Following multiple collaborations in the 2000s, such as for the 2006 album Loose, Nelly Furtado and Timbaland announced they were working on new music together for the first time in several years during an Instagram Live from the recording studio on July 18, 2023.

[2] The following week, Timbaland and his frequent collaborator Justin Timberlake shared photos of themselves in the studio while Furtado FaceTimed into the session which generated more buzz.

[3] Furtado talked about the reunion in interviews prior to its release, saying Timbaland and Timberlake had been working on music together for a year before they came up with the idea and wanted her "to woman the ship a little in my direction so they could feed off that."

[13][14] It was also announced Timbaland and Timberlake would work with ESPN to curate music for select Monday Night Football games starting with "Keep Going Up" for the first week.

[6] Jason Lipshutz of Billboard described the track as "a rhythmic vocal showcase from consummate professionals out to prove that they're aging like fine wine," claiming that, "fortunately, the process of hearing these three voices reflect off one another again is both a nostalgia rush and an absorbing new pop experience.

"[16] Vulture's Jennifer Zhan wrote that "the sound stirs up some nostalgia for the 2000s" and "if you believe in manifestation affirmations, the lyrics are perfect source material — you're cutting people off, finding a better love, and not buckling under pressure.

"[17] Writing for NME, Charlotte Krol called it "a sprightly new single that's typical of Timbaland's signature rhythm-focused and rich R&B production,"[18] while Megan LaPierre from Exclaim!

compared it to their previous collaboration stating that it "is more of a confident, self-love 'look-how-far-we've-come' anthem than the shit-talking braggadocio of "Give It to Me," and it's got some signature Timbaland flair in the buzzy production," concluding, "Furtado and Timberlake sound pretty good on it!