Written by the singer and produced by Art Stewart as a response to a request from Gaye's record label that he perform disco music, it was released in March 1977.
Throughout 1976, Gaye's popularity was still at a high in America and abroad, but the singer struggled throughout the year due to pending lawsuits from former bandmates.
Gaye began the tour in the United Kingdom where he had a strong fan base dating back to his early career in the 1960s, making his first stop in the country since 1964.
Gaye criticized the genre, however, claiming it lacked substance, and refused to record a disco album.
To help set up a "disco" atmosphere, Gaye hired Motown producer and engineer Art Stewart to oversee the song's production.
In the second half of the song, Gaye sings mainly the initial title, "dancing lady" over and over while a saxophone is playing a solo.
Cash Box said that "this highly infectious tune features Gaye's vocals over throbbing drums and street jive noise that has a sound just right for the disco, and tailor made for an upbeat mood.
"[7] New York Times critic John Rockwell called the song "a pure dance record in the modern disco mode" but wondered if its popularity was due more to Gaye's reputation than to its own merits.
The song "Don't Stop 'til You Get Enough", written solely by Jackson and recorded the same year as "Shake Your Body", took even more of Gaye's approach with "Got to Give It Up", using percussive instruments and a continued funk guitar riff.
"Got to Give It Up" has been featured in the films Menace II Society (1993), Boogie Nights (1997), Practical Magic (1998), Summer of Sam (1999), Charlie's Angels (2000), Barbershop (2002), This Christmas (2007), Eat Pray Love (2010), Paul (2011), and Da 5 Bloods (2020).
"[10] On March 10, 2015, a federal jury found "Blurred Lines" infringed on "Got to Give It Up" and awarded nearly $7.4 million to Gaye's children.
[13] This in turn affected "Weird Al" Yankovic's parody of "Blurred Lines", titled "Word Crimes", where Gaye has been added as a songwriter.
It featured a guest appearance from rapper Slick Rick, and was released as the album's second single outside North America on November 4, 1996.
[25] In an interview Aaliyah stated: "I wanted some real party songs, so when my uncle played me that [original track], I thought of how I could make it different.
[26] The overall goal while recording the song was to make it blend in with the current time as the producers did not want it to sound too dated.
'"[26] Aaliyah was proud to cover the song, and said: "I don't know how Marvin Gaye fans will react, but I hope they like it.
[25] Journalist–Author Christopher John Farley labeled "Got to Give It Up", as a "hip hop infused remake of Gaye's dance classic".
[30] Author Tim Footman felt that Aaliyahs vocals "takes on Marvin Gaye's own angelic qualities, as if she's floating above Rick's faintly ridiculous antics".
[31] In terms of the songs lyrical theme author Tim Footman says, Rick "plays a parody of his own gansta persona.
He's trying to be a laidback playa, chugging Hennessy Brandy and Chrystal champagne, but his bubble of cool is popped when Aaliyah walks into the party".
[31] In his review of One in a Million Bob Waliszewski from Plugged In, said the song lyrically is about finding "a man in a dance club ordering alcohol".
[32] While reviewing One in a Million, writer Dream Hampton from Vibe was shocked with the outcome of Aaliyah's cover version of "Got to Give It Up".
Like any self respecting Marvin Gaye fan, I cringed when I learned Aaliyah had covered his classic 1977 party jam "Got to Give It Up".
[33] Another Vibe writer said that Aaliyah puts a "feminine spin" on the cover, while still "magically" preserving "the soul-enriched integrity of the original".
[34] Connie Johnson from the Los Angeles Times wrote that Aaliyah's skills were being displayed on the song and that her version of "Got to Give It Up" was irresistible.
[35] Dean Van Nguyen from The Independent praised Aaliyah's voice on the song, writing that she sounded great.
[36] Larry Flick from Billboard felt that she handled the cover well by performing it with "a perfect blend of quiet sensuality and breathy shyness".
[37] Flicks Billboard colleague Joe Lynch praised Aaliyah's ability to "serve as a dancefloor siren on this one, which puts “Blurred Lines" to shame".
"Got to Give It Up" was a minor hit in the United Kingdom, peaking at number 37 on the UK Singles Chart on November 16, 1996.