Simpson said in an interview to a magazine, "A Public Affair" was an album that is a "fun night" with friends and not her failed marriage to Nick Lachey, although the first single was inspired by the rupture of the couple.
The third track of the album, "B.O.Y." is an electro and disco song which features distorted synthesizers emulating sonar pulses, was written by Driscoll, Gagel, Ocasek.