The album also features guest appearances by Jhené Aiko, R. Kelly, Dej Loaf, Lil Yachty, Usher, Gucci Mane, Yo Gotti, A Boogie wit da Hoodie, Kodak Black, Future, Young Thug, Ty Dolla Sign, and Verse Simmonds, with the deluxe edition having additional features from Agnez Mo, Trippie Redd, Ella Mai, and Solo Lucci.

Six official singles were released from Heartbreak on a Full Moon: "Grass Ain't Greener", "Party", "Privacy", "Pills & Automobiles", "Questions", and "Tempo".

[2] He said in a 2017 interview with Nessa, that with Heartbreak on a Full Moon’s unorthodox length he wanted to "outdo expectations" and "push the boundaries on artistry".

[9] RCA Records initially did not want to release an album of such length, thinking this would damage its commercial performance, but the singer ended up convincing them otherwise.

[2] He explained the concept for the album in August 2017 during an interview for Complex, saying, "I thought Heartbreak on a Full Moon was a depiction of what my soul wanted to say.

[18] The songwriting of the album was noted for being "sentimental", "sultry", "personal" and "explicit",[15] showing every emotional aspect of what's been on the singer's mind after a heavy-hearted breakup.

[18] Its themes include regret, love turning into hate, internal conflict and the impossibility of getting over someone, while depicting the singer's try to escape his sorrows through a reckless and promiscuous lifestyle, then realizing how that behaviour can't numb the pain of his heartbreak.

According to Andy Kellman of AllMusic, the character portrayed by Brown on Heartbreak on a Full Moon "often mood swings from playboy-hedonistic to sweet-romantic to scorned-acidic to sorrowful-heartbroken".

[19] Analyzing its lyrical content Prezzy of The Boombox said that "throughout the first disc the singer tries to exorcise the demons of love lost, while on the second one he mostly pours out the torments of his heartbreak".

[15] Renowned for Sound stated that "The first disc is a hedonistic mix of moody and lascivious", while the second half of the album has a "somber feel", with the "break-up tracks" showing the singer's "emotional side".

[18] Jenkins wrote that the "breakup tracks' intensity" is elevated by "shattered, jilted reflection and profound yearning" transmitted through Brown's "pleading tenor voice".

[18] Heartbreak on a Full Moon starts with "Lost & Found", a song where the singer depicts the situation of a hurtful breakup in the making, being sung in perspective to the girl he's dealing with.

[16] According to HotNewHipHop, on the opening track “he waxes poetic about a femme fatal addicted to the high life [...] utilizing a lower register on the chorus”.

[16] Brown “front-faces vulnerability” on the “regretful” songs "Enemy", "Tough Love" and "Even", apologizing to his ex-girlfriend for hurting her, sadly reminiscing the best moments passed together.

[19] "This Ain't" was described as a "quasi-ballad" showcasing the singer's “sensitive side”, with lyrics about Brown realizing that a woman treats their "lovin'" relationship as just physical.

[29][30][31][32] From January through March 2016, he released videos on his Instagram profile previewing the unreleased songs "Lost and Found"[33] "Sip", "Notice" and "Dead Wrong".

[37] On April 27 through Twitter, he announced the European leg of his One Hell of a Nite Tour, the documentary Welcome to My Life, his collaborative mixtape with his OHB group, Before the Trap: Nights in Tarzana, and the release of a new single on May 5, the day of Brown's 27th birthday.

[38][39][40] On May 3 he revealed that the single would be the already previewed "Grass Ain't Greener", announcing his eighth solo album Heartbreak on a Full Moon.

[52][53] On June 7, 2017, during the red carpet interviews at the premiere of his own documentary, Welcome To My Life, Brown announced that the album's release date was postponed to mid-summer.

[55] Later on August 4, 2017, he released the album's fourth single "Pills & Automobiles", which features guest vocals from Yo Gotti, A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie and Kodak Black.

[22] On October 13, 2017, Brown released the promotional single "High End", that features guest vocals from Future and Young Thug, and announced the final tracklist of the album.

A couple days before Heartbreak on a Full Moon’s release, Brown partnered with Spotify's Rap Caviar for a segment where he painted the album cover, mostly from dancing around the canvas.

"[18] In a mixed review, HipHopDX writer Scott Glaysher stated: "There is no denying the technical flawlessness of his voice, but even those perfect pipes can't save the lifelessly formulaic songwriting.