It was released to country radio in the United States on April 20, 2020, as the second single from Ballerini's third studio album Kelsea (2020).

The track received positive reviews from music critics who praised the lyrical storytelling and both women's performances.

For promotion, Ballerini and Halsey performed the song live on the American television show CMT Crossroads on March 25, 2020.

"[1] Billy Dukes of Taste of Country wrote that the songwriters "practice exquisite word economy in drawing the setting and plot of this story, plus all the envy, anger, hurt that comes with it.

"[5] Mike Wass of Idolator wrote that "both women have shown extraordinary versatility with previous genre-crossing collaborations," and cited "The Other Girl" as an example of the "increasingly blurred line between pop and country.