‘II MOST WANTED’ by Beyoncé and Miley Cyrus - Lyrics & Meaning

The day before the arrival Beyoncé's groundbreaking, blockbuster country album, Renaissance Act II: COWBOY CARTER, rumours began circling online that there was more to the story than the two features previously confirmed for the tracklist.

With country legends Willie Nelson and Dolly Parton unveiled earlier in the week for ‘SMOKE HOUR’ and the introduction to Beyoncé's momentous ‘Jolene’ cover, we started getting reports that Miley Cyrus and Post Malone would also appear on the project.

This was later confirmed, with Miley and Beyoncé trading verses on the heartwarming, serpentine ‘II MOST WANTED’, which is expected to be sent to Country Radio in the coming weeks, once the infectious ‘TEXAS HOLD ‘EM’ hits No. 1.

Given the fact that it features two musical heavyweights, we imagine it won't take long for ‘II MOST WANTED’ to follow in the earth-shattering footsteps of ’TEXAS HOLD ’EM’.

‘II MOST WANTED’ is one of the more stripped-back offerings from COWBOY CARTER, with the vocals snaking along a subdued bass and a subtle, undulating guitar riff for the vast majority of the alluring, sinuous track. Beyoncé and Miley’s signature voices intertwine seamlessly, with the intricate, drawn-in song gradually building in intensity as it approaches the rousing crescendo of the hook.

Beyoncé answers any doubts about the extent to which COWBOY CARTER will be a ‘country’ album by leading ‘II MOST WANTED’ with a simple, acoustic guitar.

The sparse ambience of the track captures the spirit of the record as a whole, with the outro of ‘II MOST WANTED’ pivoting around Beyoncé's layered vocals, giving the song a hymnal feel.

“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”

At its heart, ‘II MOST WANTED’ is a song about loyalty and holding onto the passion of young love, with Beyoncé and Miley Cyrus celebrating their sense of freedom as they ride off into the sunset. It's open to interpretation whether the two protagonists are singing to their respective lovers or to one another during the song, but based on the chemistry that permeates ‘II MOST WANTED’, the latter seems most likely.

They reference ‘jumping the gun’ and admit that they've leapt into the romance with both feet, but they shrug their shoulders and cast any doubts aside in the name of seizing the day. Beyoncé highlights that she wasn't sure what she was looking for before she met her partner, and that this moment represented the birth of ‘a new 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”

They again emphasise how the romance snuck up on them, with Beyoncé and Miley powerfully conveying the feeling of being utterly enraptured by their love for their partner.

They paint a picture of driving off together, with the duo describing themselves as Bonnie and Clyde-style outlaws on the run, hinting their relationship is being criticised or attacked by others - perhaps because they dove in headfirst, despite being young.

“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”

They contrast the earlier feeling of being lost in the present moment with a reference to their long-term future, with the lead characters promising to remain in love until their time on Earth comes to an end. We get further imagery about the duo driving down the coast of California, as they cruise happily along the I-405 highway.

“Making 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 something new”

Miley Cyrus portrays herself with her hand out the window ‘making waves’, depicting the classic scene of someone happily enjoying the breeze while out on the road.

Her other hand, she shares, is holding her lover, and she suggests that in other relationships, she would've ‘tried to pull away’, seemingly due to anxieties about commitment.

“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”

Here, there's a slight variation of the opening verse, with Miley adding in the new lyric, ‘I'd go wherever you take me, seems kind of crazy’, reiterating her dedication to her partner.

“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”

In the first hook, they reference smoke flying out the window, and now, we get the implication that they're sharing a blunt, accentuating the relaxed, blissful atmosphere of the song.

Ahead of the release of Renaissance Act II: COWBOY CARTER, Beyoncé teased that she'd be including some high-profile duets, “I have a few surprises on the album, and have collaborated with some brilliant artists who I deeply respect. I hope that you can hear my heart and soul, and all the love and passion that I poured into every detail and every sound”. However, few predicted Miley Cyrus would be appearing on this star-studded link-up between two of the music industry's leading figures.

“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

Making 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 something 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)
'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)
Hmm, oh”

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