It was categorised as an EDM, electro-disco, electro house, future bass, and techno track, with a throwback disco and trance vibe, and an increased tempo from the original.

A second remix featuring American rapper DaBaby was released for the same formats on 1 October 2020 as the fifth single of Future Nostalgia, appearing on the bonus edition of the album.

The DaBaby remix received a music video that was directed by Warren Fu and created in partnership with social media platform TikTok.

[4] The song was written by Lipa with her longtime collaborators Clarence Coffee Jr. of The Monsters & Strangerz, Sarah Hudson and Stephen Kozmeniuk, the latter of which also handled the production.

[43][27] The song received many comparisons to the works of Chic, Daft Punk,[12] Debbie Harry,[44] the Jackson 5 ("Blame It on the Boogie", 1978),[45] Kylie Minogue, Moloko,[46] Kate Nash,[47] Outkast ("Rosa Parks", 1998),[45] Katy Perry,[48] the Spice Girls,[47] Tinie Tempah ("Pass Out", 2010),[43][49] the Weeknd (Starboy, 2016),[17] and Super Mario 64 (1996) sound effects.

[73] It is a four on the floor-styled song with a simple and hypnotic sound design that makes use of tropical synths, Balearic beats, a rolling bassline, and funky piano chords, all layered with Lipa's vocals.

[citation needed] Over the 2020–21 Premier League season, a video clip of Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola dancing, with part of the track overlaid on it, surfaced on Twitter.

[40] For Vinyl Chapters, Jamie Parmenter praised Lipa's rap in the middle eight, writing one has the "pleasure of hearing the singer's English accent" and it "shows the confidence she has in her own talent.

"[49] Vulture's Craig Jenkins praised Lipa's vocal delivery for merging elements of anxiety and sexual tension, while also naming the lyrics "flurries of pickup lines.

"[94] Of HotNewHipHop, Alexander Cole praised DaBaby for fitting perfectly with the track's "undeniable groove," while also stating he is a "nice addition" to the song.

[96] Following the release of Future Nostalgia, "Levitating" found success as an album track throughout Europe, debuting at number 97 in Greece,[97] 29 in Hungary,[98] 41 in Lithuania,[99] 83 in Portugal,[100] 62 in Slovakia, and 71 in Spain.

[125] On the issue dated 19 March 2022, in its 70th week on the chart, "Levitating" surpassed "How Do I Live" by LeAnn Rimes as the longest-charting hit on the Hot 100 by a female artist.

[67] For the video, Lipa had a mood board consisting of Austin Powers, 1960s futurism and surrealism, Studio 54 and disco, thinking that "Levitating" was the perfect song to encapsulate these ideas.

[138] It was proceeded by the release of two teasers on TikTok, in which Lipa invites users to "The Levitating Experience" that takes one to an "intergalactic dance floor;" she also warns viewers not to mess with the system and informs them about how to get there, among other items.

She sports blonde hair and glittering eye makeup, and wears a Misbhv sheer top, cargo trousers, and Puma trainers as well as a "sugarboo" necklace which Hudson and Coffee gave her for her birthday.

[148] The portal closes and shoots up into the night sky, transporting Lipa to a futuristic,[149] art deco,[96] disco[150] and The Great Gatsby-themed elevator,[151] which has gold trimming and the TikTok logo as its arrow indicating what floor they are on.

The door opens and DaBaby enters the elevator,[134][145] wearing a knitted multicolour monogram flower crewneck outfit from Louis Vuitton's FW20 collection, alongside iced jewels and a chain that says "Kirk".

Lipa is seen dancing on a platform in the middle of the belt, sporting bangs, and wearing a Mugler dress with elbow-length gloves from Casey Cadwallader's autumn/winter 2020 show.

[37] In Vogue, Susan Devaney compared Lipa's custom Versace dress to that of previous outfits worn by Paris Hilton and Kendall Jenner.

On 25 July 2021, DaBaby performed at Rolling Loud, in which he made controversial comments, saying, "If you didn't show up today with HIV, AIDS, or any of them deadly sexually transmitted diseases that'll make you die in two to three weeks, then put your cellphone lighter up.

[172] In August 2022, Dua Lipa's attorneys moved to dismiss the second suit, arguing that the singer was unaware of the Dr. Buzzard's Original Savannah Band song.

In June 2023, Artikal Sound System moved to drop the first suit, after a judge ruled there was no evidence to suggest that Lipa or her co-writers had heard "Live Your Life" prior to the creation of "Levitating".

[180] Future Nostalgia was heavily influenced by Madonna's Confessions on a Dance Floor, both of which feature songs co-produced by Stuart Price, including "Levitating".

[186][175] The remix was serviced to contemporary hit radio formats in Italy the same day,[187] and was also released on 12-inch vinyl on 21 August 2020 by We Still Believe, an independent label owned by the Blessed Madonna.

[199] In Rolling Stone, Brittany Spanos viewed the Blessed Madonna "Levitating" remix as "tongue-twistingly," a "fast-paced romp," and "clubbier" than the original, while also labelling Elliott's verse "flirty" and "freaky.

[193] In a negative review from Clash, Robin Murray stated it has a "truncated nature" feeling that does not "click into place," while also commenting that it "doesn't get the space to breathe properly.

[189] In her review for Vogue, Janelle Okwodu complimented its "trippy visuals, bright colors" and wardrobe that visualise Future Nostalgia's "retro rave theme.

[225][226][222] The next scene sees a blonde woman in a bedroom looking at herself in a mirror and holding a small item with the maze-like symbol that she hides under her pillow but later breaks it in half.

[215] She wears a Versace palm print, with a lime green jacket and baseball cap alongside outsized hoop earrings and lengthy box braids.

[253] The ceremony took place at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles, however Lipa's performance was filmed at London's Royal Albert Hall in a custom built set.