Stephen Erlewine of Allmusic wrote that most Americans first learned about Selena because of her murder, and "Dreaming of You" was the first record of Selena's that they heard. He wrote: ""Dreaming of You" would have been a stronger album if she had lived, but it still stands as a powerful – and touching – testament to her talents." "Billboard" stated that Selena recorded songs that were "pop" and not "Tejano" music. "Vibe" editor Ed Morales called the album a "cumbia" and "Tex-Mex" (Tejano) album. James Hunter, also from "Vibe", believed it was hard to listen to the album because Selena's death was recent.