"Thriving" was released by Republic Records as a digital single on May 10, 2019 to commence with Nas and Blige's The Royalty Tour and peaked at number 21 on the US Adult R&B Songs.

[1] Blige performed a solo version of the song first on New York City radio station Power 105.1's The Breakfast Club and shared a snippet on Instagram in March 2019.

[2] Along with the cover art, Blige also posted a quote from poet Maya Angelou on her Instagram in April 2019, writing "my mission in life is not merely to survive, but to THRIVE, and do so with some passion, some compassion, some humor, and some style.

"[2] Rolling Stone editor Ryan Reed wrote that "with its melismatic vocal hooks, the track showcases Blige’s soulful voice throughout as she reflects on overcoming challenges [...] Nas appears halfway through with a brief verse, name-dropping Muhammad Ali and squashing negative energy.

Her message [...] is delivered atop a tense, urgent, two-bar vamp and a sustained tone that run nearly nonstop through the track, hinting at psychedelic-era Temptations.