Written by Ester Dean, Frank Romano, Daniel Morris, and co-written and produced by Jim Jonsin, it is an island-flavored midtempo R&B-pop song that sees Scherzinger singing about her what she wants her lover to do and warning other suitors to back off.

Some critics lamented the song for having lazy lyrics and being overly sexual, critiques Scherzinger denied by calling it a love ballad.

In the United Kingdom, the song debuted at number three, giving Scherzinger her fourth consecutive top-ten single.

It features a number of dance scenes set in downtown Los Angeles, with Scherzinger appearing in a Pocahontas-inspired outfit.

[11][12] In 2022, Rain Radio (a collective of unknown producers and DJs) released the song "He Goes Down", which samples Scherzinger's vocals from "Right There" atop a "house music bassline".

It was seen as a similar technique and vibe to how "Edge of Seventeen" (1982) by Stevie Nicks was sampled by Destiny's Child on their 2001 single "Bootylicious".

[18] Lewis Corner from Digital Spy described Scherzinger's style of singing on "Right There" as a "seductive faux-Caribbean twang" which complimented the production of "reggae guitar strums", noting that the overall effect was a "tropical flavour".

[20] MTV's Glazier agreed with this notion, stating that it was refreshing to see "Right There" embrace an "R&B-heavy sound on a pop record" at a time when radio was playing a lot of "disco-pop".

[21] Corner of Digital Spy awarded the song four out of five stars, describing it as a "provocative and hip-grinding bottle of pop".

[22] Leah Greenblatt of Entertainment Weekly gave "Right There" a B rating and commented that "The ex-Pussycat invites Fiddy to frolic on her own personal Scherzy Shore, purring come-ons in a vaguely Caribbean patois".

"[24] Adeshola Adigun for DJ Booth echoed Shetler's commenting: "While there’s nothing ground-breaking about new single Right There, it's one of those songs that you could definitely get down to, after more than a couple drinks at the club[.

[27] Andrew Unterberger of Popdust was unimpressed with the song, criticizing it for echoing the sound of Rihanna and the "ridiculous and lazy lyrics".

[28] During an interview with ITV1's breakfast TV show Daybreak on June 13, 2011, Scherzinger addressed claims that the song was "too raunchy" by describing "Right There" as a "beautiful love ballad".

Music Week's Alan Jones attributed the high sales to Scherzinger's performances at the final of Britain’s Got Talent and on The Graham Norton Show.

"Right There" became Scherzinger's fourth consecutive top-ten single as a solo artist behind "Heartbeat" (2010), "Poison" (2010), and "Don't Hold Your Breath" (2011).

[39] The song has been certified double platinum by the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) for shipments of 140,000 copies in Australia.

[40] In the US, the song debuted at number 77 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart on June 4, 2011, selling 30,000 digital copies in its first week.

[45] It additionally peaked at number eight on the US Hot Dance Club Songs chart issue dated September 3, 2011.

[48] On May 19, 2011, Scherzinger and 50 Cent made their network television debut performance of "Right There" during the tenth season of American Idol.

Scherzinger was dressed in a feather-draped miniskirt and skimpy bustier top,[49] joined onstage by a team of 10 backup dancers showcasing island-inspired moves.

[50] 50 Cent showed up midway through the song wearing a fitted hat turned backward and cocked to the side along with a jacket, jeans, and dangling chain, before disappearing suddenly from the stage.

[51] Amy Sciarretto from PopCrush praised Nicole Scherzinger's performance, complimenting on her vocal and dancing abilities.

[53] In June, Scherzinger began promoting "Right There" in the UK, by appearing on series five of Britain's Got Talent to perform the single.

[62] As the first verse begins, Scherzinger is seen wearing a blue stomach-revealing crop top paired with leather boots and a braided ponytail, as she walks around a ghostly downtown Los Angeles.

[68] Eliot Glazer from MTV Buzzworthy noted that the back-up dancers reminded him that Scherzinger used to be the lead singer of the Pussycat Dolls.

[66] AOL Music's Contessa Gayles agreed saying, "She may no longer be a Pussycat Doll, but Nicole's got a whole troupe of sexy dancers backing her up".

[69] Archana Ram from Entertainment Weekly negatively criticized 50 Cent's appearance and the use of product placement, calling it a "bit much", but she later wrote that the "video is more than redeemed by Scherzinger’s warbly vocals, bump-and-grind dance moves and totally silly fashion".