Was TITN a surprise?

[skcin]

This question is mainly for longtime fans - I was 12 when it came out, and I clearly remember 7 Wonders, Little Lies & Big Love being very big hits. But at the time, I didn't know exactly who Mac was, and couldn't connect the dots. I just thought they were a good band with some awesome hit songs, but I didn't realize they had done Gypsy & GYOW.

So, was the success of TITN a bit unexpected? It had been 5 years since Mirage and I assume the Mac wasn't all that popular anymore, or at least not at the forefront of the public's consciousness. So, when you heard it was coming out, were you nervous that it wouldn't do well? Excited? What about upon its release - did you love it or did it take time to grow on you? When it became a hit, with videos all over MTV, were you shocked?