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Critics lauded the song's radio-friendly appeal and emotional sentiments, though some felt that it demonstrated Swift's formulaic and repetitive songwriting. At the 2010 Grammy Awards, "You Belong with Me" received nominations for Song of the Year, Record of the Year, and Best Female Pop Vocal Performance. The single reached the top ten on charts and received sales certifications in Australia, Canada, and New Zealand. In the U.S., driven by non-country airplay, it peaked at number two on the Billboard Hot 100 and was the first country song to reach number one on the all-genre Billboard Radio Songs chart. The single was certified 7× Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).
"You Belong with Me" was ranked among the greatest songs of the 2000s decade by CMT and VH1. The song's music video, directed by Roman White, features Swift portraying two characters: an ordinary girl (the protagonist and narrator) and a popular girl (the antagonist and girlfriend); Lucas Till portrays the male lead. The protagonist secretively loves the male lead, who has an unsympathetic girlfriend. The video won Best Female Video at the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards; during Swift's acceptance speech, Kanye West interrupted, which caused a controversy widely covered by the media. "You Belong with Me" was included on the regular set lists of four of Swift's world tours: the Fearless Tour (2009–2010), the Speak Now World Tour (2011–2012), the Red Tour (2013–2014), and the Reputation Stadium Tour (2018).
Background and release
Swift became inspired to write "You Belong with Me" after she overheard a male friend of hers speaking to his girlfriend on the phone.[3] He acted defensive as his girlfriend yelled at him, and said to her, "No, baby...I had to get off the phone really quickly... I tried to call you right back... Of course I love you. More than anything! Baby, I’m so sorry."[3] Out of the sympathy she felt towards him in the situation, Swift developed a concept for a song.[3] In a writing session with co-writer Liz Rose, Swift explained the situation along with her idea and conceived the song's opening line, "You’re on the phone with your girlfriend / she’s upset / she's going off about something that you said."[3] Together, they developed a story line, which described Swift being in love with the male friend and her having the desire for him to break up with his current girlfriend for her.[3] Swift described the song's concept as "basically about wanting someone who is with this girl who doesn't appreciate him at all. Basically like 'girl-next-door-itis.' You like this guy who you have known for your whole life, and you know him better than she does but somehow the popular girl gets the guy every time."[4] Swift recalled, "It was really fun for us to write the line, 'She wears short skirts, I wear T-shirts'."[3] "You Belong with Me" was first released as a promotional single from Fearless on November 4, 2008, as part of Countdown to Fearless, an exclusive campaign by the iTunes Store.[5] Big Machine Records released the song to US country radio on April 20, 2009, as the third single from Fearless.[6] The track was released to US contemporary hit radio on May 18, 2009, by Big Machine in partnership with Republic Records.[7]
Composition
"You Belong with Me" is a country pop song with a length of three minutes and 52 seconds.[8] According to Kate Kiefer of Paste magazine, it is "a straight-up pop song."[9] The song is set in common time and has a moderate tempo of 130 beats per minute. It is written in the key of F♯ major and Swift's vocals spans a little below two octaves, from F#3 to C#5. Swift hints at her country music background in the banjo-inflected introduction of the song.[10] Leah Greenblatt of Entertainment Weekly felt Swift's vocals were light and twangy while the melody was "lilting".[11] It follows the chord progression F♯ –C♯–G♯m-B.[12] The instrumentation consists of clucking banjos alongside new wave electric guitars.[13]
The lyrics to "You Belong with Me" alternate between narrative modes, where she speaks of herself, a male friend whom she has an unrequited crush on, and his girlfriend. Greenblatt described Swift's role as a storyteller, the song being a narrative set to music, which describes concerning about love and boys "just [being] very hard to catch".[11] Craig Rosen of The Hollywood Reporter believes "You Belong with Me"'s plot is "confessional" and regards scenarios themed with high school, while Swift "is the girl next door who's had her heart broken and takes refuge in music".[14] Lucy Davies of the BBC noted, "Swift deals in the prosaic imagery of high school boys".[15] In one verse, Swift contrasts herself with her friend's girlfriend and states, "She wears high heels, I wear sneakers / She's cheer captain, I'm on the bleachers", which Davies interpreted as the song's protagonist feeling envy towards cheerleaders, in particular, the one dating her male friend.[15] In the choruses, Swift attempts "to persuade some boy to come to his senses and submit to her everygirl charms".[13]
