You Belong with Me
"You Belong with Me" is a song by the American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift and is the third single from her second studio album Fearless (2008). Big Machine Records released the song to radio on April 20, 2009. Swift was inspired to write "You Belong with Me" after overhearing a telephone call between a touring band member and his girlfriend; she and Liz Rose wrote the lyrics, which discuss an unrequited love. Swift and Nathan Chapman produced the track, which has a banjo-led country pop production and incorporates fiddle, mandolin, and rock-influenced bass and electric guitars. Although the single was promoted on country radio, some critics categorized it into 1980s pop subgenres such as pop rock and power pop.
Not to be confused with You Belong to Me."You Belong with Me"
Early reviews of the song generally praised its radio-friendly production and the emotional engagement of the lyrics, although a few deemed the songwriting formulaic. Some feminist critics took issue with the lyrics as slut-shaming but retrospective opinions have considered "You Belong with Me" one of Swift's signature songs. At the 2010 Grammy Awards, the song was nominated in three categories, including Song of the Year and Record of the Year. The single reached the top 10 on charts and received certifications in Australia, Canada, Japan, and New Zealand. In the United States, it peaked at number two on the Billboard Hot 100, and was the first country song to reach number one on both the Hot Country Songs chart and the all-genre Radio Songs chart. The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) certified the single seven-times platinum.
Roman White directed the song's music video, which stars Swift as both the antagonist—an unsympathetic, popular brunette cheerleader, and the protagonist—a sympathetic, blonde girl next door who yearns for the antagonist's boyfriend. At the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards, rapper Kanye West interrupted Swift's acceptance speech for Best Female Video, which caused a controversy widely covered by the press. Following a 2019 dispute about the ownership of Swift's back catalog, she rerecorded the song as "You Belong with Me (Taylor's Version)" for her album Fearless (Taylor's Version) (2021). As of 2023, "You Belong with Me" has been included on the set lists of five of Swift's six headlining tours.
Background and writing[edit]
Taylor Swift wrote songs for her second studio album Fearless while touring as an opening act for other country musicians to promote her self-titled debut studio album during 2007 and 2008, when she was 17-to-18 years old.[1][2] Continuing the romantic themes of her first album, Swift wrote songs about love and personal experiences from the perspective of a teenage girl to ensure her fans could relate to Fearless.[3] The product was a collection of songs about the challenges of love with prominent, high-school and fairy-tale lyrical imagery.[4] Swift and Nathan Chapman recorded over 50 songs for Fearless; "You Belong with Me" was one of the 13 tracks that made the final cut.[5] The track, which was recorded by the audio engineer Char Carlson, was produced by Swift and Chapman, and mixed by Justin Niebank at Blackbird Studios in Nashville, Tennessee.[6]
Swift was inspired to write "You Belong with Me" after she overheard a telephone call between a band member and his girlfriend.[7] She recalled him becoming defensive when his girlfriend confronted him, which prompted the opening lines: "You're on the phone with your girlfriend, she's upset. She's going off about something that you said."[8] Out of sympathy for him, Swift imagined herself as a "girl-next-door-itis" character with hidden feelings for a close male friend, whom she understood but was in a relationship with a popular-yet-"snobby, ridiculous, overrated girl".[9][10] Swift immediately wrote some lyrics and developed a complete narrative in a songwriting session with Liz Rose.[9] Swift played the pre-chorus and chorus to Rose and sang the lines: "She wears short skirts / I wear T-shirts", which were her favorite to write on the song.[9][11] Rose suggested Swift write "something about bleachers" and they conceived another lyric: "She's cheer captain and I’m on the bleachers".[11]
Music and lyrics[edit]
"You Belong with Me" follows a verse–chorus form that has a pre-chorus between the verse and the chorus. The verse and chorus follow the diatonic I−V−ii−IV chord progression (F♯−C♯−g♯−B) and each chord is maintained for two measures.[12] The pre-chorus, though using the same chords, follows the ii−IV−I−V progression and each chord is maintained for one measure. The track is set to a medium-tempo 4/4 time signature and each section is divided into eight-measure phrases. Swift sings with melodic variation; each section from the verse to the pre-chorus rises in register.[13] Toward the chorus's end, Swift uses melisma on the words "see" and "me" in the lyric "Why can't you see / you belong with me?"—for each of the words, she sings with three notes that descend a short distance (B−A♯) and then a considerable drop (A♯−D♯).[14] The musicologists Nate Sloan and Charlie Harding label this three-note melodic motif the "T-Drop", which also occurs on many of Swift's later songs.[a]
