Lyrically inspired by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the dance-pop song has funky disco vibes, sees Trainor admit her negative habits, and encourages the listeners to dance.

Trainor had been searching for a producer to create her upcoming third major-label studio album Treat Myself (2020) with, when she conducted the first session for it with songwriter Jacob Kasher Hindlin.

[4] In a June 2020 interview with iHeartRadio, Trainor stated that she was experiencing writer's block due to the public perception that she should be "creating [her] masterpiece" during the COVID-19 lockdowns.

[5] However, on July 8, 2020, she announced the song title "Make You Dance" alongside a promotional picture, followed by an official countdown and teasers of it on her Instagram Stories.

"[12] With lyrics inspired by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, Trainor admits the negative habits she has picked up since the resultant lockdowns began, including drinking at 1 and staying awake all night to watch videos on her phone.

[11] Megan Stone of ABC News Radio described the song as "ultra-relatable and spirited", noting that it would "serve as a resounding anthem for those feeling worn down" by the pandemic.

[13] Wass called it an "irresistible banger" that "lives up to its title", complimented the "razor-sharp" beats and "killer" chorus", and concluded that "all in all, it's another top-shelf bop from an album brimming with dance-pop delights.

Andrew Reisfeld edited the video, with Kinan Chabani and Abdullah Ghazal serving as colorists, and Ryan Zum Mallen as the VFX/beauty editor.