Prior to releasing their reggae-influenced pop rock single "Fly" , the band feared Atlantic Records would drop them due to the underperformance of their 1995 debut Lemonade and Brownies.

[5] In 1994, Sugar Ray had signed a two album deal with Atlantic which was worth two million dollars, but the label were considering buying out their contract due to the commercial failure of Lemonade and Brownies.

[5][6] DJ Homicide, formerly of hip hop group Tha Alkaholiks, was fully involved with the writing process of Floored, unlike on Lemonade and Brownies, where he only served as a guest musician for a few songs.

[6] Joseph McGinty "McG" Nichol, a friend of the band who produced Lemonade and Brownies, also heard this initial version of "Fly", and was the one who convinced McGrath to go back and give it another listen.

[8] Shortly after the song was released, he incorrectly claimed that the lyrics were inspired from an A&R department meeting, where he saw a fly land on the left nostril of Atlantic Records senior VP Jason Flom.

Flom had previously helped break Lava's Matchbox Twenty into the mainstream, and added that even before Sugar Ray recorded "Fly" with Kahne, he knew they had the potential to become successful.

In a 1997 interview, McGrath compared the R&B songs to Boyz II Men, and they were rarely performed alongside the band's punk/metal material on tour for Lemonade and Brownies.

[30] In her 2000 Sugar Ray biography book, author Anna Louise Golden described "Anyone" as being a song that showcased the band's musical progression from Lemonade and Brownies, since it was a melodic track that was still heavy.

[31] Around the time the record was being made, the band appeared in the Warner Bros. comedy film Fathers' Day, which starred Robin Williams, Billy Crystal, Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Nastassja Kinski.

[34][35] Sugar Ray weren't well-known when the project was being filmed, and the makers were at one point considering that they portray a fictional underground band called "The Mutilated Puppies", rather themselves.

[45] In another article from 1999, the Los Angeles Times characterized this era of Sugar Ray as having a "harder edged punk-funk sound", and claimed it to be derivative of not only Rage Against the Machine but also the Red Hot Chili Peppers.

[50] Ron Hart of CMJ New Music Report considered their sound on this album to be "metallic funk" in December 1998,[51] while Spin referred to them as a punk-funk band in November 1997.

"[53] Billboard claimed in September 1997 that the song "Fly" was not representative of the rest of the album, saying "while the band has undoubtedly become tied to the track due to its widespread coverage, it is only one facet of Sugar Ray's musical persona.

The event featured artists such as Bush, Counting Crows, Jewel, No Doubt and Third Eye Blind, and was the first time Sugar Ray ever performed "Fly" live.

[17] In early to mid July, Sugar Ray performed at the 1997 edition of the punk-focused Warped Tour, playing alongside Limp Bizkit, who released their debut Three Dollar Bill, Y'all that same month.

[60] Sugar Ray knew Limp Bizkit through DJ Lethal, who became a member of that band after co-producing Lemonade and Brownies and leaving House of Pain.

As "Fly" continued to gain popularity, they were chosen as the musical guests for the July 24, 1997 episode of Late Night with Conan O'Brien, where they performed the song.

[61] Following this, Sugar Ray invited Smash Mouth to join them on a run of shows in the United States, which lasted from late July 1997 to August 1997.

[63][64] Sugar Ray's American crowds began to increase around this period, with their previous U.S. tour for Lemonade and Brownies having been done in very small clubs as a result of its poor sales.

The lineup that year also included Artificial Joy Club, Helmet, Our Lady Peace, Reel Big Fish and Faith No More (who performed immediately after Sugar Ray).

[72] In a 2000 interview with the Tampa Bay Times, McGrath reflected on incidents like these, saying "sometimes I drink too much and do stupid things, and I try to run away from the pain of dealing with stuff.

[90] McGrath later recalled that several years prior to making Floored, Rodney Sheppard's girlfriend had gone to see a psychic, and she predicted that the band would "become an overnight sensation with one song and they will fade as quickly as they rise up."

Robert Christgau gave the album a B− in December 1997, writing, "[Sugar Ray is] the nearest thing to a fresh young rock band the market or the 'underground' has kicked up this year.

"[47] The June 28, 1997 review from The Los Angeles Times states that "Sugar Ray has a knack for catchy borrowing and for hard-rock crunch colored by pop hooks and a deejay's deft scratch effects.

"[46] The Washington Post state in their July 1997 review that the band "are juvenile, politically incorrect and derivative but nonetheless boast an infectious energy and enthusiasm.

Murthi of Malaysian paper the New Straits Times gave Floored a positive review, describing Sugar Ray as "multiracial" and as incorporating outside influences to hard rock.

With a fanny magnet like Mark McGrath upfront, it was only a matter of time until MTV picked up these hard rockin 'n' rappin dudes from Orange County, California.

[72] In a September 1997 review of a Sugar Ray concert, Variety wrote that "the quintet's low-brow approach — a mix of metal, hip-hop, rock and reggae, all peppered by spastic singer Mark McGrath's puerile lyrics — aims only to be fun, guilt-free entertainment.

[101] In 2013, Angelica Leichardt of OC Weekly criticized their change in direction following Floored, remarking "perhaps they should have stayed a funk-metal band, which is where their sound originated from, because anything would be better than the junk they put out [afterwards].

[48] In 2015, Kate Beaudoin of Mic.com wrote that 1997 was "the definitive year [for] '90s guilty pleasures", and cited "Fly" as an example in her article, alongside songs such as "Barbie Girl" by Aqua, "MMMBop" by Hanson and "Bitch" by Meredith Brooks.