Reviews from mainstream publications generally called "You Belong with Me" a country pop song[13] but many critics and musicologists deemed it a pop song that is applicable to more than one radio format.[b] American Songwriter's Savannah Dantona said it is "openly a pop song influenced by country, not country influenced by pop".[19] Nolan Gasser said the country-music stylistic foundation is in the instruments; banjo strums that drive verses, a pedal steel guitar, occasional slide guitar riffs, and a slight twang in Swift's vocals.[20] As the song progresses into the chorus, the banjo and pedal steel submerge to make room for dynamic electric and bass guitars.[21]
Jody Rosen categorized "You Belong with Me" as power pop,[22] while Andrew Unterberger of Billboard said the dynamic shift from the verses to the chorus make the track sound "almost ... like a '90s rock song".[23] Gasser, Michael Campbell, and James E. Perone cited the song structure, rhythm, and collective use of acoustic, electric, and bass guitars to categorize the song into 1980s styles of pop rock, new wave, and pop-punk.[24] For Perone, this 1980s connection is in the "highly unusual" incorporation of guitars and country banjo, fiddle, and mandolin in the steady eighth-note texture.[25]
In "You Belong with Me", a female narrator expresses her feelings for a male friend who is in a relationship with an unappreciative girlfriend.[26][7] The lyrical motifs evoke a typical American high-school setting; the narrator sees herself as an unpopular girl and an "underdog", and the girlfriend is a popular, attractive cheerleader.[27] The narrator appreciates the male friend ("She doesn't get your humor like I do ... She'll never know your story like I do"),[28] but he is unaware of her affection.[29] The narrator discusses the contrasts between herself and the girlfriend in the verses: "She wears high heels, I wear sneakers / She's cheer captain and I'm on the bleachers".[30][31] Throughout the song, the narrator persuades the male friend to acknowledge her charm.[27][32]
Some critics found the lyrics melancholy despite the upbeat production[17][33] and said, contrary to Swift's status as an attractive and popular figure, her narrator's position as an unpopular girl contributes to her reliability and popularity among her audience.[22][34] Ken Tucker of NPR wrote the lyrics and vocals are full of "intense ache" that effectively conveys adolescent yearning.[35] Gasser described the narrative lyrics as the most profound country influences on "You Belong with Me",[36] while Tom Breihan of Pitchfork found its narrative about unrequited love reminiscent of "the most fragile, heartbroken strains of twee indie pop".[17] In the Edmonton Journal, Amanda Ash said the lyrics are not as sentimental because Swift's character "mocks a guy for his choice in women but also sheds a tear for his blindness".[37]
Critical reception[edit]
In reviews of Fearless, many critics considered "You Belong with Me" a standout track and recommended it for download.[c] Some lauded the production as catchy and radio-friendly, qualities to which they attributed the single's crossover success.[d] Craig S. Sermon of the Telegram & Gazette described the song as an "irresistible keeper"[76] and Chris Richards of The Washington Post described the use of country banjos and new-wave guitars as "perfectly natural".[32] Critics also complimented the way the lyrical sentiments resonate with a broad audience, including adults and Swift's core audience of teenage girls.[e] Some reviewers observed sophistication in the songwriting;[78] Josh Love from The Village Voice chose it as one of the album's great songs that display "preternatural wisdom and inclusiveness"[79] and Jon P McLaughlin of The Province said it captures "the nuances and minutiae" of high-school romance.[80] Ash said the "witty" song adds maturity to Swift's adolescent perspectives compared with the "sappy" single "Teardrops on My Guitar" (2006).[37]
Some critics were more reserved in their praise; Chris Williams of Billboard said the lyrics might seem immature to some listeners[18] and Johnny Davis of The Observer said the high-school imagery "may needle British ears".[81] According to the Tampa Bay Times, the song is generic and too similar to many of Swift's previous singles.[82] After "You Belong with Me" was nominated in three categories at the 52nd Annual Grammy Awards, Slant Magazine's Jonathan Keefe wrote although it is not Swift's best-written song, it stands out among other contenders because "it's hard to fault its construction".[83]
Accolades and retrospective reviews[edit]
