The Wanted released their third studio album Word of Mouth (2013). The album received mixed reviews from music critics, and performed moderately on charts, peaking at 9 on the UK Albums Chart and 17 on the US Billboard 200. The album was supported by their Word of Mouth World Tour, their debut concert tour in 2014. Before the tour began, The band announced on their website that they'll be taking a break following the tour.[4]
In 2021, after seven years of their hiatus, The Wanted reunited after releasing a new "Wanted Wednesday" episode, and later announced their greatest hits album Most Wanted: The Greatest Hits.[5][6] They originally planned to reunite to celebrate their 10th anniversary in 2020, however, it was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and band member Tom Parker's brain tumor diagnosis in August 2020.[3] On 7 October 2021, The band announced "Rule the World" on an Instagram video, and revealed the artwork for the song.[7][8]