Originally composed of 12 tracks, In Waves served as Jamie xx's sophomore full-length release. The album saw contributions from his The xx bandmates Romy and Oliver Sim, as well as Panda Bear, Robyn, The Avalanches, Honey Dijon, Kelsey Lu, John Glacier and Oona Doherty.

Along with "F.U.," bonus tracks include "Do Something," "It's So Good," "LET'S DO IT AGAIN" and "KILL DEM." The seeds of "F.U." were planted during a Primavera Festival after-party that saw Jamie record Badu's impromptu freestyle she delivered after experiencing issues with her equipment. The "expletive-filled" was captured by Jamie on his phone and he later reached out to Badu to complete what became "F.U."

Describing the experience, Jamie xx stated: