The media, when describing Bird's music, have drawn comparisons with pop, Americana, country and folk rock.

In 2020, amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, Bird was the first artist to collaborate with Microsoft in what was named the RE:Surface project, a virtual live-streamed concert.

[4] It was during this time in Wales, living with her mother and grandmother (who had also been through a divorce), that Bird began to write songs.

[4][6] While in her final year at BRIT School, Bird recorded a demo of 13 tracks in her friend's bathroom, which would later bring her a management deal.

[9] She played a showcase event at South by Southwest in Austin, Texas in March 2017 and later in the year she opened for First Aid Kit, Son Little and London Grammar.

[12] Also in 2017, Bird recorded her debut extended play (EP), Something American, in Rhinebeck, Boiceville and Palenville, all in New York.

Stephanie Penman commented that the songs were "musical masterpieces" and Amanda Erwin stated "[it is] no surprise Bird has found a concrete voice of her own so quickly, unafraid to bare her raw emotions on each track.

[21] Atwood Magazine noted some lyrical similarities with the previous single "Lottery" but also mentioned that the song demonstrated hard rock influences throughout.

[20] In November, she released another single from the album, "Love Has All Been Done Before", and finished off the year with a tour of the UK and Republic of Ireland.

[23] The upbeat rock song was described by Bird as being influenced by "the stream of thought that runs through your head at all times as an overthinker".

[4][7][26] In preparation for its release, Bird toured with Irish singer-songwriter Hozier, playing in venues such as the Mahaffey Theater, The Fillmore and Ovens Auditorium, gaining positive attention from American music critics.

[31] NME called the entire album "a triumph" while Clash led with labelling Jade Bird as "[an] assured debut from a force to be reckoned with".

"[34] The release of the album was followed by a nomination for Emerging Act Of The Year in the 2019 Americana Music Honors & Awards.

[38] Following the cancellation of her 2020 tour, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Bird collaborated with Microsoft and was the first artist to take part in their RE:Surface project, a virtual live-streamed concert,[39] on 29 May 2020.

[47][48] The album, produced by Dave Cobb, was written in Japan, Mexico, Nashville and New York and contains inspiration from Bird's own life experiences as well as fictional characters from her imagination.

[54][55] Rolling Stone described Bird's vocals as "raw and robust" and called her a "young Londoner’s spin on modern Americana".

[56] Ellen Johnson of Paste complimented Bird's raspy vocals in a review of her debut album and went on to say, "[she] sounds like the adopted child of Joplin and Leslie Feist, or Cat Power and Grace Potter".

"[5] Her lyrics are based upon a combination of real life experiences and words and concepts that she finds aesthetically pleasing.