Brown co-wrote the song with Andre Merritt, Rob Allen, Brian Kennedy, and Jamal "Polow da Don" Jones; the latter two are also the producers.

The song was written by Brown and his songwriting team, the Graffiti Artists (Rob Allen and Andre Merritt).

He stated that after entering the studio, Polow da Don created a beat that Brown wrote along to.

Because the producer's style was "more of a European, techno, house-type feel,"[2] the group "wanted to give it that other side of crossover, and go a little bit to that pop realm".

[2] "Forever" is one of four new songs Brown recorded for the re-release of his second studio album Exclusive.

[3] "Forever" is an extended version of a commercial jingle for Doublemint gum, commissioned by an advertising company working for Wrigley.

Brown first created the short version for the commercial, then extended and expanded it into a full song during a recording session in February 2007, which was paid for by the gum company.

[4] Although the label initially was reluctant to release "Forever" as a single, the song was so "potent and strong" that it overruled any hesitations regarding its commercial connections.

[8] The next year, it was released on April 22, 2008, in Australia,[9] Canada,[10] and Japan,[11] then on August 12, 2008, in the United States[12] and Germany.

[20] It contains influences of trance and techno,[21] as well as of Timbaland's production style, with synthesized voices over a drum machine pattern.

[25] The music video starts off with Brown driving up to a nightclub, unwrapping a fresh stick of Doublemint gum, and walking inside.

[26] According to the Billboard, the song's video is "digital dream about sharing with one who makes your world stop.

[21] Billboard stated that the single "is really a love song but bangs with electrified production from Polow Da Don to ignite dancefloors.

"[20] Alex Fletcher of Digital Spy gave the song two out of five stars, saying "Listening to 'Forever' is a pleasant enough experience, but this track never truly sparks into life or finds its own identity."

He went on to say that, "His style is a bit hard to distinguish from Usher, Ne-Yo and the rest of the current crop of American male solo artists.

"[29] HotNewHipHop mentioned "Forever" as a "standout track in Chris Brown’s discography, highlighting his ability to craft timeless hits that transcend musical genres".

[30] "Forever" has reached number one in Ireland and New Zealand, and the top ten in Australia, Canada, the United States and the UK.

"Forever" debuted at number-forty on the New Zealand RIANZ Singles Chart, and in its second week ascended to number-five before reaching its peak at number-one, due to high digital sales.