noted that although the samples were used in the song "Satisfy You" by Puff Daddy about one and a half year ago, the remix of "Irresistible" sounded "kinda sweet". Sony Music Entertainment released "Irresistible" in the United Kingdom and Ireland on April 12, 2001. In the United States, "Irresistible" was first commissioned as a radio-only single, on April 17, 2001. Later, a promotional CD single was issued, containing the album version of the song. A vinyl was also released, on June 26, 2001, which includes the remixes of the song. In France, the single was released on April 27, 2001, as a maxi-single and vinyl. The pressing contains the album version as the A-side, and the So So Def remix as the B-side. Sony Music released a CD single of "Irresistible" in Germany, on June 25, 2001. Sony Music Holland released the song as a single in the Netherlands on June 23, 2001. In Australia, "Irresistible" was released on July 2, 2001, as a CD single. The same day, it was released in Sweden through Sony Music. The song is also included on the Italian compilation album Festivalbar (2001). Critical reception "Irresistible" was received with mostly mixed reviews by music critics. Although a few critics called the song a "peppy" number, others commented that they did not like the song, and criticized the sexuality of its lyrics and the over-usage of digital sound manipulators. Stephen Thomas Erlewine of Allmusic stated that the song and "A Little Bit", the second single released from the parent album, were a "double-punch" and picked the former song as a standout from the album. Cashbox Canada, ranking the song at number ten on "Top 10 Love Songs: The Crush", praised it as "an ode to love at step one". Similarly, Chuck Taylor of Billboard reviewed "Irresistible" favorably, calling it "a sexy, uptempo romp about new found love that proves Simpson's pop intuition." In another review, Taylor complimented the contemporary appeal of the track and felt that it would be a staple at radios. He also noticed that the breakdown and spoken passages of the song gave it a "street edge", something not previously heard from Simpson. Teresa Gubbins of The Dallas Morning News had mixed feelings towards the song in her review, writing that its sound might help Simpson get attention on urban radios, but did nothing to demonstrate her voice. Larry Printz of The