[1] Chinouriri started writing and recording songs in England until early 2023, when she travelled to Los Angeles and stayed in the city for over a month, in order to avoid multiple plane trips due to her fear of flying.

You've been hit with a very deep and dark song, and then everything changes...The record's themes include references to the artist's feelings of frustration towards her experience in Los Angeles ("The Hills"),[1][17] her past love relationships ("Never Need Me" and "Dumb Bitch Juice")[13] and close people she fell out with ("All I Ever Asked" and "It Is What It Is"),[1] as well as the loss of a relative in Zimbabwe who died by suicide after finding out she was pregnant (the title track),[1][17] body dysmorphia ("I Hate Myself")[17] and the highs and lows of her family upbringing ("Garden of Eden").

[4] On 15 January 2024, Chinouriri revealed the album's title during a cover interview with NME;[1] she then shared the tracklist and artwork of What a Devastating Turn of Events three days later,[2][18] while releasing the second single "Never Need Me",[2][3] accompanied by a music video starring the artist herself and Florence Pugh.

[2][3] The album's artwork was revealed upon its announcement on 18 January 2024,[2][3] Shot by Yana Van Nuffel, it depicts Chinouriri in multiple poses both inside and in front of a council estate festooned with St George's Cross bunting, as a reference to the flag of England.

[16] The cover art's purpose was subject of controversy, with Black studies professor Kehinde Andrews telling the BBC's Newsbeat that he would "question why anybody [would] want to reclaim something which is so connected to whiteness", in reference to systemic racism in the UK and the cultural appropriation of the English flag by the nationalist far-right.

[23] Lauren Shirreff of The Daily Telegraph wrote that the project showed "the true scope of [the artist's musical influences]", including Ladysmith Black Mambazo, Coldplay, Lily Allen and Daughter, while also focusing on Chinouriri's decision to split the record in half thematically.

[32] Writing for The Line of Best Fit, Sam Franzini gave positive feedback about the songwriting across the album, saying it "[charted] the highs and lows of life like a pro, finding humour in its dark moments and grace in its upswings".

[26] In a milder review for Far Out, Lucy Harbron questioned the decision to include older singles in the tracklist, as well as the "loss of nuance" on some of the more upbeat songs, while writing that the new material on the album showed "a clear progression and development" of Chinouriri's skills; as a result, she stated that the project felt "like an artist ready to fly, but still needing to believe she has wings".