American radio trade magazine Billboard has nothing but praise for “Ordinary Day,” and says the song has all the right elements for a potential hit — not to mention a tempo that likens it to the ever-classic “Linger.”

Here’s their review from the May 19 print issue:

It’s been four years since ’90s modern rock darlings the Cranberries went on hiatus. It’s taken the years since for lead singer Dolores O’Riordan to record solo bow “Are You Listening?,” due May 15. Launch single “Ordinary Day” showcases a tempo closer to pop classic “Linger” than delectable screamer “Zombie,” with its hypnotic harmonies and steady acoustic instrumentation. The lyric (”Always be yourself along the way/Living through the spirit of your dreams”) is a guidebook for O’Riordan’s third daughter, Dakota. Adult top 40 has a prizewinner here: familiar voice, female-friendly message and opulent melody. An esteemed, handsome return. —Chuck Taylor

Billboard has also put out a moderately positive album review:

ARTIST: DOLORES O’RIORDAN
ALBUM: ARE YOU LISTENING? (Sanctuary Records)
Everyone else is doing it, so why can’t she? On the latest solo debut from a ’90s alt-rock singer, one-time Cranberry O’Riordan takes a pleasingly safe route, sticking to her playbook and ending up sounding, well, not much unlike she did with her old bunch. It’s hard to imagine anything else happening when you sound as singular as she does, though, and “Are You Listening?” rises and falls — about half of each — almost entirely on the lovely, lilting and occasionally sharp-toothed tones of O’Riordan’s voice. There are a few deviations: angry Dolores (”Loser,” where she tears into a pinhead ex) and nostalgically pensive Dolores (”When We Were Young”), all jousting with the aftermath of a breakup. Still, there are plenty of sweet moments, like “Apple of My Eye,” one of a number of cases in which more of the same is just fine.