D'Angelo was invited to perform a song for Red Dead Redemption 2 after showing enthusiasm during playtesting, having been a big fan of its predecessor.

"Unshaken" received positive reviews, both in the context of the game and as an individual track, and reached number 6 on the Billboard R&B Digital Song Sales chart.

Some time after the release of that album, D'Angelo discovered that Rockstar Games was developing Red Dead Redemption 2‍; as he was a big fan of its predecessor, Red Dead Redemption (2010), D'Angelo reached out to Ivan Pavlovich, the director of music and audio at Rockstar, to play the game.

Lanois and D'Angelo originally began working on a rock-oriented song in a 68 time signature, but "it didn't pan out".

[6] Musically, Elias Leight of Rolling Stone called the song "meditative", featuring soft keyboards, low-key percussion, and a groove inspired by New Orleans rhythm and blues.

[9] Dom Nero of Esquire described the proverb as "something between a battle cry and an elegy", writing that it encapsulates the game's narrative direction.

[7] Atwood Magazine's Kalish felt that the verses unlock the thoughts of Red Dead Redemption 2 protagonist Arthur Morgan as he attempts to decipher his path.

She identified a connection between D'Angelo's lyrical approach on "Unshaken" and his previous music, avoiding being "preachy" while being universal.

[7] Dave Thier of Forbes wrote that the song's percussion track was in rhythm with the gallop of Arthur's horse in the game.