Capitol Records was initially hesitant to release "Bitch" as the lead single from "Blurring the Edges" (1997) due to the song's explicit lyrical content. The label's vice president of artists and repertoire, Perry Watts-Russell, and producer Geza X both expressed their concerns about the song's lyrics potentially having a negative impact on its commercial performance. Peiken explained that the record label considered censoring the song, although she and Brooks convinced the label to release the song to airplay with the lyrics intact. Following the release and subsequent success of the song, Brooks commented that she felt that "Bitch" achieved its intended purpose of being a "celebration of Everywoman's multiple psyches".