[7] Described by frontman Gavin Rossdale as "snapshots of real life", the album's lyrics included many personal themes such as being misunderstood, taking major decisions and rising above challenges.

Recorded in Los Angeles,[6] The Kingdom was the first Bush album on which Robin Goodridge did not perform,[11][better source needed] who had played as the drummer for the band since 1993.

[12] This left Gavin Rossdale as the only remaining member from the lineup that recorded the first four Bush studio albums from Sixteen Stone (1994) to Golden State (2001), prior to the group's 2002 hiatus.

"Bullet Holes", which would become the album's first single, was released on 17 May 2019 simultaneously with the Keanu Reeves action film John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum, in which the track is featured during the end credits.

[9] According to The Upcoming, Bush brought "electronic-laced alternative rock" to the new record, comparable to their previous effort Black and White Rainbows.

Although Travers acknowledged that "naysayers" would dismiss songs such as "Ghost In The Machine" and "Crossroads" as "de-clawed Nirvana", he described some moments on the album as "excellent".

[5] Rolling Stone's Kory Grow gave mostly negative feedback, detailing that the songs "trudge through the same monochromatic grunge" of earlier releases.