[5] Halle was away from Chlöe for many months during this time, filming the 2023 live action adaptation of The Little Mermaid abroad after landing the lead role.

She started recording under the impression it would make part of Chloe x Halle's third album, but the music ultimately evolved into the groundwork for a solo project.

[10] On March 16, she revealed the album cover art,[11] which is a recreation of a porcelain doll holding her heart in her hand that Bailey had seen 3 years prior.

[12] On January 24, the singer announced her upcoming debut album with a short teaser video, previewing the song "Heart on My Sleeve".

[13] In the video, Chlöe wears "a sleek red leather gown, acting as a scale as she holds a human heart on one arm and a sphere on the other.

[28] Mosi Reeves of Rolling Stone described the album as a "fascinating albeit uneven listen", adding that Chlöe's "chosen a sound that's more reflective of her contemporaries — caustically self-aware and skeptical towards sexual relations yet buoyed by her songwriting talents and vocal performances.

"[32] In a positive review, Clash's Shahzaib Hussain felt that Chlöe bridged "prayer with pop melodrama" and called In Pieces a "solid introduction" to her "R&B-pop oeuvre; an anxious, anguished and frenetically paced crossover project.

[1] Echoing Williams' statements, Heven Haile of Pitchfork felt that the album's "generic songwriting and chemistry-free features" didn't support Chlöe's reputation as a "generational talent".

Haile did, however, praised the "flirty and upbeat" standout single "Body Do", describing it as a "bumping dance track overlaid with ethereal falsettos" and a "convincing introduction to Chlöe the pop star."