"Genie in a Bottle" received generally favorable reviews from contemporary music critics, most of whom praised the song's lyrics and Aguilera's vocals on the track. It was nominated for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance at the 42nd Annual Grammy Awards. The single achieved commercial success, peaking atop the record charts of 21 countries. In the United States, the song peaked atop the "Billboard" Hot 100 and was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), having sold more than 1.4 million copies in the country.