Produced entirely by Tyler, the album features guest vocals from a range of artists, including Frank Ocean, ASAP Rocky, Anna of the North, Lil Wayne, Kali Uchis, Steve Lacy, Estelle, Jaden Smith and Rex Orange County.

The album received widespread acclaim from critics for its smoothness, unique blend of genres, collaborations and its production.

[1] Tyler felt that the general response to Cherry Bomb was poor and he wanted to deliver an album that succeeded it well.

[3] Tyler noted the works of Max Martin, Pharrell Williams and Justin Timberlake as musical inspirations for the album.

He decided to keep his rap verses short and to-the-point to give guest artists and instrumentation more of a focal point.

Tyler says "Let's take it back to them days / Counting sheep on Sadie Hannah's floor" which refers to the time before and during the release of his debut mixtape Bastard (2009) when he lived in his grandmother's house.

Slingerland proclaimed the song is "one of [Tyler's] most powerful recorded moments to date", and also picked out the references to sexuality.

This may also be a reference to the music video of "Who Dat Boy" in which Tyler is in a car with a River Phoenix lookalike sitting in the passenger seat.

This was especially interesting because his lyrics in previous albums were considered homophobic and led to him being banned from entering the United Kingdom for three to five years in 2015.

[20] Vanessa Okoth-Obbo of Pitchfork described "911 / Mr. Lonely" as "look[ing] at the overarching theme of loneliness, on two contrasting, but equally intriguing beats" and stated that the song "represents a further maturation in sound, and apparently his problems too".

[21] Hiba Argane of Affinity Magazine analyzed the song "Glitter", stating that it "possesses a repetitive quality, but you can almost feel a crescendo in the content".

[22] The album title, tracklist and release date was announced by Tyler, the Creator on July 6, 2017, via social media.

[27] After a one-week countdown on Twitter and Instagram, Tyler, the Creator released a music video, titled "Who Dat Boy", to his official YouTube channel on June 29, 2017.

[36] Andy Kellman of AllMusic gave a positive review, stating "While most of these songs are rife with anxiety and isolation, the open-hearted lyricism and wide-scoped productions, put together by an artist in peak form, make them immensely engrossing.

Frank Ocean, Pharrell Williams, Kali Uchis, Syd, and Estelle are among 11 supporting cast members, not one of whom is inessential to the whole".

[9] Flower Boy was named "Best New Music" by Pitchfork, with reviewer Sheldon Pearce writing, "Tyler's most sincere and most accomplished album, he gets to the essence of what he's been chiseling at: the angst of a missed connection, the pain of unrequited love, and navigating youthful ennui".

[41] In his review, Andy Gill of The Independent states, "Flower Boy presents a surprisingly sensitive, thoughtful, even pleasant personality".

[40] Lewis Lister of Clash said, "Previously it felt like as though these two sides have been difficult to reconcile on record; the abrasive would often be at odds with the tranquil, particularly on last studio album Cherry Bomb.

[42] Paul Lester of The Guardian wrote: "If anything, Flower Boy captures Tyler at his least tormented and twisted; it is an album of exquisitely arranged, melodious synth-rap, wistful and reflective, heavy on the heavenly.

"[44] In September 2022, Consequence regretted the review, with Eddie Fu stating: "Flower Boy represented musical growth characterized by its embrace of neo soul and jazz.