recorded with Pete Robertson of the Vaccines and Irish studio engineer Joseph Rodgers, both of whom recorded Beabadoobee's last project Space Cadet (2019). Lyrically, the album contains "intense feeling and emotion", as well in addition to what Will Hodgkinson of The Times described as "catchy songs about the concerns of youth". It explores Beabadoobee's experiences with self-harm, childhood trauma, her romantic relationship with her boyfriend, and using "hair dye as [a method of] empowerment". Beabadoobee occasionally called on labelmate Matty Healy of British rock band the 1975 for lyrical assistance. Songs and composition Fake It Flowers is primarily performed in the genre of alternative rock (or "alt-rock"), as well as indie rock (or "slacker rock"), and therefore extensively features the electric guitar. Many critics drew comparisons to the "'90s slacker rock" (or "'90s indie rock") which heavily influenced Beabadoobee. The record was also described musically as "bubblegrunge" (a mixture of bubblegum music and grunge). Chris DeVille of Stereogum wrote that Fake It Flowers' "dreamy blend of grunge, shoegaze, Britpop, emo, and other guitar-powered Clinton-era subgenres is consistently entertaining and occasionally transcendent." Lucy Shanker of Consequence of Sound felt that Beabadoobee "channel[ed] the '90s with powerful pop punk songs". Ryley Remedios of Exclaim! noted that the album "aims to blur the genre barrier between '90s garage rock and lo-fi pop". Lizzie Manno of Paste wrote that "most of the songs on Fake It Flowers center on a hi-fi, textured rock sound with anthemic choruses." Sophie Williams of NME gave the album's lead single "Care" four out of five stars and described it as an "arena-baiting alt-rock stomper from Gen Z guitar hero". Alicia Bugallo of Atwood Magazine noted that in the song, Beabadoobee "adopts a grungier sound, featuring straight drums, guitar riffs and gripping vocals" rather than "the lo-fi bedroom pop" she is known for. Bugallo also wrote that the song sees Beabadoobee "get raw" with her lyricism, "getting honest about what she has been through, and confronting those who have caused her pain, or have failed to listen to her when she needed a shoulder to cry on. It shows [her] vulnerability but, on the other hand, it also illustrates her courage and independence." The album's second single "Sorry" was described by Jade Boren of Hollywood Life as a "perfect example" of Beabadoobee's "adeptness at combining angst and angelic vocals to create alternative rock bangers", noting that she enters an