The album also features guest appearances by various urban artists, including Kendrick Lamar, R. Kelly, Akon, Nicki Minaj, Usher, Trey Songz, Tyga, Rick Ross, Brandy, Lil Wayne, Jhené Aiko and Aaliyah.

The release date of the album was delayed several times due to RCA's choices and the singer's legal problems throughout the last months of 2013 and the first half of 2014.

The album's aesthetics feature a black and white imagery, handled by Brown himself along with art director Courtney Walter.

On November 8, 2012, in an interview with Power 106's (KPWR) at Los Angeles, California, Brown debuted the dance-pop track titled "Nobody's Perfect".

[9] Brown said, during a 2013 interview with Billboard, that X was his "most personal album to date", stating: "I've been going through my own trials and tribulations, overcoming a lot of stuff and persevering through things.

[10] Brown said to Rolling Stone: “Whether it’s personal or life experiences – my girl, my exes, love in general, or just reality – I’m putting all that into this album”, also explaining the significance of the title: It's the Roman numeral for 10.

[11]In March 2013, Brown spoke about working with artists and producers, such as Pharrell Williams, Ariana Grande, Kendrick Lamar, Ludacris, Rihanna, Nicki Minaj, Wiz Khalifa, Timbaland, Diplo, Danja and RoccStar.

[12] On July 4, 2013, Brown confirmed different guest features on the album, including Nicki Minaj, Kendrick Lamar, Rihanna, Wiz Khalifa, B.o.B and Kelly Rowland, among others.

[15] Because of RCA's choices and the singer's legal problems, the release of the album suffered several delays in 2013 and 2014, that led to a prolongation of its working.

Club, in his review for the album, defined it as a "loveful and reflective record", delineated by "some of Brown's bad boy aesthetics".

[18] Martín Caballero of USA Today found its songwriting to be a mixture of "romantic love, mature reflection, sexual passion, playboyness and desire".

[18] On "Autumn Leaves", according to Brad Wete of Billboard, Brown "examines a fleeting love with gloominess and a high level of sensitivity", comparing a lover's departure with summer's, in time for fall: "It seems that all the autumn leaves are falling/ I feel like you're the only reason for it", while the guest Kendrick Lamar, raps on Brown's behalf, mood-swinging from thoughtful to vicious: "And they won’t let me live/ Even when it’s remorse that I give/ When are they gon' rejoice and forgive/ Tell me how [do] I stay positive?".

The track is followed by the interlude "101", where the singer expresses his sexual desire to the directly concerned lady, and subsequently by a collaboration with R. Kelly himself on the lustful "Drown In It".

[17] On February 15, 2013, the singer unofficially released the song "Home", with an official videoclip, where he expresses a reflection on the bitter price of fame, and on how the only moment of respite from that thought is when he returns to the neighborhood where he grew up with people who knew him from the start.

[25] In July, Brown previewed several unreleased songs through his social media accounts,[26][27][28] also announcing that the album's release date was pushed back to August 20, 2013.

[32] On November 20, 2013, Brown was sentenced to an anger management rehabilitation center for three months,[33] putting the December 2013 release of X in jeopardy.

To "hold [fans] over until [the X album] drops," Brown released a mixtape, titled X Files on November 19, 2013, which consists of six tracks and features guest appearances from Busta Rhymes, Ludacris and Kid Ink, including the song "Main Chick".

The album's lead single, titled "Fine China", was released on March 29, 2013, and it was sent to US rhythmic contemporary radio the following day.

[42] The album's second single, titled "Don't Think They Know", was released on June 17, 2013, and it was sent to rhythmic contemporary radio in the United States on July 1, 2013.

[42] On June 26, 2014, Brown previewed the track, titled "New Flame" featuring Usher and Rick Ross, along with the cover artwork on his Instagram account.

The song, titled "Don't Be Gone Too Long", was announced for single release for March 25, 2014, which in its original form features Ariana Grande.

Brad Wete of Billboard gave the album a largely positive review, and said "Once gratuitous fillers are skipped, gems appear, especially on the closing half, where Brown is lucid about his tabloid love life.

"[72] Miranda Johnson of XXL gave the album an XL (4/5), and argued that "X certainly proves that Chris Brown’s talent will forever shine through over whatever troubles come his way.

[68] Andy Kellman of AllMusic gave the album 3 and a half stars out of five, and enjoyed the albums diverse sound, while disliking some of the material, and said midway in the review that, "Brown combines memorable hooks with some stellar production work on the rubbery disco-funk of "Add Me In" (courtesy of Danja) and the blithe, swaying "Time for Love" (a collaboration with Jean Baptiste and Free School).

"[18] Marcus Dowling of HipHopDX gave the album a mixed score of 3 out of 5, praising Brown's musical abilities, but criticizing the album's structure, arguing that "Personality aside, Chris Brown’s ability to succeed artistically at delivering sounds in all three sectors of urban Pop makes this release a great, yet disjointed listen.

Throughout, Brown plays the victim..." while also arguing that the content was "a shame" because "X is full of great beats", and gave the album 2 and half stars out of 5.

In another review with the score of 2 and a half stars out of five, Alexa Camp of Slant Magazine stated that “Aside from the standout club banger "Add Me In," which is steeped in arithmetic and trigonometry metaphors, and "101," which finds Brown doing "101 on the 101," the album's lyrics largely eschew mathematical objects in favor of soul-baring like "Autumn Leaves" and sex talk like "Songs on 12 Play"”.