Written by Blu Sanders, Natalie Hemby, and Lindsay Chapman, and produced by Dann Huff, it features country music singer Vince Gill on backing vocals.

The song premiered on WSIX-FM radio station on October 29, 2012, and was made available for purchase on iTunes store on the following day.

Despite that, some critics felt the song is not as powerful as "Don't You Wanna Stay", Clarkson's country duet with Jason Aldean.

She explained "My friend Blu Sanders and I were together, and he goes, ‘Have you ever met Lindsay Champan?’ And I was like, ‘Nope!’ Basically he was like, ‘Why don’t we write with her?

[10] It received an immediate response from fans and an overwhelming demand from radio stations following Clarkson's performance of the song on Country Music Association Awards on November 1, 2012.

[12] "Don't Rush" is a country song written by Blu Sanders, Natalie Hemby and Lindsay Dawn Chapman, and produced by Dann Huff.

[13] The song is set in a "drowsy, take-it-easy beat"[14] which is composed of a layer of Clarkson's and Gill's soulful harmonies.

[16][17] Jonathan Keefe of Slant Magazine praised the production of the song for its light-handed approach which resonates the early-'80s work of artists like Barbara Mandrell and Ronnie Milsap.

[18] Mark Blankenship of Logo also opined that the song "sounds like an easy listening hit from the 1970s or 1980s, with gently groovy music underneath a laid-back vocal.

[2] Zara Golden of VH1 called the instrumentation of the song as "bright and breezy" and remarked that it is more soft-rock-y than "Don't You Wanna Stay".

[14] Sam Wilbur of AOL Radio complimented the song for being "a feel-good track with a nostalgic, classic country feel".

[8] Billy Dukes of Taste of Country gave the song four stars and a half, writing "It’s difficult for a female vocalist to sound sexy without drawing criticism.

[36] Their performance earned positive reviews; Grady Smith of Entertainment Weekly deemed it as "smoky, smooth, soulful, and understated".

noted that their performance of "Don't Rush" reminisces "Islands in the Stream", and welcomed Clarkson's venture to country music.

Kelly sang flawlessly alongside Vince as the country icon strummed on his guitar while adding smooth vocals.

[42] Wearing a T-shirt with the logo of Drug Abuse Resistance Education, she was joined by Jason Sellers who sang Gill's part.

[43][44] Clarkson also performed the song on the Academy of Country Music Awards on April 7, 2013, again with Sellers singing Gill's part.