"II Most Wanted" is a song by American singers

Beyoncé Beyoncé Giselle Knowles-Carter ( ; born September 4, 1981) is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. Beyoncé's boundary-pushing artistry and vocals have made her the most influential female musician of the 21st century, according to ...

and

Miley Cyrus Miley Ray Cyrus ( ; born Destiny Hope Cyrus on November 23, 1992) is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. Known for her distinctive raspy voice, her music spans across varied styles and genres, including pop, country, rock, hip hop ...

. It was released on April 26, 2024, through Parkwood Entertainment and

Columbia Records Columbia Records is an American record label owned by Sony Music, Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America, the North American division of Japanese Conglomerate (company), conglomerate Sony. It was founded on Janua ...

as the third single from Beyoncé's eighth studio album, ''

Cowboy Carter ''Cowboy Carter'' (also referred to as ''Act II: Cowboy Carter'') is the eighth studio album by American singer and songwriter Beyoncé, released on March 29, 2024, via Parkwood Entertainment and Columbia Records. A concept album, ''Cowboy Cart ...

'', and interpolates "

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" (1975) by

Fleetwood Mac Fleetwood Mac are a British-American rock band, formed in London in 1967. Fleetwood Mac were founded by guitarist Peter Green, drummer Mick Fleetwood and guitarist Jeremy Spencer, before bassist John McVie joined the line-up for their epony ...

. A

country A country is a distinct part of the world, such as a state, nation, or other political entity. It may be a sovereign state or make up one part of a larger state. For example, the country of Japan is an independent, sovereign state, while the ...

and

pop rock Pop rock (also typeset as pop/rock) is a fusion genre with an emphasis on professional songwriting and recording craft, and less emphasis on attitude than rock music. Originating in the late 1950s as an alternative to normal rock and roll, earl ...

track, Beyoncé and Cyrus wrote "II Most Wanted" with Ryan Tedder and Michael Pollack. The track is produced by

Shawn Everett Shawn Everett (born July 6, 1982) is a Canadian music engineer and producer best known for his work with Alabama Shakes, Kacey Musgraves, The War on Drugs, The Killers, and Julian Casablancas. Everett has won six Grammy Awards. Early life Ever ...

, Jonathan Rado and Pollack. The song received acclaim from music critics, naming it one of the best tracks on the album. Commercially "II Most Wanted" became Beyoncé's 23rd and Cyrus' 13th top-ten song on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100. The song also debuted at number two on the

Hot Country Songs Hot Country Songs is a chart published weekly by ''Billboard'' magazine in the United States. This 50-position chart lists the most popular country music songs, calculated weekly by collecting airplay data from Nielsen BDS along with digital sal ...

, scoring Beyoncé's third and Cyrus' second top-ten on the chart.

Background

Beyoncé and Cyrus previously collaborated on "

Just Stand Up! "Just Stand Up!" is a song performed by an all-star female charity supergroup of pop, R&B, rock, and country artists during the telethon "Stand Up to Cancer". The group was purposely billed as Artists Stand Up to Cancer to the public. The song ...

" (2008) as part of the charity supergroup Artists Stand Up to Cancer. "II Most Wanted" was initially written by Cyrus around 2020. The song was used after Beyoncé reached out to her about the collaboration. On March 28, 2024, Beyoncé revealed the song and the collaboration as part of her studio album ''Cowboy Carter''. Upon release, Cyrus took to

Twitter Twitter is an online social media and social networking service owned and operated by American company Twitter, Inc., on which users post and interact with 280-character-long messages known as "tweets". Registered users can post, like, and ...

to express her admiration for Beyoncé that only deepened in the process of creating the song alongside each other.

Composition

The title "II Most Wanted" is a reference to their status in the music industry. The "twangy, down-tempo duet" sees the two singers "blend their distinctive voices" while trading lines and harmonizing. It features "simplistic vocal runs" by Cyrus and more "boisterous rifts" by Beyoncé, accompanied by an instrumental blend of "back porch

" and "

" in the vein of

. Additional production, acoustic guitar, and keyboards were provided by Jonathan Rado of

Foxygen Foxygen is an American indie rock duo from Westlake Village, California, formed in 2005. The band consists of multi-instrumentalist Jonathan Rado and vocalist Sam France. They have released six albums and a number of self-released EPs. History R ...

, while the electric guitar was played by

Adam Granduciel Adam Granofsky (born February 15, 1979), better known under his stage name Adam Granduciel, is an American guitarist, singer, songwriter and record producer. He is the frontman and primary songwriter of the indie rock band The War on Drugs, wit ...

the War on Drugs The War on Drugs is an American rock band from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, formed in 2005. The band consists of Adam Granduciel (vocals, guitar), David Hartley (bass guitar), Robbie Bennett (keyboards), Charlie Hall (drums), Jon Natchez (saxopho ...

