After Spears first listened to the song, she felt it was different and unlike anything she had heard before. She posted a snippet of it online on March 2, , prior to the album's release. The artwork for the single was released on September 14, It is considered one of the few ballads on Femme Fatale , and is less aggressive than the other songs of the album.
In the song, Spears sings about being in love with a bad boy and outlaw , and pleads to her mother to not worry about their relationship. The accompanying music video for the song was filmed at Dalston and Stoke Newington , London.
It features Spears as a woman in upper society and follows her relationship with a criminal, played by her then real-life boyfriend Jason Trawick.
Prior to its release, London officials criticized Spears for shooting scenes with a replica gun and glamorizing violence. The video received a positive response from critics, with some calling it the best music video from Femme Fatale. Reviewers also perceived parallels between the video and Spears's personal life.
A revival in interest for the song occurred when it went viral on TikTok , particularly with the "Mugshot Challenge". It has since become Spears' fourth most liked music video on YouTube; and in October , the single reached a new peak of daily listeners on Spotify with , streams occurring on October 2. He gets exactly what I am saying when I tell him what I want and don't want musically". On August 5, , she launched a poll on her Facebook page asking fans whether her next single should be "Criminal", " Inside Out " or " Drop Dead Beautiful.
