{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2025}} {{Infobox album | name = Total | type = [[Album]] | artist = [[Total (group)|Total]] | cover = totaldebut.jpg | border = yes | released = {{Start date|1996|2|13}}<ref>{{Cite web | title=Billboard 200™ | url=https://www.billboard.com/charts/billboard-200/1996-03-02/ | access-date=2025-08-29 | website=www.billboard.com}}</ref> | genre = * [[Contemporary R&B|R&B]] * [[hip-hop soul]] | length = 56:44 | label = {{hlist|[[Bad Boy Entertainment|Bad Boy]]|[[Arista Records|Arista]]}} | producer = * Rheji Burrell * [[Sean Combs|Sean "Puffy" Combs]] * [[Chad Elliott]] * [[Vince Herbert]] * [[Stevie J.]] * [[Rodney Jerkins]] * [[The Neptunes]] * [[Trackmasters|Poke]] * [[Raphael Saadiq]] * [[Rashad Smith (producer)|Rashad Smith]] * [[Chucky Thompson]] | prev_title = | prev_year = | next_title = [[Kima, Keisha, and Pam]] | next_year = 1998 | misc = {{Singles | name = Total | type = Studio | single1 = [[Can't You See (Total song)|Can't You See]] | single1date = March 27, 1995 | single2 = [[No One Else]] | single2date = November 28, 1995 | single3 = [[Kissin' You]] | single3date = April 15, 1996 | single4 = [[Do You Think About Us]] | single4date = October 7, 1996 }} }}
'''''Total''''' is the debut album by American female R&B trio [[Total (group)|Total]]. It was released by [[Bad Boy Records]] and [[Arista Records]] on February 13, 1996, in the United States. Chiefly produced by Bad Boy head [[Sean Combs|Sean "Puffy" Combs]], the album peaked at number 23 on the US [[Billboard 200|''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 (Total song)|Can't You See]]", "[[No One Else]]", "[[Kissin' You]]" and "[[Do You Think About Us]]"/"[[When Boy Meets Girl (Total song)|When Boy Meets Girl]]".
==Critical reception== {{Music ratings | rev1 = [[AllMusic]] | rev1Score = {{Rating|4|5}}<ref name="allmusic">{{AllMusic |class=album |id=mw0000177292|tab=review |label=Total (Total) |first= Stephen Thomas |last= Erlewine|accessdate=October 2, 2020}}</ref> | rev2 = ''[[Entertainment Weekly]]'' | rev2Score = A−<ref name="entertainmentweekly">{{cite magazine | last = Ehrlich | first = Dimitri | title = 'Total' Review | magazine = [[Entertainment Weekly]] | url = https://ew.com/article/1996/03/15/total/ | date = March 15, 1996 |accessdate=October 2, 2020}}</ref> | rev3 = ''[[Los Angeles Times]]'' | rev3Score = {{Rating|1|4}}<ref name="latimes">{{cite web| url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1996-03-16-ca-47548-story.html|title = Album Reviews : * Total, "Total," Bad Boy Entertainment/Arista|website=[[Los Angeles Times]]|last = Johnson|first = Connie|date=March 16, 1996|accessdate=October 2, 2020}}</ref> | rev4 = ''[[Muzik]]'' | rev4Score = {{Rating|3.5|5}}<ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Springer |first=Jacqueline |date=May 1996 |title=Total: ''Total'' |url=http://www.muzikmagazine.co.uk/issues/muzik012_may_1996.pdf |magazine=[[Muzik]] |issue=12 |page=106 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220403150554/http://www.muzikmagazine.co.uk/issues/muzik012_may_1996.pdf |archive-date=3 April 2022 |access-date=15 July 2022}}</ref> }} [[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."<ref name="allmusic"/> ''[[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 (group)|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."<ref name="entertainmentweekly"/> 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 [[Tionne Watkins|T-Boz]] of TLC. Except for the lasciviousness of 'Who Is This,' Total doesn't distinguish itself from other divas."<ref name="latimes"/>
==Track listing== {{Track listing | extra_column = Producer(s) | title1 = Intro | note1 = featuring [[Sean Combs|Puff Daddy]] | writer1 = | extra1 = [[Chad Elliott]] | length1 = 0:54 | title2 = Do You Know | writer2 = {{hlist|[[Terri & Monica|Terri Robinson]]|[[Sean Combs]]|[[Rashad Smith (producer)|Rashad Smith]]}} | extra2 = {{hlist|Combs|[[Rashad "Ringo" Smith]]}} | length2 = 3:23 | title3 = [[No One Else (Total song)|No One Else]] | note3 = featuring [[Da Brat]] | writer3 = {{hlist|Robinson|[[Da Brat|Shawntae Harris]]|[[Poke & Tone|Jean-Claude Olivier]]|Combs}} | extra3 = {{hlist|[[Poke & Tone|Poke]]|Combs}} | length3 = 4:28 | title4 = Whose Is It? | note4 = Interlude | writer4 = | extra4 = {{hlist|[[Stevie J]]|Elliott|Combs}} | length4 = 2:28 | title5 = [[Kissin' You]] | writer5 = {{hlist|Julian Jackson|[[Raphael Saadiq]]|Janice Johnson|Brian James}} | extra5 = Saadiq | length5 = 4:42 | title6 = [[Do You Think About Us]] | writer6 = {{hlist|Saadiq|Johnson}} | extra6 = Saadiq | length6 = 4:33 | title7 = Definition of a Bad Girl | note7 = Interlude | writer7 = | extra7 = {{hlist|Elliott|Combs}} | length7 = 1:10 | title8 = [[Can't You See (Total song)|Can't You See]] | note8 = featuring [[The Notorious B.I.G.]] | writer8 = {{hlist|Robinson|Mark South|Joe Howell|Combs|[[The Notorious B.I.G.|Christopher Wallace]]|Herb Middleton}} | extra8 = Combs | length8 = 4:41 | title9 = Someone Like You | writer9 = {{hlist|Robinson|[[Chucky Thompson]]|Combs|Rashad Smith}} | extra9 = {{hlist|Thompson|Combs|Smith}} | length9 = 4:35 | title10 = Tell Me | writer10 = {{hlist|[[Faith Evans]]|Keisha Spivey|[[Omar Epps]]|[[Vince Herbert]]|Rheji Burrell}} | extra10 = {{hlist|Herbert|Burrell}} | length10 = 4:37 | title11 = Love Is All We Need | writer11 = {{hlist|Robinson|Thompson|Combs}} | extra11 = {{hlist|Thompson|Combs}} | length11 = 4:00 | title12 = Don't Ever Change | writer12 = {{hlist|Robinson|Spivey|Thompson|Combs}} | extra12 = {{hlist|Thompson|Combs}} | length12 = 4:14 | title13 = Spend Some Time | writer13 = {{hlist|Robinson|[[Total (band)|Lee Drakeford]]|Evans|Olivier|Combs}} | extra13 = {{hlist|Poke|Combs}} | length13 = 4:18 | title14 = [[When Boy Meets Girl (Total song)|When Boy Meets Girl]] | writer14 = {{hlist|Tammy Lucas|[[Pharrell Williams]]|[[Chad Hugo]]|[[Quinnes Parker]]|[[Slim (singer)|Marvin Scandrick]]|Spivey|Pamela Long|[[Barry Gibb]]|[[Robin Gibb]]}} | extra14 = {{hlist|[[The Neptunes]]|Combs}} | length14 = 4:18 | title15 = No One Else (Puff Daddy Remix) | note15 = featuring [[Lil' Kim]], [[Foxy Brown (rapper)|Foxy Brown]] & Da Brat | writer15 = {{hlist|Robinson|[[Inga Marchand]]|Harris|Olivier|Combs}} | extra15 = {{hlist|[[Rodney Jerkins]]|Combs}} | length15 = 4:28 | total_length = 56:44 }}
'''Sample credits''' *"Do You Know" contains a sample from "Same Beat (Part 1)" as performed by [[Fred Wesley]] and [[The J.B.'s]]. *"No One Else" contains a sample from "South Bronx" as performed by [[KRS-1]]. *"Can't You See" contains elements from "The Payback" as performed by [[James Brown]]. *"Someone like You" contains a sample from "Save their Souls" as performed by [[Hamilton Bohannon]]. *"Tell Me" contains a sample from "Help Somebody Please" as performed by [[The O'Jays]]. *"Love Is All We Need" contains excerpts from "Atomic Dog" as performed by [[George Clinton (funk musician)|George Clinton]]. *"Don't Ever Change" samples "Computer Love" as performed by [[Zapp (band)|Zapp]]. *"Spend Some Time" contains a sample from "Love TKO" as performed by [[Teddy Pendergrass]]. *"When Boy Meets Girl" incorporates re-recorded portions of "Love You Inside Out" as written and performed by [[The Bee Gees]].
