The track serves as the fourth and final single from the Suicide Squad soundtrack.
The song was released on August 1, 2016 by Atlantic Records.
Lyrically the song speaks to her desire for a gangster's love for her, referring to the relationship between The Joker and Harley Quinn in the movie from the latter's point of view.
The song is featured on the deluxe edition of SweetSexySavage.
In 2017, pop punk band New Years Day covered "Gangsta" for the compilation album Punk Goes Pop Vol. 7.