When Smith was writing a track with their frequent collaborator Jimmy Napes and the Norwegian production team Stargate, Normani happened to be in the studio next door.

[6] Brittany Spanos, writing for Rolling Stone, stated the song "plays to [Smith's] retro-leaning strengths and Normani's own solo vision of being a Sexy soul-dance diva".

[4] Rose Dommu of Out praised the duo's vocals, saying Normani's "sultry voice is the perfect counterpoint to Smith's own deep tone".

[8] Mike Nied of Idolator wrote that the song "expertly capture the frustration and loneliness of heartbreak, bottling it and presenting it as something both deeply personal and infinitely relatable".

[9] Billboard magazine called the song a "sexy earworm",[10] lauding the pair's "standout vocal delivery", with Smith's "seductive falsetto accompanied by Normani's smoky counterpart".

[14] In the United States, the song peaked at number seven on the Billboard Hot 100 in April 2019, making it Smith's sixth and Normani's second top ten single in the US, as a solo artist.

[18] In other countries, "Dancing with a Stranger" peaked inside the top ten in Belgium, Denmark, Ireland, Australia, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Canada, South Africa, Singapore, Malaysia, Iceland, Lebanon and Sweden.

[31][32] Kelly Clarkson sang a rendition of the track for her Meaning of Life Tour, and told the audience that the two singers inspire her to "keep making music.

"[33] In 2022, Smith, Normani, and Stargate were all sued by Jordan Vincent, Christopher Miranda, and Rosco Banlaoi, who alleged that "Dancing with a Stranger" copied their 2015 song of the same name.

[27] Californian judge Wesley L. Hsu dismissed the case on Wednesday 6 September 2023, saying that "most if not all of the plaintiff's claimed similarities" were not protectable by law, and that the phrase "dancing with a stranger" was not unique enough, pointing out "nearly 20 references" in other previous songs.

It features Smith and Normani moving and dancing through a "sleek, stark home"[47] while being surrounded by hologram projections of dancers.