Having written five number-one hits for Katy Perry, Taio Cruz, and Britney Spears at the time, McKee was looking to make a name for herself as an artist.

[3] Bonnie McKee had already released the album Trouble under Reprise Records, but was dropped from the label following its mediocre performance and personal incidents.

[3][2] McKee had emailed Sony Music and received permission to rerecord her album along with the ability to license and include "American Girl".

[2] Connor Gotto of Retropop described the album as a "treasure trove for pop fans", and praised the personality featured in the songs.

Gotto also wrote that the album "captures the essence" of music on the charts of the early 2010s and acts as a "perfect" companion to Katy Perry's Teenage Dream.