Homer's Barbershop Quartet praised the "four-part harmony of hilarity [that] gets a flawless mop top modeling", complimenting the references to pop culture icons as being "right on the money". TV DVD Reviews commented on how the episode "hit all the right notes", and was pleased with Harrison's cameo. Despite the episode being a "leftover from last season", "The Washington Post" still applauded the episode's humor, saying, "Who cares? It's funny." "The Courier-Mail" found "Homer's Barbershop Quartet" an entertaining episode. Asserting that the series hit its peak with season five episodes such as "Homer's Barbershop Quartet", the "Sunday Tasmanian" called the episode a "first-class
How Many Licks? Neptunes has additional vocals from American artists Kelis, Lil' Cease, and Snoop Dogg. "How Many Licks?" was praised by music critics after its release and in retrospective reviews; the Neptunes remix also received positive reviews. However, African-American studies professor Mark Anthony Neal criticized the song's treatment of black female sexuality. Commentators compared its content to Trinidadian-American rapper Nicki Minaj's 2014 single, "Anaconda". "How Many Licks?" peaked at number 75 on the "Billboard" Hot 100 chart and charted in several other countries, but was not as commercially successful as Lil' Kim's previous releases. The song's music video was directed by Francis