The song was nominated for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance at the 43rd Grammy Awards held on February 21, 2001.
In the United States, the song spent 24 weeks on the US Billboard Hot 100 during which time it topped the chart, becoming her second consecutive US number one single after topping the chart on the issue date of January 15, 2000 for two consecutive weeks, becoming the first #1 song of the 2000s.
The single was certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) and has sold over 600,000 copies in the US.
The song was written by Shelly Peiken and Guy Roche.
The song was completed and pitched to RCA executive Ron Fair as "What a Girl Needs" and was renamed "What a Girl Wants".