The album features production from David Guetta, Boys Noize, Nick Marsh, Jean Baptiste, and Benny Benassi, amongst others.

Her manager Jeff Rhaban explained, "It was a case of being in the ever-shrinking world of the record industry and finding herself on a label she wasn't signed to and without a champion".

She recorded much of the songs in the garage of her Los Angeles home,[2] named Casa de Kelis, while finishing touches were added at Jeepney Studios.

[1] On December 1, 2009, it was confirmed that Kelis had signed to Interscope Records through the will.i.am Music Group, and that her then-untitled fifth studio album featured production from will.i.am, Free School, Boys Noize, Burns, DJ Ammo, and David Guetta.

[8] The preview also detailed individual songs: "Acapella", helmed by David Guetta, is a tribute to her son; "4th of July", which was produced by DJ Ammo; "Kids", which is inspired by gay clubgoers; and "Carefree American", an acoustic-guitar driven number.

[17] "Scream" has elements of electro-rap, house, and electroclash,[18][19] and its production contains a "blade of blues melody [that] slices in atop a rinky-dink sampled piano".

"[17] Several critics stated how the song has split sections, sometimes like "a beat-free beach house piano-based meditation"[19][20] whilst at other times, sounding like "haughty electroclash ingenue".

[34] On February 26, 2010, Kelis officially premiered the lead single "Acapella" at Eva Longoria's Las Vegas nightclub Eve,[35] where she also performed three songs from the album.

[40] In the United Kingdom, Kelis promoted the album on GMTV, Later... with Jools Holland, BBC Radio 1's Live Lounge and debuted "4th of July (Fireworks)" as a single on T4.

[51] AllMusic writer Andy Kellman stated that "Flesh Tone is a headlong dive into sleek dance-pop ... [yet] it is much more personal than any of her past releases", concluding that the album "remains a stylistic outlier, the disc will always be a bright standout in Kelis' discography.

"[52] Caroline Sullivan of The Guardian shared a similar sentiment and wrote, "As with her previous records, her fifth studio album doesn't sound like anyone else – [it's] stamped with her unique take on things.

[58] Sarah Bee of BBC Online called it a "sensual and exhilarating album" and praised Kelis's performance, stating "Kelis has always been a strong character and a brave musician – this is what carries the album and assures your ears that it's no out-of-element flounder ... [Her] honey-husky voice slips easily into the hypnotic repetitions of dance music vocalisation.

"[20] Digital Spy's Nick Levine stated that "Flesh Tone grabs your attention straight away and refuses to let go ... [she] has reinvented herself as a Europoppy dance diva ...

[62] Magaret Wappler of the Los Angeles Times expressed that Kelis has managed to "make a spirited but disciplined set of classic Euro-club bangers.

Sometimes they're darkly contemplative, slipping into trance; other times they nearly rip at the seams ... it's clear that Kelis has carved out a new niche for herself, dancing in front of the turntables till the lights come on, if they dare.

"[15] Sam Richards of Uncut complimented its fusion of "R&B sass to thumping club beats" and stated "most everything Kelis touches drips with class".

[63] Gavin Haynes of NME felt that "Flesh Tone has already filled out an application form for pop record of the year" and stated, "Her ability to appear unimpeachably cool hasn't wavered either.