Since 2010, singer-songwriter and musician Gen Hoshino has written and performed an annual birthday song for the comedian Yūki Himura on the TBS Radio show of his owarai duo Bananaman.

[4] In April 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, Hoshino posted a one-minute video of an acoustic song titled "Dancing on the Inside" to Instagram and asked users to finish it.

The initiative became a viral phenomenon in Japan that attracted responses from various artists and celebrities,[5][6] including a controversial video from prime minister Shinzo Abe.

[7] Since the pandemic left his schedule cleared, Hoshino then allocated time to practice using digital audio workstations (DAWs) and keyboard; previously a composer on guitar, he thought the new instruments would help further develop his sound.

[8][9] Over a phone call, he received a lecture on the workings of DAWs from music producer and drummer Mabanua, who had participated in the "Dancing on the Inside" trend.

[16] A hip hop-styled track,[17] it is comprised by a minimal beat that loops, unlike the ensemble sound found on Hoshino's prior works.

[18] Rockin'On Japan's Hirokazu Koike, who found the track to be peaceful, described "Halfway" as a crossover between Caribbean steelpan-like tropical sounds and a modern trap beat.

Writing for Rockin'On Japan, Hirokazu Koike personally found enjoyment in the lyrics and Hoshino's programming work, but thought that the composition would be generally perceived by most listeners as "simple and airy".

[23] "Halfway" was performed at the Club Quattro live house for Hoshino's online concert Gratitude on July 12, 2020, in celebration of the tenth year anniversary of Baka no Uta's release.

The song was arranged in a live ensemble style that added saxophone by Satoru Takeshima and choral vocals by keyboardist Eiko Ishibashi and guitarist Ryosuke Nagaoka.