Puth and Trainor performed "Marvin Gaye" at "The Today Show" on August 4, 2015. The performance began with Puth playing the song at a piano, where the latter joined him during her verse, dressed in a black skirt. They also performed it during the American Music Awards of 2015 on November 22, 2015. The performance ended with a kiss between the two, midway through which Puth grabbed Trainor's derrière and she placed her hands on his jaws. "Los Angeles Times"s Jessica Gelt wrote that it might be the most talked-about kiss at an award show since Britney Spears and Madonna kissed at the 2003 MTV Video Music Awards.