Recorded from July to October 2006 at Pass Studios in Los Angeles, California, its music was composed by lead singer and guitarist Patrick Stump and the lyrics were penned by bassist Pete Wentz.

The album features collaborations with new producers and guest artists, such as Babyface and Jay-Z, and sees the band experimenting with genres including R&B, soul, and flamenco.

[1] After taking a two-month break following the band's Black Clouds and Underdogs tour in promotion of their 2005 album From Under the Cork Tree, Fall Out Boy returned to the studio to begin work on their follow-up effort.

[3] Vocalist Patrick Stump stated that he wished to begin working on the record earlier, but the group's management urged the members to take time off to recuperate from their constant touring schedule.

[12] The group "aim[ed] for the stars" on its choices of collaborators, with Wentz stating, "I want to bring in people who no one would expect...This year it's like, we made some new friends, like Lil Wayne.

As reported by Billboard, Fall Out Boy "drifts further from its hardcore punk roots to write increasingly accessible pop tunes," a slight departure from the group's previous more pop-punk sound.

[17] Infinity on High has been compared to the work of pop-punk bands such as Green Day, with Ann Powers of the Los Angeles Times commenting, "Whatever snot and feedback courses through these songs, sweetness always triumphs, carried forth by bubblegum bass lines, snappy drums and tunes as comforting as lullabies.

[24] In an interview with Fall Out Boy, drummer Andy Hurley stated that the opening parts in "Thriller" were copied from "Islands to Burn" by Racetraitor, a band he once drummed for.

[29] Writing in August 2023, Tamzin Kraftman wrote that the song's "chugging pulse", played by Fall Out Boy guitarist Joe Trohman, "electrifies the track".

[20] In February 2013, the band led a concert at Webster Hall with the track; Rolling Stone's Andy Greene opined that, upon launching into the song, the audience's "squeals were deafening".

[11] Wentz characterized Stump's vocal performance on the song as "straight-up Motown", continuing to say "If there wasn't a rock band playing, it'd be straight R&B, and he'd go on tour with just an upright bass and a drum and open up for R.

"[4] "The Carpal Tunnel of Love" has been referred to as "a prime slab of what the boys have become famous for: highly caffeinated pop-punk mixed with a little white-boy soul and some hard-core yelping.

"[33] The song features Stump singing in a falsetto in the chorus over Trohman's "crunchy" guitars, as well as a breakdown in which Wentz employs death growl-style vocals.

Sasha Frere-Jones of The New Yorker commented that "The only top-ten acts that talk about fame as much as Fall Out Boy does are rappers, although their take on selling records is less conflicted.

"[42] Cory Apar of Allmusic opined that "Wentz' lyrics are oftentimes resentful, full of fame-induced angst, and really emphasize his need to drive home his position that stardom has not changed the band.

"[11] "Thriller" serves as an autobiographical recap of the two years following From Under the Cork Tree's release, referencing the band's mediocre CD reviews and breakout success, as well as thanking their "diehard" fans.

[32] On "This Ain't a Scene, It's an Arms Race", Wentz uses wartime-inspired metaphors to discuss their newfound popularity; he called the song "kind of a tongue-in-cheek look at the way we are so addicted and obsessed with new arts, cultures and loves – to the point where it just becomes oversaturated.

"[43] In a tribute to the politicized Chicago hardcore scene, Wentz describes the story of a rigged court case of African-American civil rights activist Fred Hampton Jr. in "You're Crashing, But You're No Wave".

"[35] The album's title is taken from a letter written by Vincent van Gogh to his brother Theo in 1888, in which he describes his renewed health and the positive effect it has had on his painting.

"[31] While Wentz declined to reveal the relationship between the title and the album's songs, MTV reporter James Montgomery opined that "It's not difficult to see it as a statement about the band rising above detractors and finding strength within themselves.

A winged sheep named Franklyn is depicted on the cover of the album in a bedroom with the moon and stars in the background, while the inside of the CD booklet features "tarot card" designs with photos of each of the band members.

The tour consisted of intimate club shows in fifteen cities throughout the United States, with New Found Glory, The Early November, Permanent Me and Lifetime.

The day started with a morning performance in Times Square in New York City, followed by a gig in the band's hometown of Chicago, and then a late-night show in Los Angeles.

[53] To promote the album after its release, Fall Out Boy embarked on an extensive tour schedule, with concerts across the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Europe and Asia.

Wentz commented on the band's decision to pick "This Ain't a Scene..." as the first single, saying "There may be other songs on the record that would be bigger radio hits, but this one had the right message.

[60] With this total it was the largest opening-week tally for a group since Nielsen SoundScan began tracking digital sales in 2003 and set a new record for the highest bow for a band since radio only titles joined the chart in 1998.

[70] Jody Rosen of Entertainment Weekly commended the band's "new sense of swing" on its R&B-influenced songs and noted that Stump "has evolved into a superb frontman.

Club enjoyed the disc's new pop direction and felt that the songs that were more typical of Fall Out Boy's original sound, such as "The Carpal Tunnel of Love" undermined the album's potential.

[71] Sven Philipp of Billboard called Infinity on High a "shamelessly melodic, wild and powerful pop record" and referred to Stump as the album's "true surprise".

[37] Infinity on High was a major commercial success, debuting at number one on the US Billboard 200 chart, with first week sales of 260,000 copies in the United States, according to Nielsen SoundScan.