The song was written by Brown, Wayne, Bobby Brackins, Ty Dolla $ign, and the producers, as well as different interpolative-credited artists, varying for each respective version.

Producer Nic Nac and American R&B singer Ty Dolla $ign, started the work of the song, creating the beat and a first version of the hook.

Talking about the making of "Loyal", Brown said: “Nic Nac and Ty Dolla Sign came with a couple concepts for it, and wrote the pre-demo before I finished the record off”.

[11] "Loyal" contains an interpolation of "Money Ain't a Thang" (1998), performed by Jay-Z featuring Jermaine Dupri, for which its composers are credited as writers.

[12] In regard to its lyrical content, Chris Brown, during a 2014 interview with Ebro Darden, called it an "updated" version of hip hop tracks like "All About U" (1996) by Tupac Shakur and Nate Dogg, where the artists express their experiences with groupies that surround celebrities for opportunistic reasons.

[14] The Guardian said that "Loyal" exemplifies how "Brown’s amorality, trust issues and joyless acquisitiveness have occasionally made for unwittingly spellbinding songs".

[19] The Los Angeles Times affirmed that on the song Brown "pairs his coarsest, most mean-spirited thoughts", praising "Loyal" for its "sleekest, most irresistible beats".

[20] Stereogum, while reviewing Brown's X album, highlighted the song, saying that "the glaringly hypocritical yet musically brilliant “Loyal” still makes me feel terrible for losing myself in its playful neon twirls".

[21] In February 2014, the music video for "Loyal", directed by Chris Brown,[22][23] was shot at Universal City Walk with Lil Wayne and Tyga.

[32] On January 8, 2014, Keyshia Cole released a remix of the song also featuring Sean Kingston, leaving Lil Wayne's original vocals on it.