Aim and Ignite

On February 4, 2008, The Format broke up. Soon after, vocalist Nate Ruess had called up Jack Antonoff, from the band Steel Train and Andrew Dost of Anathallo. They created the band Fun. and headed into the studio with producer Steven Shane McDonald. The album was described as "what a pop album should sound like" and "the most essential pop album of 2009" by AbsolutePunk. AllMusic compared the trio to Queen and the Electric Light Orchestra. It was said "it used previous Format tricks like using bright horns and sophisticated harmonies". On April 20, 2009, it was revealed that fans could download "At Least I'm Not as Sad (As I Used to Be)" for free upon signing up with the band's mailing list. In addition, it was mentioned that the band's debut album would be released in August.