Entertainment. A 12-inch edition of the song was released in the United States on September 9, 2003. Music and lyrics "Can't Hold Us Down" is written in the key of E♭ major. Chuck Taylor from Billboard described it as a R&B track, while The New York Timess Kelefa Sanneh characterized it as a hip hop song. Todd Burns writing for Stylus Magazine also noted elements of dancehall towards the end of the track. Aguilera and Kim's vocals on the track, which Taylor described as "faux-R&B", span two octaves, from F3 to F5. "Can't Hold Us Down" lyrically discusses feminism; the song criticizes "common" gender-related double standards, in which men are applauded for their sexual behaviors, while women who behave in a similar fashion are disdained. In the book Therapeutic Uses of Rap and Hip-Hop, Susan Hadley and George Yancy discuss that "Can't Hold Us Down" is a hip hop song that "encourages young women to be proud, strong, and empowered to be all that they can be". At the song's first verse, Aguilera sings "Call me a bitch 'cause I speak what's on my mind / Guess it's easier for you to swallow if I sat and smiled"; she later rejects that all women "should be seen, not heard" and encourages them to "shout louder" during the chorus. Aguilera comments on the double standard with the lyrics "The guy gets all the glory the more he can score / While the girl can do the same and yet you call her a whore". Lil' Kim shares a similar sentiment during her verse in the bridge, questioning why a man is able to give a woman "some sex or sex her raw" while "if the girl do the same and then she's a whore". Media outlets speculated that the lyrics of "Can't Hold Us Down" were directed towards rapper Eminem, who referred to Aguilera in his songs "Off the Wall" and "The Real Slim Shady". Spin magazine's Josh Kun wrote that Aguilera suggested Eminem "Must talk so big / To make up for smaller things". According to Kelefa Sanneh writing for The New York Times, Aguilera referred to Eminem in the lyrics "It's sad you only get your fame through controversy". Critical reception Upon its release, "Can't Hold Us Down" received mixed reviews from music critics. Chuck Taylor from Billboard criticized the song as a "real waste of time and talent",