The song was written by Reyez and Shy Carter alongside Björn Djupström and Tobias Frelin, the members of songwriting duo Priest and the Beast, who also produced it.

[5] It received a platinum certification from the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for selling one million track-equivalent units.

[9] Reyez made her late-night TV debut with her performance of "Figures" on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon on August 9, 2017.

[12] A live performance of "Figures" recorded for Vevo in a motel parking lot was published on Reyez's YouTube channel on March 30, 2020.

Daniel Caesar asked Jessie Reyez to join him on stage for one of five sold-out shows he played in Toronto.