"Moonlight Sunrise" received generally favorable reviews from critics, who praised the song's sultry lyrics and its fun, miami bass production, showing a new side of Twice.

On December 21, 2022, Twice posted a poster showing the text "Twice / Our Youth" with the caption "First, 1/4 of 2023", revealing that they would release the second all-English single in January 2023, their first since "The Feels" in 2021, and their twelfth extended play in March of the same year.

[7] "Moonlight Sunrise" was co-produced by Earattack and Lee Woo-hyun, and co-written by Nina Ann Nelson and Kaedi Dalley of Citizen Queen.

[1][2] The track incorporates a synth-pop arrangement with house influences, a dreamy melody, and lyrics that "explore the urgency of love"[10] In terms of musical notation, the song is written in the key of C-sharp Major and has a tempo of 125 beats per minute.

[16] Lai Frances, writing for Uproxx, "the song's flirtatious lyrics ('I've got the moonlight, tequila sunrise, come take a shot on me, I got ya') on top of a bed of Miami-bass is an invitation to the new side of Twice.