Romy initially paired up with Fred Again to write songs for other artists at a point where neither had yet to release any solo music.
[1] Stuart Price, who Romy started collaborating with on the suggestion of Young founder Caius Pawson, was brought in to finish the track.
[8]My friendship with Fred [Again] means a lot to me, our closeness helps me to feel safe to be honest and vulnerable lyrically and we definitely connect over our love of songwriting and emotions in dance music.
[12] In December 2022, in sessions recorded at the BBC's Maida Vale Studios, Romy's bandmate Oliver Sim performed a mashup of "Strong" and the Verve's "Bitter Sweet Symphony", backed by a "Queer choir" consisting of Romy, Låpsley, Markia Jackman, Katie Gavin, and Casey MQ.
[15] The Irish Times's Siobhán Kane called it "surprising in its weird mixture of earnest lyrics and frantic tempo".
[16][17] NME's Nick Levine wrote that Romy singing the line "You don't have to be so strong" felt "both cathartic and uplifting.
"[19] Rolling Stone UK's Hollie Geraghty called it "as much a maximalist trance banger as it is a powerful comment on grief.