Total (Total album) explained

Total
Type:Album
Artist:Total
Cover:totaldebut.jpg
Border:yes
Genre:
Length:56:44
Producer:
Next Title:Kima, Keisha, and Pam
Next Year:1998

Total is the debut album by American female R&B trio Total. It was released by Bad Boy Records and Arista Records on January 30, 1996, in the United States. Chiefly produced by Bad Boy head Sean "Puffy" Combs, the album peaked at number 23 on the US Billboard 200 and reached the top five of the US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums. Total was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) and spawned the hit singles "Can't You See", "No One Else", "Kissin' You" and "Do You Think About Us"/"When Boy Meets Girl".

Critical reception

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." Entertainment Weeklys 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." 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."

Track listing

Sample credits

Credits

Charts

Year-end charts

Chart (1996)Position
US Billboard 200[1] 166
US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)[2] 27

Notes and References

  1. Top Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 1996. Billboard. October 2, 2020.
  2. Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums – Year-End 1996. Billboard. October 2, 2020.