[5] Written and produced by Michael Münzing and Luca Anzilotti (under the pseudonyms Benito Benites and John "Virgo" Garrett III), "The Power" went through several renditions.

The original version was released on 3 January 1990 through Logic Records in Germany and contains samples from "Let the Words Flow" by Chill Rob G, "Love's Gonna Get You" by Jocelyn Brown,[6] and "King of the Beats" by Mantronix.

[7] Despite it becoming an early 1990 hit in Germany and appearing on the Dance Singles chart in the UK,[8] none of the credited vocals were cleared, and Stu Fine, former owner of Wild Pitch Records, wanted to release the song in the United States.

Simultaneously, Arista Records wished to release their own edition in the US, but because it was not legally possible for the label to simply reissue the original German single, it was decided to re-record the entire track with new lyrics by rapper Durron Butler, known as Turbo B, and additional vocals by Penny Ford.

on 12 March 1990 in the UK[12] and 6 April 1990 in the US,[13] despite the fact that Jocelyn Brown had commenced legal action because of the unauthorized sampling of her vocals.

[15] Bill Coleman from Billboard wrote, "Thanks to a healthy buzz generated via underground import attention, this hypnotic, street-soul jam should have no trouble duplicating its smash U.K. success.

"[16] Ernest Hardy from Cash Box noted that the song is "set against a basic hip-hop beat, but all sorts of computer-generated enhancements are added, as well as a great bassline, soul-drenched female vocals, a male rap that sounds a bit like Heavy D, and, depending on the mix, elements of house.

[18] Tom Ewing of Freaky Trigger remarked that the song "juggles aggression and melancholy, and makes both immediately appealing – the juddering riff which opens "The Power" set against the slow pace and lonesome spaciousness of the production and Pennye Ford's vocals.

"[19] Pan-European magazine Music & Media commented that a "funky hip-hop rhythm, sampled from Doug Lazy's 'Let It Roll' has been matched with some forceful rapping by Turbo B and inspired gospel vocals on the chorus.

Additionally, "The Power" made it into the top 10 also in Austria, Belgium, Finland, West Germany, Ireland, Italy, Norway, Portugal and Sweden.

[30] In 2024, Billboard ranked "The Power" number 59 in their "The 100 Greatest Jock Jams of All Time", writing, "Definitive early ’90s techno-rap, digestible as an iconic four-word soundbite.