A melodic trap song characterized by raunchy lyrics and atmospheric instrumentation, it received critical acclaim for Doja Cat's versatility in her vocal delivery.

The accompanying music video explores the futuristic environment of the fictional "Planet Her" and features cameo appearances from Grimes and Ryan Destiny.

[1] On June 9, 2021, Doja Cat officially announced the release of "Need to Know" via a futuristic teaser on her Instagram, with the faint melody of the song briefly heard in the short clip.

[12] Written by Doja Cat and its producer Dr. Luke,[13] the song was described as a "grinding sex jam",[14] driven by a "crisp"[15] rhythm of "trap snares", and "sharp" drums,[15] over "a hard-knocking bass"[16] and atmospheric, "neon-lit", futuristic synthesizers.

[24][25] Paris Close of iHeartRadio commented that she delivers "a salvo of erotic verses nonstop, only stopping to catch her breath in soft, sensual whispers and climactic coos".

[15] Imogen Lawlor of Vinyl Chapters wrote that her "triplet flow is layered over... disco production, segueing seamlessly into a[n]... electronic UFO melody".

Vulture crowned "Need to Know" as the best song of 2021 and deemed it "the best showcase of all the talents [Doja Cat]'s possessed for years", praising her "vocal contortionism" and "overflowing charisma".

[10] In an album review for Uproxx, Bianca Gracie crowned "Need to Know" as the best song on Planet Her and described it as "an otherworldly joyride driven by the mad scientist that is Doja Cat", whom she proclaimed was "in true alien form" as she simultaneously channeled "a raunchy freak, cooing baby, helium sucker, and frantic spitter over a galaxy of ice-cold trap melodies.

[28] Writing for the same magazine, Jason Lipshutz noted that "Need to Know" is "rife with thinly veiled innuendos and sexual demands" and it "features one of Doja Cat's most liberated vocal performances -- singing, rapping, pleading, crooning, remaining singular in her delivery and utterly fearless on the microphone".

[43] Having been teased in the prior social media announcement,[2] the accompanying music video was uploaded to YouTube soon after the song was released on streaming platforms at midnight local time on June 11, 2021.

[46][47] The video takes place in the futuristic city environment of the fictional "Planet Her",[48] and follows a blue-tinted alien Doja Cat alongside a group of female alien friends played by actresses Jazelle Straka-Braxton and Josephine Pearl Leewhich, with cameo appearances from Canadian musician Grimes and American actress Ryan Destiny.

[51][54][55][50] They arrive at a private, underground club hosting a variety of cyborgs and aliens, where the group dances and take shots of smoky vapor-like alcohol.