[citation needed] The album was ranked sixth for its year inside The Village Voice Pazz and Jop Poll.

[5] In 2014, Rolling Stone named Whip-Smart the 18th greatest album of its year – considered by the magazine the peak of mainstream alternative rock.

[10] In fact, a substantial number of tracks on the final album (namely, "Chopsticks," "Shane," "Go West," "Whip-Smart," and parts of "Jealousy", previously known as "Thrax") were songs already written in 1991, when Phair recorded under the Girly-Sound moniker.

Phair wanted to move recording to New York City, but due to financial constraints, the band ended up continuing with Compass Point Studios in Nassau, Bahamas instead.

There was, however, pressure to improve on the sound of the previous record, to meet the expectations of Phair's newly formed fanbase.

Liz Phair has described Whip-Smart as a chronicle of the beginning, middle and end of a relationship: "a rock fairy tale, from meeting the guy, falling for him, getting him and not getting him, going through the disillusionment period, saying 'Fuck it,' and leaving, coming back to it."

Her keenly awaited follow-up to last year's college crowd essential Exile In Guyville packs all of that album's rough-hewn charms into a more pulled together package that exudes new confidence, yet still oozes a basement - session bent and those sharp talking edges.

"[21] Cashbox awarded the album their 'Pick of the Week' with the reviewer commenting that "this must have been how people 20 years ago felt listening to Bruce Springsteen’s early works.

It’s not so much how great Liz Phair is now, as the awesome idea of how brilliant she’s likely to become... Whip-Smart is, quite simply, a stunning work from an artist that should have all music lovers in ecstasy at her arrival on the scene.

[3] The lead single "Supernova" received somewhat heavy rotation on radio stations and the music video was aired on MTV.

"[9] According to a Billboard article, Whip-Smart has sold 412,000 copies in the US based on SoundScan sales, and is certified gold by the RIAA.