The singer declared she "approached [the songs] from a serious place" and recorded the album "for myself and for other people who love her [Newton-John]", whom she considers a personal musical idol since childhood.

Hatfield stayed closer to the original recordings in most songs, since she didn't want to disrespect them and "there was no need for mess up too much", but sometimes took some liberties to adapt them to her own style, most notably on "Totally Hot", "Dancin' 'Round and 'Round", and "Make a Move on Me".

He also praised Hatfield's musical skills, stating that she "is a sharp record-maker, understanding when to let harmonies pile up and when to let analog keyboards set the tone, a gift that turns [the album] into a sumptuous aural pleasure.

"[9] Ian Rushbury from Under the Radar rated the album 7 out of 10, calling Juliana Hatfield Sings Olivia Newton-John a "great piece of work" and "a really strong collection of songs that just happen to come from an unlikely source.

"[10] Ross Horton of The Line of Best Fit wrote that "Hatfield shows such a love for the source material on what is essentially a tribute/covers album that the songs seem like they were written for her.

"[12] Newsday's Glenn Gamboa described the album as "a match made in female-rocker heaven", which "serves as a reminder of the barriers the Aussie singer broke through in the ’70s.

"[13] The Spill Magazine writer Aaron Badgley opined that "the album would have benefited from Hatfield putting her own distinct spin on some of the songs" but it is, "overall, a sincere tribute from one artist to another.