Cyrus wrote "Flowers" with Gregory "Aldae" Hein and Michael Pollack, while Kid Harpoon and Tyler Johnson handled the production.

A pop song with disco, rock, and funk influences, its lyrics express an ex-lover's acceptance of being independent after no longer feeling the need to rely on someone else to be complete.

In the United States, the single debuted at number one and spent eight non-consecutive weeks atop the Billboard Hot 100 in addition to becoming Cyrus's second number-one song on the chart, after "Wrecking Ball" (2013).

The song was also a commercial success worldwide, debuting atop the Billboard Global 200 chart and staying at the summit for thirteen non-consecutive weeks.

Jacob Bixenman directed the music video for "Flowers", which features Cyrus performing dances in several locations, including an outdoor pool, a backyard, and on the roof of her house.

Cyrus performed the song live on the album's accompanying documentary concert special, Endless Summer Vacation (Backyard Sessions), and My Next Guest Needs No Introduction with David Letterman, and at the 66th Annual Grammy Awards.

Following the song's performance at the 66th Annual Grammy Awards, it saw a surge in streaming numbers and sales and returned to the top ten of the Billboard Hot 100 in February 2024.

"Flowers" was written by Miley Cyrus, Gregory "Aldae" Hein, and Michael Pollack in January 2022 in Sunset Sound Recorders studio in Hollywood, California.

The initial demo version of the song was a stripped-back ballad, only consisting of Cyrus singing and Pollack playing the Rhodes piano.

[6] On December 31, 2022, while hosting her NBC live special Miley's New Year's Eve Party, Cyrus announced "Flowers" would be released simultaneously in all markets on January 13, 2023.

[13] Mary Siroky of Consequence thought that Cyrus's "raspy vocals offer an edge to the disco-toned anthem" and that the song interpolates Gloria Gaynor's "I Will Survive" (1978).

[14] Alexis Petridis of The Guardian noted its "shimmering electric guitar and understated yacht-rock mood," comparing it to Fleetwood Mac's 1977 album Rumours.

[17][18] Editors of Billboard noted that the songs only feature similar lyrical elements and ideas, meaning that the writers of "When I Was Your Man" are not required to be credited as co-writers of "Flowers".

According to Billboard's Jason Lipshutz, the single is not a "full-blown reinvention" for Cyrus, but "sturdy, hummable pop, and it captivates without bells or whistles.

"[2] The New York Times' Lindsay Zoladz described the song as "breezy" and opined that "the relatively subdued chorus melody may not demand much of Cyrus, but her vocals are imbued with a laid-back maturity and convincing self-assurance".

[23] Consequence's Mary Siroky was appreciative of the song and Cyrus, writing that the singer "has played with genre extensively throughout her career, and it's probably because her voice just sounds good in every single one of them."

She went on to add to the praise, stating that "once the chorus [in 'Flowers'] hits, she arrives at the conclusion that everything is going to be okay, and there's even a strong chance she'll be better off going forward: 'I can take myself dancing/ And I can hold my own hand/ Yeah, I can love me better than you can'."

"[24] Dale Maplethorpe of Gigwise felt that Cyrus's "incredibly recognizable voice chiming in and sounding fantastic" and noted that in the chorus "we hear a funky bassline and killer drums that don't leave the listener with much else to do other than bust a move".

[39] Jana Coffey, Spotify's artist and label partnerships leader, noted that the popularity of "Flowers" had been growing day-after-day while streaming numbers for other record-breaking songs were the largest on their first days and then declined throughout the week.

[49] On the issue dated July 8, 2023, it returned to the number one on the Global 200 after a 10-week break, which was the longest gap in the chart's history, excluding "All I Want for Christmas Is You".

After its first full week (January 13–19) "Flowers" debuted atop the Billboard Hot 100, becoming the 65th song to do so, Cyrus's second number-one single after "Wrecking Ball" in 2013 and her 11th top ten entry.

[58] The same week, Cyrus reached her career top of number three on Billboard Artist 100 chart and her back catalog had an increase of 65% in streaming in the United States.

[76] The song became the longest-running chart-topper in the over 60-year history of Adult Contemporary; it broke the record previously held by Maroon 5's "Girls Like You", which spent 36 weeks at number one.

In Germany, "Flowers" debuted at number two on the Offizielle Deutschen Singles Charts and climbed to the top position in the second week, becoming Cyrus's first chart-topper in the country.

[140] Cyrus performed "Flowers" in the documentary concert special Endless Summer Vacation (Backyard Sessions), which was released on Disney+ on March 10, 2023.

[145] Cyrus again performed the song in a private concert at the Chateau Marmont; it was filmed and featured in the premiere episode of the fifth season of Netflix's My Next Guest Needs No Introduction with David Letterman, released in June 2024—which she was the subject of.

[147] In regard to the massive radio success and longevity "Flowers" experienced, Jon Zellner, iHeartMedia president, programming operations/digital music, told Billboard that "it is one of those songs that has stood the test of time at multiple formats".

The lawsuit was filed on September 16, 2024, in Los Angeles federal court by the company Tempo Music Investments, which claimed that "Flowers" includes unauthorized "exploitation" of the song.

Co-writers Gregory Hein and Michael Pollack are also named, and Sony Music Publishing, Apple, Target, Walmart, and other companies are accused for distributing the song.

Mars, however, is not named as a plaintiff; Tempo Music claims it owns a portion of "When I Was Your Man" purchased from co-writer Philip Lawrence.