The song was written by Max, Charlie Puth, Maria Jane Smith, Victor Thell, Gigi Grombacher, Roland Spreckley, and the producer Cirkut.

Max teased the release of "So Am I" on Twitter for several weeks,[1][2] encouraging fans to share pictures of themselves to "show the world what makes you different" using the hashtag #SoAmI.

[3] The song was released for digital download and streaming on March 7, 2019,[4] and on contemporary radio stations in the United States on June 25, 2019.

[5] It was co-written by Max, Charlie Puth, Maria Jane Smith, Victor Thell, Gigi Grombacher, Roland Spreckley, and the producer Cirkut.

[6] A remix featuring South Korean boy band NCT 127 was announced by Max on July 2, 2019, with the official cover art, which resembled a high school yearbook.

[7] Mark and Taeyong perform new life-affirming rap verses in English and Korean halfway through the song before Jaehyun accompanies Max during the chorus.

[12] Markos Papadatos of Digital Journal described Max's vocals as "crisp, soothing and expressive" and praised the song's production which has "infectious hooks and a catchy beat to it that will inspire listeners to get up and dance along".

[15] Writing about the song's remix, Madeline Roth of MTV News praised the guest appearance of NCT 127, stating that "they lend more empowering, feel-good vibes with a fresh verse about appreciating someone who owns their originality".

[17][18] It was eventually certified platinum by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI) on January 1, 2021, for selling 600,000 equivalent units in sales.

[33] Issei Honke of Billboard Japan compared it to the music video of Britney Spears' 1998 song "...Baby One More Time", which he stated that both artists showcased their personality while dancing on a school stage in uniform.

[35] A second fanmade music video was also released on June 12, 2019, which consisted of 15 German fans who were personally selected by Max from the #SoAmIFanVideo challenge.

In the next segment, Max performs a dance in a black blazer on top of a red shirt inside a football stadium with multiple students.

She performs a belt on the field, as the students stand in a horizontal line, holding up their right hand under their mouth with the words 'So Am I' written in black ink.

[40][41] Her attire consisted of a Zemeta purple and green long-sleeved outfit, accompanied with black leather pants, silver Steve Madden stiletto boots, and an iridescent Avec Les Filles trenchcoat.

She also sported a silver crop top and platform shoes, the latter which had a black laces in the front and three buckle straps near the calves.