The vast majority of contemporary reviews were positive. Critics at "The New York Times" overwhelmingly praised the album: Peter Watrous felt it stayed honest to her "country, working-class constituency" and Greg Kot praised its "contemporary snap", while Joe Nick Patoski hailed "Amor Prohibido" as a "watershed" recording from a supergroup at the top of its game. Others, such as AllMusic's Stephen Thomas Erlewine and James Perone, panned the album initially before coming to view "Amor Prohibido" positively. Perone felt the album sounded dated, despite providing ample evidence of the singer's appeal, whereas Erlewine characterized "Amor Prohibido" as "slightly uneven" and praised Selena's success at recording the weaker material. Erlewine would later describe "Amor Prohibido" as Selena's strongest album, and an effective introduction to her work that highlighted her successful interpretation of the Tejano sound.