Written by Katy alongside Goldon Warren, who also produced it under the name Geeneus, the track was released as a standalone single via digital retailers on 8 July 2013 by Rinse and Columbia Records.

[6] What Love Is Made Of" was premiered during Irish DJ Annie Mac's eponymous program on BBC Radio 1, on 10 May 2013,[7][8] though its digital download only occurred on 5 July 2013.

It was serviced as an extended play, where it was bundled with three remixes, by MK (Mark Kinchen), Felix da Housecat and Brackles.

"[11] Having a length of three minutes and fifty-five seconds (3:55), "What Love Is Made Of" is an uptempo dance and house track that has been described as "rave-y" and "trance-y".

Siân Rowe from NME was extremely positive about "What Love Is Made Of", describing it as "darker than anything" from On a Mission, while calling it "slinky".

[17] Pitchfork Media's Katherine St. Asaph commented that, in the song, the singer "sound[ed] completely enthralled, by either her lover or the music" and complimented her voice, noting that it seemed "ten times bigger than before".

[8] Jordan Sargent of Spin magazine called the track "exuberant" and highlighted Katy's vocal performance, which he deemed "typically fantastic",[12] while the team from pop music website Popjustice gave "What Love Is Made Of" a rating of seven points out of ten.

[19] Digital Spy editor Lewis Corner opined that the song was "very good" and commented that "the Peckham star is back doing what she does best, albeit slightly more polished around the edges".

[20] Sam Lansky from Idolator believed that the song had potential to become a "club hit" and named it the "biggest thing she’s recorded to date", while like other critics, highlighting Katy's vocals.

[25] According to Michael Depland from MTV Buzzworthy, the visual takes inspiration from the American action film series The Fast and the Furious, as it delves into "the world of underground of street racing".

[27] The video begins with a closeup shot of Katy's face, surrounded by alternating red and blue lights, as she mouths the song's lyrics.

Katy is sitting on the automobile's passenger seat, while looking to her love interest, who is repairing the car, seemingly worried.