The album is a "coming of age" record inspired by elements such as his rough childhood experiences of poverty, abuse, and discrimination.

Kid Krow received positive reviews from music critics for its production, songwriting and Gray's vocal performance.

The album received a boost in sales and re-entered the charts of several countries when its track "Heather" became a sleeper hit after gaining popularity on the online platform TikTok.

[3] Gray told Teen Vogue that growing up as a child of mixed race in Texas affected who he is as a person, as he felt that "he didn't really belong anywhere.

Gray wrote "Comfort Crowd" whilst experiencing loneliness after moving to Los Angeles for college and leaving his friends behind in Texas.

[8]"Wish You Were Sober" is a song that addresses the mistakes of Gray's teenage years, and acknowledges that "moments from young adult life aren't always remembered.

"[15] In the song's music video, Gray and English actress Jessica Barden are busy working the night shift at the theatre/cinema before they fend off her psychotic ex-boyfriends who have risen from the dead.

[17] The album's first interlude, "(Online Love)", is a "tenuous" 36-second sound bite of Gray singing in a near-whisper over acoustic guitar about the subject between parentheses.

In the song's music video, Gray tries to get as much "cathartic revenge" as he can, forcing him to kidnap the people who cheat on him, and further send them to a deserted island to starve to death, "because, I mean, what else am I supposed to do?

I started hanging out with them and going to their parties and seeing this other side of the world, and I discovered that even these people who grew up with tons of money are absolutely miserable.

We all have a lot of the same problems.In the second interlude, "(Can We Be Friends)", Gray sings "If anyone fucks with you I'll knock their teeth out" with a sense of "Sufjan Stevens intimacy.

Jordan Tilchen from MTV wrote, "he seems despondent and like he's lost hope as he roams lonely dirt roads, he knows that it's 'not the end of the story.

Brendan Wetmore from Paper wrote, "At just 21 years old, [Gray] has managed to package the nostalgic loves, lusts, fears and triumphs of his peers into a 30-minute calming storm.

"[1] Piper Westrom of Riff wrote, "Tackling subjects that others wouldn't touch while balancing personal testimonials, Gray displays a mental serenity within his songs that project a bright future.

"[22] Will Strickson of DIY described the album as "a collection of catchy choruses, big harmonies and lyrics straight out of a high school drama," and noted that "[Gray's] music is drawn from raw emotion and not a business plan, [which] makes it clear why he's already well on his way to being a 2020 icon.

"[32] Gabe Bergado of Teen Vogue wrote that the album "shows off Conan's sonic versatility, the throughline being his thoughtful, vulnerable lyrics.

"[2] Tobi Akingbade of NME reiterated colleague Sophie Williams' 2019 statement: "Gray glosses over millennial ennui with an innate, laid back charm; dreams are made and hearts are broken as he navigates the woes of adolescence with wistful nuance.

"[35] The album was noted to have drawn striking similarities to works by Lorde[22][11] and Taylor Swift,[9][22][1][32][36][11] two of Gray's biggest inspirations.

In October 2019, he embarked on his Comfort Crowd Tour of North America with support from acclaimed New Zealand musician Benee as well as American recording artist UMI.