In the United States, the song reached number 14 on the Billboard Hot 100 and was certified 3× Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America.

Fatima Robinson directed the music video for "Dear Future Husband", which depicts Trainor baking pies in the kitchen and scrubbing floors while various men audition to be her partner.

[1] Upon its release as Trainor's debut single in June 2014,[4] the song reached number one in 58 countries and sold 11 million units worldwide.

[10] She recounted being ill-treated by her romantic partners in high school,[11] and wrote the song's lyrics as a corrective for issues with contemporary dating and hookup culture, like women basing their self-worth on social media likes and whether their partner replied to their texts: "I hope people can hear my songs and know I'm a badass girl and I deserve a good guy to take me out on a date.

"[12] "Dear Future Husband" was included as a B-side on the digital release of "All About That Bass" in some European countries,[13][14][15] and Trainor's debut major-label studio album, Title (2015).

[16] The song began gaining popularity and entered the Billboard Hot 100 in September 2014, attaining a Gold certification from the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) on January 7, 2015.

[30] It incorporates brisk piano, buoyant brass, and a drum track that "kicks harder than many 2014 rock bands" according to Stereogum's Chris DeVille.

[31] Alexandra Petri of The Washington Post described "Dear Future Husband" as a "playful pop throwback to the 1950s", while Chuck Arnold of Rolling Stone called it "girl-group bounce".

[28][32] Critics compared the song's melody to that of "Runaround Sue",[5][33] and The Columbus Dispatch's Glenn Gamboa likened it to Gary U.S. Bonds's 1961 single "Quarter to Three".

Entertainment Weekly's Adam Markovitz jokingly remarked that the song's subject may follow her orders if she kept creating enticing and "kitschy sock-hop throwbacks" like it.

[43] Writing for Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Piet Levy called "Dear Future Husband" as "cute as a clever rom-com" and praised her humorous innuendos and alternative take on gender roles in a marriage.

[24] Heidi Stevens of the Chicago Tribune wrote that the lyrics of "Dear Future Husband" deceptively seem empowering and modern at surface value, but are sadly regressive.

[28] Writing for the Los Angeles Times, Chris Barton and Gerrick D. Kennedy, respectively, listed "Dear Future Husband" among the most overrated and worst moments of pop culture in 2015, owing to its backward views on gender.

[76] In the video, Trainor performs the song in a latex blue skirt, leopard-print tank top, and red cropped leather jacket with a barbershop quartet.

[8] Shiela Cosgrove Baylis of People wrote that though she took on a more domestic role in the video than her previous ones, it still retained her eccentric fashion choices and "slumber-party dance moves".

[12] Writing for USA Today, Kelly Lawler described it as "a lot" and criticized it for having too many things going on at once, noting it lacked the "healthy sense of irony" displayed in the videos for "Blank Space" and Carrie Underwood's "Before He Cheats" (2006).

[79] The video caused controversy and garnered criticism online, over allegations of antifeminism, sexism, and perpetuation of gender stereotypes,[19][78] which followed similar backlash Trainor had received for "All About That Bass".

[26] Trainor performed "Dear Future Husband" live in a sailor's hat and knee-length skirt at the iHeartRadio Music Awards on March 29, 2015.

Pinafore and Trainor resembled a 1950s pin-up model, while The Hollywood Reporter's Ashley Lee described the rendition as throwback sailor-themed heaven.

[88] Trainor opened her That Bass Tour (2015) by performing "Dear Future Husband" in a blue-green crinoline with pleats and an enchanting top, which USA Today's Carlee Wright considered a strong start to the show.

[94] On January 18, 2020, Trainor and fellow judge Olly Murs performed "Dear Future Husband" as a mashup with the latter's 2011 single "Dance with Me Tonight", on the ninth season of The Voice UK, after he pointed out similarities between the tracks.