Instagram account, while he was performing a choreography for it.