Beyoncé and Miley Cyrus' “II Most Wanted” Is the Kind of Love Song You'll Want to Play All Summer Long

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We have officially entered Beyoncé's Cowboy Carter season, and the album unsurprisingly includes a bevy of star-studded country collaborations. One of the project's most fruitful partnerships arrives in “II Most Wanted,” a folksy guitar-driven ballad that features Miley Cyrus.

While the title winks at both Beyoncé and Cyrus's status as two of the most famous pop stars in the world, the lyrics chronicle the devotion one feels towards their partner in the early stages of an intense romance. As the first verse begins, “Know we're jumpin' the gun, but we're both still young / One day, we won't be / Didn't know what I want 'til I saw your face / Said goodbye to the old me.”

Like the rest of the album, the song makes heavy use of Americana motifs. Specifically, the lyrics compare the narrator's lasting commitment to their partner to cars and long road trips: “I'll be your shotgun rider 'til the day I die / Smoke out the window, flyin' down the 405 / I'll be your backseat baby, drivin' you crazy / Anytime you like (Woah).”

There doesn't appear to be a clear personal reference to either of Beyoncé or Cyrus's real-life romantic partners. But, Beyoncé wrote the song, so it's possible that “II Most Wanted” is an ode to her relationship with husband Jay-Z, whom she married in 2008. Meanwhile, Cyrus has been linked to singer Maxx Morando since 2021.

But, the track may also be a fictional reimagining of a Western movie. In a press release, Beyoncé revealed that every Cowboy Carter song is inspired by a Western film, with the singer drawing influence from Five Fingers For Marseilles, Urban Cowboy, The Hateful Eight, Space Cowboys, The Harder They Fall, and Killers of the Flower Moon.

Listen to the track here, then read the full lyrics below.

Know we're jumpin' the gun, but we're both still young
One day, we won't be
Didn't know what I want 'til I saw your face
Said goodbye to the old me

Came out of nowhere, didn't give no warnin'
Pedal so heavy, like the two most wanted
And I don't know what you're doin' tonight
But I

I'll be your shotgun rider 'til the day I die
Smoke out the window, flyin' down the 405
I'll be your backseat baby, drivin' you crazy
Anytime you like (Woah)
I'll be your shotgun rider 'til the day I
'Til the day I die

Makin' waves in the wind with my empty hand
My other hand on you
Been a while since I haven't tried to pull away
But it's time for somethin' new

Came out of nowhere, didn't give no warnin'
Pedal so heavy, like the two most wanted
And I don't know what you're doin' tonight
But I

I'll be your shotgun rider 'til the day I die
Smoke out the window flyin' down the 405
Yeah, I'll be your backseat baby, drivin' you crazy
Anytime you like (Woah)
I'll be your shotgun rider 'til the day I
'Til the day I die

('Til the day I, 'til the day I)
('Til the day I die)
Yeah, 'til the day I die
('Til the day I, 'til the day I)
('Til the day I die)

I know we're jumpin' the gun, and we're both still young
But one day, we won't be
I'd go wherever you take me; seems kind of crazy
Ooh, oh

I'll be your shotgun rider 'til the day I die
We're gettin' high 'til we don't realize time is passin' by
Yeah, I'll be your backseat baby, I'm drivin' you crazy
Anytime you like (Oh, woah)
I'll be your shotgun rider 'til the day I
'Til the day I die

('Til the day I, 'til the day I)
('Til the day I die)
'Til the day I die
('Til the day I, 'til the day I)
('Til the day I die)
Mm, oh

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