The song was written by Miranda Cooper, with inspiration from an article about the advance of women in business, and Brian Higgins, Tim Powell, Lisa Cowling, and Giselle Somerville also received songwriting credits.

Polydor Records originally intended to release it the lead single for The Sound of Girls Aloud: The Greatest Hits (2006); however, "Something Kinda Ooooh" was selected instead.

The accompanying music video was directed by Sean de Sparengo, and features the girls in purple dresses performing on Malibu Beach at night with flames and white fabric surrounding them.

[9] The Tony Lamenza remix of "Call the Shots" was intended for inclusion on the CD single at first;[10] however, the Xenomania club mix was selected instead.

[14] The lyrics are concerned with the ending of a relationship, and opens with a repetitive melody followed by Coyle singing, "Static tone on the phone, I'll be breaking again / Must be something better babe".

[12][13] As the chorus begins, the five members of the group trade lines and sing, "Just 'cause you're raising the bet and call the shots now on me / It really doesn't faze me how you spend your time",[15] with Alexis Petridis of The Guardian stating that "only anterograde amnesia could wipe [this part] from your brain".

[18] Alex Fletcher of Digital Spy rated the song four out of five stars, writing that it is "more tasteful" than few of Girls Aloud's previous releases.

[17] Jennie McNulty of Marie Claire said that the song "has a wonderfully ambient feel, echoing an arty electro band",[19] while Alexis Petridis of The Guardian wrote that Tangled Up "begins disappointingly" with "Call the Shots" as the opening track because the song's structure is "a bit commonplace" compared to Girls Aloud's previous singles such as "Biology" (2005).

[14] On the countdown of the top singles of 2007, Digital Spy placed "Call the Shots" at number 17, commenting that the band had not lost "their knack for making supremely catchy pop hits.

[32] The video features the girls in purple dresses performing on Malibu Beach at night with flames and white fabric surrounding them.

[38] "Call the Shots" was performed on 2008's Tangled Up Tour,[39] and, later that year, at The Girls Aloud Party TV special held by ITV1,[citation needed] and at the V Festival.

[43] "Call the Shots" was also covered by several artists and bands such as Coldplay,[44] David Jordan,[45] Fyfe Dangerfield,[46] Malcolm Middleton,[47] and Mark Morriss.