It was released on April 26, 2024,[1] through Parkwood Entertainment and Columbia Records as the third single from Beyoncé's eighth studio album, Cowboy Carter, and interpolates "Landslide" (1975) by Fleetwood Mac.

The song received acclaim from music critics, naming it one of the best tracks on the album, and it won for Best Country Duo/Group Performance at the 67th Annual Grammy Awards.

[9] It features "simplistic vocal runs" by Cyrus and more "boisterous rifts" by Beyoncé,[10] accompanied by an instrumental blend of "back porch country" and "pop rock" in the vein of Fleetwood Mac.

[11] 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".

[9] The lyrical content was also linked to the theme of a "ride or die" partnership, reminiscent of films like Buck and the Preacher (1972), Thelma & Louise (1991) and Bonnie and Clyde (1967).

She likened Carter's and Cyrus' personas to Butch Cassidy and Sundance Kid, respectively, and praised how their voices "melt[ed] into each other instead of fighting for the spotlight.

[16] 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".

[17] 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" (2024), and Cyrus' third after "Flowers" and "Used to Be Young" (2023).