Freudian

Freudian received widespread acclaim from critics upon release. In a positive review, Briana Younger of Pitchfork complimented the gospel elements of the album, stating: "There’s much here that blends well into this 1990s-obsessed era, but Caesar’s gospel background is his not-so-secret weapon. While he’s surely not the only contemporary R&B singer who grew up in the church, he doesn’t shy away from bringing the full range of his influences to his music. Caesar’s willingness to use all of the tools at his disposal—to explore his own id and superego right alongside love’s heaven and hell—elevates his craft." Kevin Ritchie of Now commented that Freudian is "not an album of sweeping gestures, but rather an ambling, pleasant account of a 20-something falling in and out of love. It’s full of small moments, nuance and detail." Ryan Patrick of Exclaim! praised the production and originality: "Freudian isn't about whatever's passing for the genre on streaming playlists, radio or video; it isn't even a throwback. It's a carefully created album rooted in classic gospel and R&B, and a revelation in a world of sludgy alt-R&B, an outlier among overtly soulless genre takes hailed as the next thing because no one knows any better." Exclaim! ranked the album at number 5 on their "Top 10 Soul and R&B Albums of 2017". The album was a shortlisted finalist for the 2018 Polaris Music Prize. Freudian debuted at number 25 on the Billboard 200. On September 1, 2017, Freudian entered the UK R&B Chart at number 15, while entering the UK Independent Chart at number 40.