II Most Wanted

Background

Beyoncé and Cyrus had previously collaborated on "Just Stand Up!" (2008) as part of the charity supergroup Artists Stand Up to Cancer, with Cyrus recalling Beyoncé being "protective" of her. In a June 2024 interview with W, Cyrus described how Beyoncé sent her a House of Deréon jacket and jeans with her name on it for Christmas 2008, a gesture Cyrus referenced in her song "Cattitude" with the line "And for my 16th birthday, I got Deréon from the house of the queen."

"II Most Wanted" was initially written by Cyrus around 2020 for her sixth studio album Plastic Hearts, originally titled "Shotgun Rider". Beyoncé reached out to Cyrus about collaborating, and the song was sent to Beyoncé alongside another track, "Easy Lover", later reworked for Cyrus' eighth album Something Beautiful (2025). In 2022, a Variety article citing an anonymous industry source teased an unknown album with "dance and country-leaning tracks" and contributions from Ryan Tedder.

On March 28, 2024, Beyoncé revealed the song and collaboration as part of Cowboy Carter, and Cyrus expressed her admiration for Beyoncé on Twitter.

Composition

The title "II Most Wanted" references the singers' status in the music industry. The twangy, down-tempo duet blends their distinctive voices as they trade lines and harmonize, featuring simplistic vocal runs by Cyrus and more boisterous rifts by Beyoncé. The instrumental blend combines back porch country and pop rock in the vein of Fleetwood Mac, with additional production, acoustic guitar, and keyboards by Jonathan Rado of Foxygen, and electric guitar by Adam Granduciel of the War on Drugs. Although Beyoncé confirmed all tracks on Cowboy Carter were inspired by films, "II Most Wanted" also draws from friendship or a more romantic love, with lyrics about a ride or die partnership and cowboy imagery, reminiscent of films like Buck and the Preacher, Thelma & Louise, and Bonnie and Clyde.

Critical reception

The song received widespread critical acclaim, with critics praising the complementarity of the singers' voices. Rolling Stone's Brittany Spanos called it the best collaboration on Cowboy Carter, likening Beyoncé and Cyrus to Butch Cassidy and Sundance Kid and noting how their voices "melt into each other instead of fighting for the spotlight." Rolling Stone ranked the song 46th among "The 70 Greatest Beyoncé Songs". Kyle Denis of Billboard ranked it the third best track on the album, praising their "smoky tones" that "pair beautifully" and viewing the collaboration as both artists at the "peak of their powers." Mary Siroky of Consequence described it as "one of the more straightforward tracks on the album," calling it "a bit mournful and nostalgic."

Commercial performance

"II Most Wanted" entered the Billboard Global 200 at number ten, marking Beyoncé's third top-ten hit there and Miley Cyrus's third as well. In the US, the song landed at number six on the Hot 100, giving Beyoncé her 23rd top-ten and Cyrus her 13th. It also hit number two on the Hot Country Songs chart, where it joined "Texas Hold 'Em" and "Jolene" to give Beyoncé the distinction of being the first female artist to hold the chart's top three positions at once. Across the Atlantic, the track debuted at number nine on the UK Singles Chart, one of three songs from Cowboy Carter to crack the top ten that week.