Allmusic senior editor Stephen Thomas Erlewine found that "while the album is simply too long to sustain the quality" of their previous "singles "Can't You See" and "No One Else," most of the record is filled with deep, seductive funk that follows through on the group's promise."[1]Entertainment Weekly's Dimitri Ehrlich wrote that "with a buttery delivery and enough sass to kill an elephant, this trio of hip-hop/soul vixens gives TLC good cause to be frightened. Brimming with irresistibly funky loops and gritty grooves, the self-titled Total is a pleasure from start to finish. Rap assists from label mate The Notorious B.I.G. are the cherry on top."[2] Connie Johnson from The Los Angeles Times felt that "the three singers themselves generate little heat. The vocals on the best cuts, “Can't You See” and “Do You Think About Us?,” mostly evoke Faith Evans and T-Boz of TLC. Except for the lasciviousness of “Who Is This,” Total doesn't distinguish itself from other divas."[3]