Katy Perry stated she was struggling with situational depression in 2017, following the underperformance of her fifth studio album Witness, public criticism of her,[2] and breakup with then-boyfriend and current fiancé Orlando Bloom; she conceived Smile during this period.

[19] The album's artwork features Perry as "a glum clown with a red nose and a blue and white checkered suit above the title, Smile".

[20] On July 27, 2020, she announced that the album release date had been pushed back two weeks due to "unavoidable production delays".

[22] In August 2020, she announced a limited edition collection of vinyl picture discs and alternative CD packaging for the album.

[32] A remix of the track "Cry About It Later", featuring Luísa Sonza and Bruno Martini, was released on April 24, 2021, alongside a lyric video.

[45] Lindsay Zolandz of The New York Times thought that Smile tries to add brightness to the dark, with a lightness that was absent in its predecessor, Witness (2017).

[4] The i newspaper's Joe Muggs complimented the restrained production and Perry's maturation as a pop star, but dismissed the lyrical content as "bit too much self-help book redemption".

[58] Writing for The Daily Telegraph, Kate Solomon noted that Smile feels very "so earnest that it strays into cringe-worthy territory", but displays the strongest traits of Perry's music: "fizzy bops" and huge hooks.

[3] USA Today writer Patrick Ryan opined that Smile exudes newfound joy, with some of the most carefree songs of the singer's career.

However, he criticized the self-empowerment lyrics as clichéd, adding that Perry gives listeners a déjà vu rather than seeking a new musical direction.

[50] Craig Jenkins of Vulture found Smile to be lyrically weak, but overall an improvement over Witness, and named the singles as its best tracks.

[60] Kish Lal of The Sydney Morning Herald branded Smile as falling flat despite the honesty in subjects dealt.

[55] Louise Bruton of The Irish Times asserted that the album possesses perfect melodies, but criticized the lyrics as "subpar".

[52] In unfavorable reviews, Pitchfork writer Dani Blum dubbed Smile as cliché-ridden pop with confusing platitudes, that is also inapt for the COVID-19 pandemic.

Club's Alex McLevy opined that Perry is "struggling to be taken seriously", as Smile holds back her ability to evolve, instead of the intended showcase of the singer's "real" side.

[48] Stereogum's Chris DeVille wrote the record was dull and unadventurous, and did not believe the lyricism was memorable,[61] while Helen Brown of The Independent called the album forgettable, and found the singer resorting to basics.

[51] Hannah Mylrea of NME wrote that the album comprises lackluster imitations and fillers, devoid of the catchy hooks and couplets of Perry's older records.

[69] In July 2024, the album was certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for selling 500,000 album-equivalent units.