Substantial portions of this album are also found on the soundtrack to the documentary “The Secret Life of Plants”
The documentary displayed multiple time-lapsed shots of plants accompanied by selections of this album.
When I’d get home from school, I’d pop this puppy on the stereo, slap on the headphones and just soak up the gorgeous melodies. This is one of my favourite Stevie albums, the one that made me feel like I was drowning in beauty. Escaping …
— Janet Jackson, Rolling Stone, 1993
I saw critics be so critical of Stevie Wonder when he made Journey through the Secret World of Plants. Stevie has done so many great songs, and for people to say, “You missed, don’t do that, go back"—well, I would never say, “Stevie Wonder, you missed.”
— Prince, Rolling Stone, 1985
“Secret Life” was an experimental project with me scoring and doing other things I like; challenging myself with all the things that entered my mind from the Venus' flytrap to Earth’s creation to coming back as a flower.
— To Billboard, 2004