Anthony recorded a Spanish-language version of the song, translated by Angie Chirino and Robert Blades, titled "Dímelo".

It was certified gold in Australia and the US "Dímelo" peaked at number one on the Billboard Hot Latin Tracks chart in the US The music video for the song, directed by Paula Walker, was filmed in Los Angeles.

In 2007, American Idol runner-up contestant Blake Lewis performed a cover of "I Need to Know" as part of the Latin round during the show's sixth season.

[7] After being signed to Columbia Records, Mottola hired Cory Rooney, Rodney "Darkchild" Jerkins, and Walter Afanasieff to produce Anthony's next album.

[14] In his review of the album Marc Anthony, Stephen Thomas Erlewine from AllMusic called "I Need to Know" a "catchy, mid-tempo single" and said that the music was "gently danceable".

[15] Chuck Taylor of Billboard magazine praised the track as "[a]bsolutely smashing", commended the production and musical style of the record and said that Anthony "remains true to his salsa roots with a sexy, swaying cha-cha number".

[11] Barry Walters from Entertainment Weekly gave the song a B+ rating, and said the music "flaunts—rather than disguises—its mambo moves" and called it "radical pop waiting to happen.

"[16] While reviewing songs that were nominated for Record of the Year at the 1st Annual Latin Grammy Awards, an editor for the Los Angeles Times said the track "is the aural scrapbook of an American artist with Latino roots who found the ideal middle ground to satisfy both Anglo and Latino fans".

[12] In 2000, "I Need to Know" was nominated Best Male Pop Vocal Performance at the 42nd Annual Grammy Awards,[17] but lost to English musician Sting's song "Brand New Day".

[19][20] At the 12th Lo Nuestro Awards in 2000, "Dímelo" was nominated in the category for Pop Song of the Year,[21] but lost to "Livin' la Vida Loca" by Ricky Martin.

[22] Anthony and Rooney received an American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) Pop Award for the commercial success of the song in 2001 and 2002.

[48] He also sang it at the 42nd Annual Grammy Awards show; Tom Moon, editor of The Philadelphiafdance bl Inquirer, called his performance a "sedate reading".

On the sixth season of American Idol, Blake Lewis performed a cover of "I Need to Know" on April 10, 2007, as part of the program's Latin-themed round.

[106] Craig Berman from Houston Chronicle wrote a positive review; he said that the risks Lewis took with his vocals "paid off with the best effort of the night".

[108] Ann Powers from the Los Angeles Times said that Lewis "perspired and wiggled creepily" in contrast to Anthony's confident performances.

[109] Jim Cantiello of MTV wrote that Lewis "finishes each line with an affected orgasmic sigh" and that his performance was "icky".

[110] The studio version of the song was later included on Lewis's eponymous debut EP as part of the American Idol compilation series.