In breaking down the production of “The DJ Is Crying For Help” during a November 22, 2022 livestream, Ryan shared that “Waiting for the Beat to Drop” was originally an early draft of “3 O'Clock Things” where The Beu Sisters‘ lines “Your eyes are tired, but keep 'em open / 'Cause you wouldn’t wanna miss a thing” were originally “Your arms are tired, but keep 'em up / 'Cause the beat could drop any day.” After that, it went into what is now “The DJ Is Crying For Help”’s bridge, but it didn’t fit “3 O'Clock Things.” Like many other AJR songs, the idea wasn’t thrown away forever, but rather repurposed for a different, later song.

The song was also leaked via two screengrabs (1, 2) during a series of technical difficulties for the livestream.