==Credits== {{col-begin}} {{col-2}} *Charles "Prince Charles" Alexander – Flute, Mixing *Eddie Alford – guitar *Bob Brockman – mixing *Gerry Brown – mixing *[[Sean "Puffy" Combs]] – executive producer, producer, remixing, Voices *Lane Craven – engineer *[[Da Brat]] – rap *Stephen Dent – engineer *[[Chad Elliott|Chad "Dr. Ceuss" Elliott]] – producer *Dan Evans – production coordination *Guzman (Constance Hansen and Russell Peacock) – Photography *[[Chad Hugo]] – producer *[[Stevie J]]. – producer *Julian Jackson – drums, engineer, keyboards, percussion, programming *Rodney Jerkins – remixing *D. Jones – vocals (Background) *Steve Jordan – producer *Paul Logus – engineer, mixing *Pam Long – Voices *Tammy Lucas – vocal producer *Keith M. – vocals (Background) {{col-2}}
*[[Tony Maserati]] – engineer, mixing *Keenya Mauldin – Hair Stylist *Alisha Melvin – Hair Stylist *Herb Middleton – keyboards *Nasheim Myrick – engineer *Axel Niehaus – engineer, mixing *[[Trackmasters|Jean Claude "Poke" Olivier]] – producer *Sybil Pennix – Assistant Producer, Stylist, Executive Producer *Herb Powers – Mastering *Terri Robinson – producer, vocals (Background) *[[Raphael Saadiq]] – guitar (Bass), Producer, Vocals (Background) *LaTrice Shaw – production coordination *Rashad Smith – producer *Eric Spearman – make-up *Kevin Thomas – engineer *Chucky Thompson – guitar, keyboards, producer *Total – vocals (Background) *Richard Travali – engineer *[[Pharrell Williams]] – producer *Doug Wilson – engineer {{col-end}}
==Charts== {{col-begin}} {{col-2}}
===Weekly charts=== {| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;" |- ! scope="col"| Chart (1996) ! scope="col"| Peak<br />position |- {{album chart|Canada|28|chartid=2925|rowheader=true|accessdate=October 2, 2020}} |- {{album chart|UK2|84|date=19960303|rowheader=true|accessdate=August 1, 2023}} |- {{album chart|UKR&B|12|date=19960225|rowheader=true|accessdate=August 1, 2023}} |- {{album chart|Billboard200|23|artist=Total|rowheader=true|accessdate=October 2, 2020}} |- {{album chart|BillboardRandBHipHop|4|artist=Total|rowheader=true|accessdate=October 2, 2020}} |} {{col-2}}
===Year-end charts=== {| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center" |- ! scope="col"| Chart (1996) ! scope="col"| Position |- ! scope="row"| US ''Billboard'' 200<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/charts/year-end/1996/top-billboard-200-albums|title=Top Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 1996|magazine=Billboard|accessdate=October 2, 2020}}</ref> | 166 |- ! scope="row"| US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (''Billboard'')<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/charts/year-end/1996/top-r-and-b-hip-hop-albums|title=Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums – Year-End 1996|magazine=Billboard|accessdate=October 2, 2020}}</ref> | 27 |} {{col-end}}
==Certifications== {{Certification Table Top}} {{Certification Table Entry|region=United States|type=album|artist=Total|title=Total|award=Platinum|relyear=1996|certyear=1999|accessdate=October 2, 2020|refname="UScert"}} {{Certification Table Bottom | nosales=true}}
==References== {{reflist}}
{{Total (group)}} {{Authority control}}
[[Category:Total (group) albums]] [[Category:1996 debut albums]] [[Category:Albums produced by Sean Combs]] [[Category:Albums produced by Rashad Smith]] [[Category:Albums produced by Rodney Jerkins]] [[Category:Albums produced by Raphael Saadiq]] [[Category:Albums produced by the Neptunes]] [[Category:Bad Boy Records albums]]