After six years in seclusion after escaping an abusive relationship with late former husband and manager Jack Gordon, La Toya Jackson returned to the studio to record an autobiographical album entitled Startin' Over.

Jackson began work on the song by visiting night clubs to hear what sort of music people were dancing to.

"[1] As a result, the song's sexually ambiguous lyrics describe a ribald night out at a club where the party-goers "don't know if I'm a he or a she".

The single was initially released under Jackson's nickname Toy, so disc jockeys would give the record a fair chance before tossing it aside.

[5] Jackson performed "Just Wanna Dance" for the first time on the grand finale of Mexican reality TV series La Academia on 18 December 2011.