Pitchfork included "You Belong with Me" at number 69 in its list of the best songs of 2009.[17] It ranked 10th on The Village Voice's Pazz & Jop mass critics' poll for the same year.[84] In 2010, "You Belong with Me" received several industry awards and nominations; at the 52nd Annual Grammy Awards, It was nominated for Song of the Year but lost to Beyoncé's "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)", Record of the Year but lost to Kings of Leon's "Use Somebody", and Best Female Pop Vocal Performance but lost to Beyoncé's "Halo".[85] The track won Favorite Song at the 2010 Kids' Choice Awards[86] and was nominated for Song of the Year but lost to Lady Antebellum's "Need You Now" at the 45th Academy of Country Music Awards.[87] At the BMI Country Awards organized by Broadcast Music, Inc. to honor the year's most-performed country songs on US radio and television, "You Belong with Me" made Swift the youngest person to win Songwriter of the Year and the first to win Song of the Year three consecutive times following her wins for "Teardrops on My Guitar" in 2008 and "Love Story" in 2009.[88]
Critics have considered "You Belong with Me" one of Swift's signature songs[89][90] and said its pop-friendly sound preceded her artistic shift from country to mainstream pop.[91][92] Nate Jones from Vulture (2023) placed "You Belong with Me" second after "All Too Well" in his ranking of Swift's discography; he lauded it as a "classic" about high-school feelings and wrote: "The line about short skirts and T-shirts will likely be mentioned in Swift's obituary one day".[93] Chris Willman from Variety (2022) ranked it first in his list and said the lyrical sentiments about adolescent feelings contribute to the song's enduring popularity and lauded the production as "monstrously hooky".[94] Hannah Mylrea of NME (2022) placed it 22nd out of Swift's 161 songs,[95] and Jane Song from Paste (2020) ranked it eighth out of 158 songs.[91] Rob Sheffield of Rolling Stone and Alexis Petridis of The Guardian were less enthusiastic; Sheffield (2021) ranked it 128th out of Swift's 243 songs[96] and Petridis said it is somewhat less impactful than "Love Story".[70]
"You Belong with Me" appeared on some all-time rankings. It was ranked among the greatest songs of the 2000s decade by CMT (number eight)[97] and VH1 (number 50).[98] Billboard ranked the chorus of "You Belong with Me" the 20th-greatest in "100 Greatest Choruses of the 21st Century" (2017), saying: "There were about a dozen moments ... you could point to as proof that Taylor Swift would one day become the biggest pop star in the world, but maybe none bigger than the immaculate chorus of ["You Belong With Me"]."[99] The magazine also ranked the track at number 42 on its list of "The 500 Best Pop Songs" (2023) and said "the memorable lyrical passages ... and nuanced vocal runs ... have allowed the song to stand the test of time".[100] "You Belong with Me" ranked first on Teen Vogue's "91 Best Songs About Unrequited Love" (2020).[101]
Some feminist authors deemed "You Belong with Me" antifeminist or slut-shaming, citing the lyrics contrasting Swift's character in T-shirts and the antagonist girlfriend in short skirts as an act of belittling other women to win men's attention.[102][f] Sady Doyle deemed the song a "triumph of girl-on-girl sexism" that promotes "moral superiority and '50's-style coy submissiveness",[106] and Lauren Michele Jackson regarded it as a "bouncy jaunt through the valley of 'me versus those other girls' ".[107] In Vulture, Nate Jones said the song, alongside other contemporaneous releases by Swift, was made to appeal to a conservative, red-state audience.[106] In a defense of the song, Emily St. James from Vox said the antifeminist interpretations ignore Swift's willingness to "play both women" in the dichotomy of "good-hearted girls next door pining away for cute boys who fell for cheerleader jezebels", and that the song "thrives on earnest vulnerability and raw emotionality".[108]
Covers and parodies[edit]
The singer-songwriter and producer Butch Walker recorded a seven-minute video of himself recording instruments and covering "You Belong with Me", and published it on YouTube in November 2009. In the video, Walker plays drums and tunes a mandolin before singing the song, incorporating lyrics told from a male perspective.[166] The cover was included in a deluxe edition of Walker's 2010 album I Liked It Better When You Had No Heart. His cover is a banjo-led, folk and bluegrass composition.[167][168] Jonathan Keefe of Slant Magazine described Walker's arrangement as "fantastic" and said it "emphasized the terrific melody and structure that are the song's real selling points".[169]
"You Belong with Me" was parodied by the comedy musician "Weird Al" Yankovic, who titled it "TMZ" and included it on his studio album Alpocalypse (2011).[170] In "TMZ", Yankovic sings about the ways paparazzi and the gossip website TMZ publicize embarrassing material about celebrities.[171] Yankovic said the track does not denote his support for either the paparazzi or the celebrities, and instead makes fun of "everyone's obsession with celebrity culture and how ridiculous it is and why do we even care about any of this".[172] A music video for "TMZ", which Bill Plympton directed, was filmed in October 2010 and included on the album's DVD.[173][174]
Credits adapted from Fearless album liner notes[6]
"You Belong with Me (Taylor's Version)"
April 9, 2021
- Blackbird (Nashville)
- Prime Recording (Nashville)
3:51
- Taylor Swift
- Liz Rose
- Taylor Swift
- Christopher Rowe