Upon release, "Anything" was met with mixed reviews from music critics, but performed well commercially. The song peaked at number 5 on the Canadian Hot 100 and reached the top 10 on three national airplay charts. It also charted at 18 in New Zealand. In September 2016, "Anything" was certified 4× Platinum by Music Canada, making it the band's fastest and best-selling single to date.[4] The group performed the song at the 2013 Grey Cup half-time show.[5]
It's about no limitations. I think a lot of people, in their lives, face a lot of different objects and I think the song speaks to our own individual ability to be able to overcome adversity in our lives.
"Anything" is an upbeat pop song with a duration of three minutes and eleven seconds. It is composed in the key of G and set to a BPM of 76.[6] Its lyrics convey a message of defiance and believing that one can do anything they set their mind to, regardless what people may tell them or expect of them. With its anthemic nature, "Anything" expands upon themes found in previous Hedley singles including "Invincible" and "One Life".[7] Lead singer and co-writer Jacob Hoggard explained that the song is, to him, about finding the strength to rise above life's hardships.[8]
Emma Garland at Alter The Press! gave the song a mixed review, feeling that although "Anything" is "insanely catchy", the "uh-uh, fuck that" hook is "awkward" and "quickly gets irritating".[9] Philip Lickley at UK music blog All-Noise described the song as "a stadium-friendly chanting song... with a strong message" that "screams out for radio play", and rated it a 7 out of 10.[10] The single was nominated for two awards at the 2014 Juno Awards: Video of the Year and Producer of the Year.[11]
The music video for "Anything" was directed by JP Poliquin and was shot at The Great Hall in Toronto, Ontario.[8] It premiered on the band's VEVO channel on September 10, 2013.[12] Speaking about the video, Hoggard stated, "In the spirt of the concept of the song, we were like, 'Hang on, f--k, this, let's just do whatever the f--k we want. I think that would almost be the truest form of expressing the sentimentality of that song in video form.'"[13]