It has a "catchy" chorus and "summery, carefree vibes." The song was described as "breezy" and "ebullient" by some critics. It has lyrics about "wishing you could step out of the friend zone." A writer for iHeartRadio MMVAs said that it "gives off the vibe of a budding summer romance", noting that its lyrics recount "the feelings of a pair of friends who are interested in taking their relationship to the next level." A lyric video featuring animation by Maddy Franklin accompanied the song's release. Darren Doane directed the music video for "More than Friends" which was released through Mraz's YouTube channel. It was released on September 17, 2018, and features a meta concept where a pair of co-workers at the video shoot for the song admit romantic feelings for each other, followed by a celebration of their newfound relationship. The video begins with two people working on the set of a music video, as the director and the stylist respectively, glancing at each other occasionally. They deal with their emotions before admitting their feelings to each other. Trainor and Mraz perform the song while getting ready for the shoot. The video concludes with a dance sequence that celebrates the former couple's new union. On November 1, 2018, an official dance video, directed by Ryan Hutchins, and starring Nicola Collie and Derek Schiesel, was released. Mraz and Trainor performed "More than Friends" at "The Ellen DeGeneres Show" on September 18, 2018. "More than Friends" charted at number 49 on the Beligum Ultratip chart and number 32 on the US Adult Top 40. Credits are referenced from the album's liner notes: