Before the release of Permission to Fly, Pruitt had signed on as the spokesperson for several multi-media national marketing campaigns with brand such as Kraft Foods, Kimberly-Clark, Colgate-Palmolive, Samsung and Limited Too.

Pruitt worked with a team of top songwriter/producers, including Shelly Peiken, Arnthor Birgisson, Tim James & Antonina Armato (better known as Rock Mafia), and Adam Watts & Andy Dodd.

Speaking on the differences between Permission to Fly and No Ordinary Girl, Pruitt said "I kind of grew up after the first record was done.

Title track "Permission to Fly" is about finding your own identity, and in "Unconditional" Pruitt sings about how her faith gets her through the toughest of times.

Common Sense Media opined "While some of the songs have a bubblegum sound and predictable lyrics, there are some very likeable bright spots on the album, including a sassy remake of the Temptations classic, The Way You Do The Things You Do, and the surprisingly jazzy, syncopated Secrets.

Permission to Fly is about finding your own identity; in Unconditional, Jordan reminds us that she's a girl of faith, and how that gets her through the toughest of times.

AllMusic gave the album a mixed review, saying "On her 2008 sophomore outing, Permission To Fly, young Southern singer Jordan Pruitt presents another assured set of Disney-approved pop.

While there are no drastic stylistic departures, Pruitt expands on her straightforward teen-pop sound with the reggae-tinged One Love (not to be confused with the Bob Marley song of the same name) and the R&B-leaning Unconditional."