The song was released on June 25, 2002, by Jive Records, as the sixth and final single from the album, exclusive to France.

It was met with critical praise, with reviewers complimenting its lyrics and comparing it to the 1980s compositions of Madonna, Rick Astley and Janet Jackson's "All for You".

An accompanying music video, directed by Marty Callner, consisted of the performance from Britney Spears Live from Las Vegas.

I Did It Again Tour (2000), Spears revealed she felt inspired by hip hop artists such as Jay-Z and the Neptunes and wanted to create a record with a funkier sound.

[7] Corey Moss of MTV noted the song also has a 1970s disco sound,[8] while Joan Anderman of The Boston Globe compared it to early Madonna tracks such as "Holiday" (1983).

[9] Glenn Gamboa of Newsday compared the song to Janet Jackson's "All for You", calling it "pleasant, shimmering R&B-styled pop".

[12] During the time of the album's release, her official site stated that "the girl-power anthem 'Anticipating' proves that Britney is, now more than ever, a force to be reckoned with.

[14] Yale Daily News writer Catherine Halaby called it a "fun, cutesy disco ballad".

[15] Nikki Tranker of PopMatters said it "offers Britney's fans something a little different with a simple tune beautifully underlined by a well-executed '70s disco sound".

[17] Barry Walters of Rolling Stone stated the song is "a euphoric Rick Astley flashback, [where] she emotes without framing her vocals in Nickelodeon-schooled theatricality".

[12] In the album review, David Browne of Entertainment Weekly criticized "Anticipating" along with "Bombastic Love" for "[relying] on enervated formulas".

[8] The music video, directed by Marty Callner, consisted of footage of the tour performance from Britney Spears Live from Las Vegas.