[2][3] The album's deluxe edition was released on December 6, 2024 and included six new songs, with guest appearances from Normani, Ayra Starr and Chloe Bailey.

[4] Five years after his second studio album Free Spirit and the mixtape Scenic Drive (2021), Khalid explained that he needed time to understand what kind of artist he wanted to be after his debut at the age of seventeen.

"[6] The album featured severals authors and producers, including Khalid himself, Aldae, Edgar Barrera, Mark London, Psymun and John Hill; the track "Please Don't Fall in Love With Me" samples "Un-Thinkable (I'm Ready)" by Alicia Keys and Drake.

[12] Mark Kennedy of Associated Press wrote that the album "is a collection of beautiful harmonies and airy and spare rhythms", loosing the singer's songwriting past works, pointing out that it "just zips along without leaving much of a trace, [...] maybe because the artist is just treading water".

[13] Okla Jones of Essence wrote that Khalid "took a minimalist approach with this project", in which "he visits the more tumultuous side of intimacy, which provides listeners with a smooth balance of storytelling throughout the album".