It earned Cher a place in the Guinness Book of World Records as the oldest female solo artist to top the Billboard Hot 100 chart.
The song is one of the first commercial recordings to feature the audio processor software Auto-Tune as a vocal effect, used to produce the prominent altered effect on Cher's vocals. This technique would eventually become known as the "Cher effect".
The song attained immense global success, reaching number one in almost every country it charted, including Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, Spain, France, Germany, Italy and the United States.
Lyrically, the song is about the personal empowerment and self-sufficiency after a painful break-up.
The track became the highest-selling single by a solo female artist in the United Kingdom.