3 Is Family

James Masterton described the song as "bright" and "an almost classic bit of summer pop" in his weekly UK chart commentary, noting that Dawson's voice sounded like Australian singer Kylie Minogue's.[3] A reviewer from Music & Media wrote, "Coming from First Avenue in Hitsville, UK again, a hit is born almost per definition. Positioning her, she's the missing link between production stable mates Eternal and Dina Carroll."[4] British magazine Music Week rated it four out of five, adding, "Yankee Dana is big in Europe, and must be fancied to make her UK breakthrough with this. The radio edit is concise and catchy, while mixes by T-Empo and Dancing Divaz have pushed it to the top of the club chart."[5] James Hamilton from the RM Dance Update declared it as a "Janet Jackson-ishly gurgled and cooed anxious jiggler".[6] Peter Larsen of Danish radio station VLR said of the song, "It's simply a great pop song, which fully serves its purpose to make the people feel happy," while Sandra Boussu of Belgian radio station Hit-FM 106.1 described it as "summery" and "cheerful".[2]

Despite becoming a European radio hit, ending 1995 as European Hit Radio's 36th-most-successful hit, the song appeared on the official singles charts of only a few countries.[7] On the Eurochart Hot 100, the single reached number 28.[8] In the United Kingdom, it debuted at number 19 on July 9, 1995, then peaked at number nine two weeks later, spending a total of eight weeks in the top 100.[9] On Music Week's RM Club Chart, it reached number one on June 17, 1995.[10] The song charted for a single week in Iceland, debuting and peaking at number 37 on the Íslenski Listinn Topp 40 on the issue of August 26, 1995.[11] "3 Is Family" spent 11 weeks on the German Singles Chart, climbing to number 59 on September 25.[12] The same month, it debuted at number five in Italy, its peak.[13] Outside Europe, the song managed to chart in Australia, where it peaked at number 54.[14]