Released as the record's lead single in the United States on September 21, 1995, it was written by Gwen Stefani and Tom Dumont, and produced by Matthew Wilder.

It also reached the top ten in several other countries, including Australia, Ireland, New Zealand, Norway, Scotland, and the United Kingdom.

An accompanying music video was directed by Mark Kohr and features Stefani singing in a clean and organized restroom while the male members play their instruments in a dirty and unkept one.

Unlike previous songs written by the band, "Just a Girl" was not co-written by Gwen's brother Eric Stefani, who left No Doubt due to creative differences in early 1995.

[3] The first song written for Tragic Kingdom, "Just a Girl" was penned by Stefani after her father reprimanded her for driving from her bandmate Tony Kanal's house late at night.

[22] Stefani sings in a "smoky alto" vocal range with dramatic "pouts and simpering" in order to exemplify her irritation with sexism in the music industry.

[25] It is set in the key of D major, with Stefani's vocal range spanning nearly an octave and a half, from B3 to E5 in scientific pitch notation.

[25] According to the liner notes for No Doubt's 2003 greatest hits album, The Singles 1992–2003, the opening riff that Dumont uses for "Just a Girl" was taken from an earlier demo created by Eric Stefani.

Steve Baltin from Cash Box noted that the song "has a rich blend of styles, from techno to punk, that has quickly captured the attention of listeners."

"[30] Dimitri Ehrlich from Entertainment Weekly gave the song a B, adding, "With tingling synth lines, a cheery melody, and polyester production values, this single has a kitschy appeal rooted firmly in the pop of a decade ago.

"[31] Mike Boehm wrote in the Los Angeles Times that Stefani's lyrics of "irony and indirection" make the serious subject matter of "Just a Girl" more appealing to the listener.

"[34] In addition to several other tracks from Tragic Kingdom, Nick Levine from Noisey praised "Just a Girl" for having a chorus "that will bounce round your brain for days".

[37] Kenneth Partridge from Billboard recognized "Just a Girl" as the song that made No Doubt popular and secured Stefani's role in the music industry as the opposite of "some delicate flower who needs protecting or tolerates special treatment".

[38] Mic's Tom Barnes found that "Just a Girl" helped popularize the ska genre and called it part of a "potentially serious music movement".

[39] Ilana Kaplan from Observer wrote that "it was 'Just a Girl' that really set things into motion for No Doubt"; she continued: The song was featured in '90s cult hits Clueless and Romy & Michelle's High School Reunion—movies that served as power-players for unlikely female heroes.

Stefani's aim at a male-centric world ended up being one of the most prominent feminist anthems of the '90s—it's a song that stands out now as the music industry's misogynistic outlook continues on.

Although Alex McCown disliked Stefani's pouty vocals on the track, Annie Zaleski thought her "exaggerated pouts and simpering" were intentional and dealt with the song's subject matter.

[23] "Just a Girl" was commercially successful, becoming No Doubt's first entry on a record chart in the United States and reaching the top ten in several countries.

[42] It spent a total of 29 weeks on the Billboard Hot 100 and served as No Doubt's highest-charting effort until 2002's "Hey Baby" peaked at number five.

[47] In July 2023, the Recording Industry Association of America certified "Just a Girl" two-times platinum for combined sales and streaming figures of 2,000,000 units.

Stefani stands in front of a nearby wrecked Chevrolet Monte Carlo and starts singing "Just a Girl", shortly before sitting in the backseat of the other car with Dumont and Kanal.

[37][64] MTV's Gil Kaufman wrote "from her platinum blonde hair, forehead bindi, ruby red lips and crop tops to the push-ups she bangs out at the end, the video was the world's first glimpse at what would become Stefani's iconic look and stage persona".

[68] For the 2002 Rock Steady Tour, "Just a Girl" was performed during the concert's middle segment, following singing "Simple Kind of Life" and preceding "Hey Baby".

Stefani then joined the crowd from the stage wearing oversized green, plaid pants and a brown sweatshirt that emphasized her midriff.

[71] During the second iHeartRadio Music Festival in 2012, American singer Pink joined No Doubt on stage for a duetted version of "Just a Girl".

Stefani changed outfits, prior to returning to the stage, and wore a white corset that displaying the words "Blond Rebel" for the performance.

[73] In April 2018, Stefani announced a concert residency titled Just a Girl that would occur at the Planet Hollywood Resort Las Vegas.

[79] On a 2017 episode of MTV Unplugged, Japanese singer-songwriter Kaela Kimura covered "Just a Girl" live as the seventh song of her 14-track set list.

[82] During Pink's appearance in Los Angeles at the Staples Center, Stefani joined the singer for a surprise duet to the fans.

[83] In March 2023, the song was covered by Florence and the Machine for Showtime Networks' series Yellowjackets; their version appears in the trailer and soundtrack for the second season.