The song was written by Gomez and producers Rock Mafia, Benny Blanco and Dave Audé, while R3drum contributed additional production.

The black and white clip follows Gomez around a sprawling mansion during multiple photo shoots, dressed only in a corset and underwear, while shots of choreographed interpretive dancers, falling bullets, and blood-dripped flowers are interspersed throughout.

According to Gomez, one of the main inspirations behind the song was the body-shaming she dealt with from tabloids and social media users when paparazzi photographs emerged of her in a bikini during a trip to Mexico in April 2015.

[3] In an interview for Power 106, Gomez spoke in-depth about the inspiration behind "Kill Em with Kindness", saying: "Everybody has had a say in my life […] meaning the world, the perception, the media.

"[4] While working on the album, Gomez enlisted frequent collaborators Rock Mafia to help make her sound a reality.

[6] "Kill Em with Kindness" was written by Selena Gomez, Antonina Armato, Tim James, Benjamin Levin and David Aude.

The track was recorded by Steve Hammons and Adam Comstock at Rock Mafia Studios in Los Angeles, California.

After adding the instrumentation and programming from Dave Audé, James and Blanco produced "Kill Em with Kindness" with assistance from R3drum.

[7] After releasing three successful singles from Revival, Gomez announced that she had begun recording a follow-up to the album, stating that she was ready to move on from the era.

It features a lipstick print against a black surface, which Mike Wass of Idolator noted "vaguely ties in with the song’s message of rising above your haters.

[14][15][16] Cristina Jaleru of The Washington Times called "Kill Em with Kindness" an "approachable dance track",[14] while Mike Wass of Idolator noted that the whistle hook recalled Adam Lambert's "Ghost Town".

Lyrically, "Kill Em with Kindness" gives advice for dealing with critics, and delivers a message of choosing peace instead of violence and revenge.

Wass noted the lyrics as conveying a message of peace, saying "instead of raising the proverbial middle finger, [Gomez] takes the high road.

[22] James Reed of The Boston Globe called it a "dance-floor catnip,"[23] while Dave Hanratty of Drowned in Sound named it a "laser-focused sugar rush", adding that "Gomez succeeds in laying down a winning pop gauntlet.

"[15] Katharine St. Asaph of Time labelled it "au corant", which according to him "stirs a tropical-house breeze not dissimilar from Bieber's song 'What Do You Mean?'.

"[25] Mike Wass of Idolator referred to it as a "triple threat's measured missive to haters," noting that the message "is a powerful stance in the age of online-bullying, Twitter beefs and messy open letters.

[31] The song spent 13 weeks on the chart, with it being certified Platinum by the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) for exceeding the 70,000 sales mark.

The video also features several dancers performing interpretive moves,[33] and later "Gomez begins to shed layers of her clothing, at one point wearing just a corset and underwear.