The song became a hit, reaching number one in Denmark, Italy, Norway and Switzerland.
According to James Salmon from Yahoo! Music, the song is a "typically robust 'go girl' anthem."
Jose F. Promis writing for Allmusic called it "the soulful, bombastic rocker".
Sal Cinquemani from Slant Magazine wrote that "Anastacia's tenacious attitude on songs like 'Paid My Dues' carve a unique niche for the singer."
Aidin Vaziri wrote for Rolling Stone that the song is "grating" and an "obvious offender."