The first official performance of the song occurred on 20 January 2010, where Vanilla Ice joined the duo at the National Television Awards in London.

"[3] Louis Walsh said about the release: "Jedward really captured the public's imagination while on The X Factor.

As 'Under Pressure' was the track that really catapulted the boys to fame, it seemed only fitting to release the song as their first single.

"[4] Alex Fletcher of Digital Spy reviewed the song negatively, giving it an average 2/5, saying "Quite where Jedward go next remains to be seen — can they squeeze out an entire album of corny pop-rap covers?

Vanilla Ice joins the twins in a later scene, performing in front of a graffiti design prepared by Thomas Dolan.

On 5 February 2010, "Under Pressure" entered the Irish Singles Chart at number 1, following strong digital downloads.

On 7 February, the song entered the UK Singles Chart at number 2, just missing out on the top spot behind "Fireflies" by Owl City.