. Although Beyoncé confirmed that all the tracks on ''Cowboy Carter'' were inspired by films, "II Most Wanted" also draws reference from a friendship or "a more romantic love". Meeting their significant other changed their lives in a profound way so they are committed "to being there for them". The lyrical content was also linked to the theme of a " ride or die" partnership, reminiscent of films like ''

Buck and the Preacher ''Buck and the Preacher'' is a 1972 American Western film released by Columbia Pictures, written by Ernest Kinoy and directed by Sidney Poitier. Poitier also stars in the film alongside Harry Belafonte and Ruby Dee. This is the first film Sidne ...

'' (1972), '' Thelma & Louise'' (1991) and ''

Bonnie and Clyde Bonnie Elizabeth Parker (October 1, 1910May 23, 1934) and Clyde Chestnut (Champion) Barrow (March 24, 1909May 23, 1934) were an American criminal couple who traveled the Central United States with their gang during the Great Depression. The co ...

'' (1967). A prominent motif within the track is the use of "cowboy imagery".

Critical reception

The song received widespread critical acclaim upon its release, with many critics praising the complementarity of their voices. ''

Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first kno ...

''s Brittany Spanos deemed "II Most Wanted" as the best collaboration on ''Cowboy Carter'' and a "career highlight" for both singers. She likened Carter's and Cyrus' personas to

Butch Cassidy Robert LeRoy Parker (April 13, 1866 – November 7, 1908), better known as Butch Cassidy, was an American train and bank robber and the leader of a gang of criminal outlaws known as the "Wild Bunch" in the Old West. Parker engaged in crimina ...

and

Sundance Kid Harry Alonzo Longabaugh (1867 – November 7, 1908), better known as the Sundance Kid, was an outlaw and member of Butch Cassidy's Wild Bunch in the American Old West. He likely met Butch Cassidy (real name Robert Leroy Parker) during a huntin ...

, respectively, and praised how their voices "melt dinto each other instead of fighting for the spotlight." ''Rolling Stone'' ranked the song 46th among the "The 70 Greatest Beyoncé Songs". Kyle Denis of ''

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...

'' ranked "II Most Wanted" as the third best track on the album, praising their "smoky tones" that "pair beautifully". Denis viewed the collaboration as both artists being at the "peak of their powers" that makes every stylistic choice "a home run". They evoke "a sense of emotional gravitas" that makes the song appear "a lot more high-stakes". Mary Siroky of ''Consequence'' defined the song as "one of the more straightforward tracks on the album", describing it "a bit mournful and nostalgic, acknowledging the ever-flowing passage of time and our inability to stop it".

Accolades

Commercial performance

The song debuted at number ten on the ''Billboard'' Global 200, scoring Beyoncé's third top-ten on the chart, after " Break My Soul" (2022) and "

Texas Hold 'Em Texas hold 'em (also known as Texas holdem, hold 'em, and holdem) is one of the most popular variants of the card game of poker. Two cards, known as hole cards, are dealt face down to each player, and then five Community card poker, communit ...

" (2024), and Cyrus' third after "

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" and " Used to Be Young" (2023). In the United States, "II Most Wanted" debuted at number 6 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100, scoring Beyoncé's 23rd and Cyrus' 13th top-ten on the chart. The song also became ''Cowboy Carter'''s third top-ten, charting simultaneously with "Texas Hold 'Em" and " Jolene". The three songs also occupied the top three positions on the

, with "II Most Wanted" at second, making Beyoncé the first female artist to achieve it. "II Most Wanted" debuted at number 9 on the

UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart (currently titled Official Singles Chart, with the upper section more commonly known as the Official UK Top 40) is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry, listing the top-s ...

on 5 April 2024, one of three songs from ''Cowboy Carter'' to chart in the top ten that week. The simultaneous top-ten debut of Beyoncé's cover of " Jolene" brought Beyoncé's tally of UK top ten singles to 24 and Cyrus' to 9.

Charts

Certifications

Release history

References

{{Miley Cyrus songs 2024 songs Beyoncé songs Miley Cyrus songs Country ballads Female vocal duets Songs written by Michael Pollack (musician) Songs written by Miley Cyrus Songs written by Beyoncé Songs written by Ryan Tedder Song recordings produced by Miley Cyrus Song recordings produced by Beyoncé Song recordings produced by Jonathan Rado Song recordings produced by Michael Pollack Columbia Records singles