[1] Prior to the making of the song, Ella Mai mentioned Chris Brown as one of her biggest influences: “Vocally, he’s amazing,” she said.
He’s influenced an entire generation.”[2] The two then collaborated on "This X-Mas", a track contained in the "Cuffing Season: 12 Days of Christmas" edition of Brown's eighth studio album Heartbreak on a Full Moon (2017).
[3] “Whatchamacallit” was originally teased in September 2017, before being released on October 4, 2018 through Interscope Records as a promotional single from Mai's self-titled debut album.
[4] "Whatchamacallit" is an R&B song[5] written by Brown, Sam Hook, Jordan Holt and Mai, while its production was handled by DJ Mustard.
[6][7] HotNewHipHop praised the song, writing: "Because of the similarity in their voices, Ella Mai and Chris Brown sound absolutely gorgeous together.