3 Words "3 Words" for the first time with will.i.am during her one-off special for ITV, "Cheryl Cole's Night In". A reporter of "The Daily Mail" said Cole "[performed in] a glamorous flowing Kate Bush-esque black gown a duet of her latest single '3 Words'." In January 2010, Cole flew to Germany to perform "3 Words" at the German award ceremony DLD Starnight, which took place at the Haus der Kunst in Munich. She also performed the song as part of a four-song set at BBC Radio 1's "Big Weekend" as well as performing at the De Grisogono jewellery dinner party at
3 Words Cheryl's personality is "absent from mid-paced fillers" and exclaimed that "even when "3 Words" gives you something to admire, the emotional temperature rarely nudges above frosty." "The Independent" further stated the album was "utterly bereft of imagination and risk, with tried and tested R&B producers [...] doing what they do as dispassionately as possible." Pierre Oitmann of Dutch news site Nu.nl pointed out "the album is mostly being characterised by strong A&R management; i.e. thoroughly sought together songs and consistent production values", before concluding "Cheryl's role is reduced almost entirely to 'hot chick' on the cover." Sample credits A digital