The song was met with a mixed reaction from music critics; some were complimentary of her decision to work with Hit-Boy and Rich Homie Quan, while others felt that Carey was trying too hard to appeal to a mass audience by doing so.

Following the release of the album, "Thirsty" debuted on the South Korean International Gaon Single Chart at number 78 due to strong digital download sales.

In the colourful picture, Carey is making a "sultry" pose in a strapless bikini top with matching lower half wrapped around her, with her midriff on show.

[14] For his part, he adds a "comedic element" by performing the line "Somebody get this girl a class of water/ I say she six nickels, not a dime past a quarter.

"[15] The minimalist synth line of "Thirsty" has garnered comparisons to that of "Niggas in Paris", a song performed by Kanye West and Jay-Z, which was also produced by Hit-Boy in 2011.

[12] Critics have noted that although it is Hit-Boy's signature style to include a "steering background" beat in his production, that "Thirsty" is too "busy" compared to "Niggas in Paris" and that it comes off as "less appealing" and "watered-down" in comparison.

[14][16] Gerrick D. Kennedy for the Los Angeles Times wrote that "Thirsty" lacks the "heft" of a song that Hit-Boy produced called "Flawless" for Beyoncé's self-titled album in 2013.

Christina Lee for Idolator was complimentary of the song, describing it as a single which her record label most probably wanted to release from the album in the first place.

Music, Bill Johnson, Jr. praised Carey for collaborating with Rich Homie Quan and for "working with rappers who are on the cusp of going mainstream."

He explained that it is her "consistency and emphasis" on exposing up and coming rappers who are yet to release their own album that allows her to appeal to younger audiences, noting that they both benefit from the exposure.

"[4] Slant Magazine's Alexa Camp described the track as a "corrective of sorts" to her 2012 urban single release "Triumphant (Get 'Em)", a collaboration with Rick Ross and Meek Mill, noting that "Thirsty" is not "littered" with guest features.

She continued to write that although it does not possess the memorability of some of her past releases, such as "Fantasy" or "Emotions", it serves as "a reminder of the pop gold Mimi can mine when she's on top of her game.

"[11] Gerrick D. Kennedy for the Los Angeles Times was less impressed with "Thirsty", writing that although the song is not a "dud," he believes that Carey deserves better considering that it was she "who set the blueprint for mashing ethereal pop-R&B melodies with speaker-rattling hip-hop beats."