The music and lyrics were written by James Hetfield and Lars Ulrich, and they were joined by Bob Rock to produce the song.

After accessing the butte by helicopter, Metallica and their instruments were alone on the plateau, circled by filming aircraft, for over twelve hours.

[3] With 77,000 miles (124,000 km) on the odometer, the restored two-door car had an automatic transmission and was bidding at US$70,100 (equivalent to $116,106 in 2023) with seven days remaining in the auction; proceeds from the sale were earmarked for music education programs.

[11] Music critic Mike McGuirk (of the San Francisco Bay Guardian) described "I Disappear" as leaning on a reworking of "Enter Sandman" with an incorporation of some grunge aesthetic.

McGuirk said that following Metallica's Load, which he called their "country record", this new song with a "mega" riff and "catchy as hell" melodic choruses proved that the band was not afraid to change things up.