[3] While The Philadelphia Inquirer's Dan DeLuca calls it a "rock-soul album",[4] The New York Times writer Touré says its "collection of seductive post-punk" evokes "the Pretenders, with lyrics about self-empowerment that harked back to the roaring female singer-songwriters of the 70's".
[8] On the chart dated May 4, 2002, the album recorded a 25 percent gain in sales in the United States, leading it to jump from number 170 to 119 on that week's Billboard 200.
Billboard named it "Critic's Choice" and noted how Res "effortlessly blends elements of rock, hip-hop, and R&B into a smoothed-out, soul-satisfying set".
"[12] Mark Anthony Neal, writing for PopMatters, applauded Santi White's lyrics concerning image and identity in the entertainment industry, particularly from the perspective of a black woman.
[13] Rolling Stone magazine's Tracy E. Hopkins ranked it fourth on her year-end list of top albums from 2001, making note of its mix of "new wave, alt rock, and a splash of reggae and hip-hop".
[15] AllMusic's Richie Unterberger deemed it "a competent and accomplished, and not great, crossover of soul, pop, rock, and some hip-hop-type beats", with production largely pop-based and lyrics somewhat different from typical R&B relationship songs.