It peaked at number two on the US Billboard Hot 100, blocked by Carey's own "We Belong Together" and Kanye West's and Jamie Foxx’s "Gold Digger" for six weeks.

The song's music video, directed by Jake Nava features numerous extravagant wardrobe changes and starred actor Chris Tucker.

[8] Written and produced by Carey, Jermaine Dupri, Bryan-Michael Cox and Johntá Austin, the song drew comparisons to several productions from Usher's 2004 album, Confessions.

[16] Michael Paoletta, writing for Billboard, gave the song a positive review, complimenting its lyrics, production and Carey's vocals.

[17] He concluded his review with his assurance that the song would be a success, writing "After 'We Belong Together' brought her back to radio big time, 'Shake It Off' will take Carey's good fortune to the next step.

Sal Cinquemani from Slant Magazine wrote "Mariah too heavily bites on the styles of her successors: Usher by way of Dupri on 'Shake It Off',"[9] while Dan Gennoe of Yahoo!

"[15] While Todd Burns from Stylus Magazine described it as "sultry",[18] a writer from the Fort Worth Star-Telegram called it "lyrically crude" and "ghetto".

[21] In its seventh week on the chart, it reached number two behind Carey's previous single, "We Belong Together," marking the first time a female lead artist occupied the top two positions of the Hot 100.

[36] Most notably, Carey began incorporating hip-hop and pop from her 1995 remix of her single "Fantasy", which featured rap verses from Ol' Dirty Bastard (O.D.B.).

[37] According to Kelefa Sanneh of The New York Times, the song "Nowadays clean-cut pop stars are expected to collaborate with roughneck rappers, but when Ms. Carey teamed up with Ol' Dirty Bastard, of the Wu-Tang Clan, for the 1995 hit 'Fantasy (Remix),' it was a surprise, and a smash.

"[37] Originally intended to feature only Jay-Z, the remix included rising rapper Young Jeezy, who considered the position the "highest-profile guest appearance to date" that he had been offered.

[38][39] According to Jayanathi Daniel, writer of The New York Sun, Carey's remixes of "Shake If Off" and "It's Like That" helped cement her impression on the music scene during the release of The Emancipation of Mimi, writing "the multiple mix tapes, further legitimized her return.

"[40] In a review of Jay-Z's material at the time, an editor at XXL rated the remix two out of five stars, criticizing his lyrics and "swag", which he felt were missing during lines reading "The Emancipation of M-I-M-I / I spray semi rrrah, rrrrah / Twenty worldwide nigga get your plaques / Guess who the fuck got his swagger back?".

He concluded on a mixed note, writing "With run-of-the-mill punchlines and a dated reference to How Stella Got Her Groove Back, Jay seems to be missing some of his usual swagger on this white label–only remix.

[43] When Nava suggested she wear a pair of sensible flat footwear in between shoots, Carey jokingly replied "my feet repel them dahling.

"[44] The single's video was directed by Jake Nava, and contains numerous wardrobe changes by Carey in a storyline involving luxurious scenery in which the singer leaves her significant other.

As the television fades, Carey is then shown lying in a bathtub overflowing with water and rose petals, with her hair flowing over the side of the tub.

Next, the camera follows down one floor of the mansion to find Carey, decked out in bright blue makeup and high heels, as she sings "By the time you get this message / It's gonna be too late / So don't bother paging me / 'Cause I'll be on my way," into the phone, which she then throws against the wall.

With shops named "So So Fetch" and "Pink Yet Lavender", Carey then walks up to a brick wall, where she passes Dupri, who makes a cameo appearance.

"[45] Her phone breaks up as she drives past the "Hollyhood" sign, so she tells him, "Hold on," singing, "Save this recording, because I'm never coming back home.

"[45] Carey is then shown on bleachers at a high school football game, with Da Brat featured as a cameo act, as she argues with a man in the background.

[50] Following the release of "It's Like That", Carey embarked on several stateside, European and Asian promotional tours in support of The Emancipation of Mimi, as well as its accompanying singles.

In the United Kingdom, Carey filmed a two-part appearance on the British music program Top of the Pops, performing "It's Like That", "We Belong Together" and "Shake It Off".

[52][53] On August 3, USA Today announced that Carey would be added to the roster of performers at the 2005 MTV Video Music Awards, held on the 28th of the month.

After being introduced by Eva Longoria, Carey appeared on a long stage in the hotel's courtyard, with Dupri opening the song with his rap verses in a nearby cabana.

[56] After performing "Shake It Off" and the official remix version of "We Belong Together," Carey made her way into the shallow pool, followed by Dupri and the back-up dancers.

[58] On November 15, 2005, the Chicago Tribune announced that Carey would perform during half-time of the Thanksgiving game between the Detroit Lions and the Atlanta Falcons.

[61] The special, titled Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve with Ryan Seacrest, aired on ABC at 10 pm on December 31, and featured Carey on stage wearing a short sparkling dress, and performing a selection of the album's singles, including "Shake It Off".

[66] Sporting a black bikini and matching sheer cape, Carey sang the song while, according to some critics, performing some of her most diverse physical movements from the entire show.

[67] According to Ryan J. Downey of MTV News, Carey gave a "rousing rendition" of the song, and "set the tone for what felt like a celebratory evening.