[2] The song was featured in the ninth episode of the third season of the television series Gossip Girl (in which Meester starred as Blair Waldorf), titled "They Shoot Humphreys, Don't They?"

[4][5] "Somebody to Love" is a midtempo electropop song that combines Meester's "pop-electronica vibe" with Thicke's "smooth R&B stylings".

"[6] Sarah MacRory of Billboard described the song as "a carefully constructed ode to vintage Madonna—particularly in its 'Vogue'-like verses, where Meester semi-raps rather than sings.

She noted Thicke's cameo as "[t]he song's high point", as he "delivers a catchy chorus that cries out for a sped-up dance remix.

It also includes cameo appearances by Laker Girl Vanessa Curry and one of the song's writers, Shahine Ezell.