"All About Me" originally featured rap verses by Dupri and Foxy Brown that were eventually removed to avoid a parental advisory designation.[6] Brown's voice can still be heard at the end of "All About Me (Intro)" and the beginning of "All About Me (Reprise)".
"Am I Dreaming" is a song by Ol' Skool featuring Keith Sweat and Xscape and was released on January 27, 1998. The song peaked at number five on the Hot R&B/Hip Hop Songs Chart.[16]
Traces of My Lipstick was met with mixed to positive reviews from critics. Billboard editor Paul Verna noted that Traces of My Lipstick was "full of tracks that listeners of all ages will be able to identify with. The quartet shows a phenomenal level of versatility on this project, which showcases not only the group's two strongest vocalists — sisters LaTocha and Tamika Scott – but also Kandi Burruss and Tameka "Tiny" Cottle."[20]Entertainment Weekly's Cheo Tyehimba found that with the album "Xscape have learned what every old bluesman already knows: Infidelity makes good grist for a torchy slice of soul music. Still, this is the '90s, so the girls croon lines like "Everyone Cheats" with pure nonchalance and save their tender, surrendering coos for ballads like "Am I Dreamin'"." He gave the album a B rating.[18]The Source remarked: "Like any good album, each song here is distinct from the next [...] Rich, throaty and clear, they're strong enough to carry a song with the most minimal of beats."[21]
Leo Stanley from Allmusic gave Traces of My Lipstick three stars out of five, stating: "On their third album, Traces of My Lipstick, Xscape pretty much follows the cue of their two earlier efforts, with only slightly diminished results. The group sounds as good as ever, bringing real soul and passion to their performances, but unfortunately much of their record consists of average, unremarkable material. There are enough strong songs (primarily the singles) to make the record enjoyable, but it simply doesn't have the same resonance as their two earlier efforts."[17] Hakeem Stevens, writing for XXL magazine, called the project a "disappointing album." He felt that "unfortunately, while the album boasts an illustrious fine up of super-producers and songwriters [...] Traces fails to come through with the goods," displaying "many generically-written (and produced) R&B-pop-radio-friendly joints." He concluded: "Xscape has talent — but here they've been boxed in by the constraints of formulaic songwriting and run-of-the-mill production."[19]
Commercial performance
Traces of My Lipstick debuted at number twenty-eight on the US Billboard 200 and number six on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart, lower than their two previous albums.[22][23] The album reached Gold status on June 30, 1998 and was eventually certified Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) on June 21, 1999, for shipments figures in excess of one million copies.[24]
↑ "American album certifications – Xscape". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved November 28, 2017. If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Album, then click SEARCH
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