Critical reception
Johnny Davis of The Observer believed some parts of the song "may needle British ears".[16] Lucy Davies of the BBC was not impressed by the song's theme being similar to those of other songs on Fearless or on her eponymous debut album, Taylor Swift.[15] She opined that "You Belong with Me"'s "lyrical palette has few colours [...] and it's repetitive".[15] Jonathan Keefe of Slant Magazine said, "'You Belong with Me' isn't her best-written song by a long shot, but it's hard to fault its construction."[17] Jody Rosen of Rolling Stone commented, "It's hard not to be won over by the guilelessness".[18]
A Times Editor review from St. Petersburg Times also described it as sounding similar to other hits: "She hankers for a boy who either doesn't love her back or wants to ditch this small town."[19] Josh Love of The Village Voice thought "preternatural wisdom and inclusiveness" shined through the lyrics and theme of "You Belong with Me"; Love also mentioned that it was one of Fearless' "great songs".[20] Leah Greenblatt of Entertainment Weekly said Swift's vocals fit the song's melody and instrumentation, which, according to her, is "slick" and "radio-friendly".[11] Rob Sheffield of Blender magazine recommended for readers to download "You Belong with Me",[21] and Jeniffer Webb, also from About.com, predicted that the song would reach different age groups.[22] Webb said, "It continues the artist's tradition of having a little something for everyone, so it's no wonder she has such a large fanbase."[22]
"You Belong with Me" featured on 2009 year-end lists by Pitchfork at number 69[23] and The Village Voice's Pazz & Jop critics' poll at number 10.[24] The song was ranked among the greatests songs of the 2000s decade by CMT (number eight) and VH1 (number 50).[25][26] Billboard included "You Belong with Me" in their 2017 list of the "100 Greatest Choruses of the 21st Century", writing: "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']."[27] It ranked first on Teen Vogue's 2020 list of the "91 Best Songs About Unrequited Love".[28]
Awards and nominations
At the 52nd Grammy Awards, "You Belong with Me" received nominations for three awards. The song received a nomination for the Grammy Award for Song of the Year but lost to Beyoncé's "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)" (2008), for the Grammy Award for Record of the Year but lost to Kings of Leon's "Use Somebody" (2008), and for the Grammy Award for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance but lost to Beyoncé's "Halo" (2009).[29] "You Belong with Me" won Favorite Song at the 2010 Kids Choice Awards and was nominated for Song of the Year at the 45th Academy of Country Music Awards, but lost to Lady A's "Need You Now" (2009).[30][31]
Chart performance
"You Belong with Me" debuted at number 12 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart dated November 22, 2008, after its promotional single release.[32] Following its single release, the song moved to number three on the Billboard Hot 100 on the week ending August 15, 2009.[33] Driven by non-country radio airplay, the song gained the largest crossover radio audience since Faith Hill's "Breathe" (2000).[33] The following week, it peaked at number two on the Billboard Hot 100, being blocked at the top spot by the Black Eyed Peas' "I Gotta Feeling".[34]
It was Swift's first number-one single on the all-genre Radio Songs chart.[35] With this achievement, "You Belong with Me" became the first country crossover single to top the Radio Songs chart since Billboard began incorporating Nielsen BDS-monitored data in 1990.[35] It stayed at number one for two consecutive weeks and spent 49 weeks in total.[36] On other airplay charts, "You Belong with Me" spent two weeks at number one on the Hot Country Songs chart[37] and 14 weeks at number one on the Adult Contemporary chart;[38] and peaked at number two on both the Pop Songs and Adult Pop Songs charts.[39][40] The single was certified seven times platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for sales and streaming exceeding seven million units.[41] By July 2019, "You Belong with Me" had sold 4.9 million copies in the United States.[42]
"You Belong with Me" peaked within the top ten on singles charts in Canada (three),[43] Australia (five),[44] New Zealand (five),[45] and Japan (ten).[46] The single peaked within the top 40 in Ireland (12),[47] Slovakia (17),[48] the United Kingdom (30),[49] Hungary (31),[50] and Denmark (32).[51] In Canada, the song reached number one on three airplay charts: Canada Country, Canada CHR/Top 40, and Canada Hot AC.[52] The single was certified platinum in Japan[53] and platinum or multi-platinum in the English-speaking countries including Australia (four times platinum),[54] Canada (double platinum),[55] and New Zealand and the United Kingdom (both platinum).[56][57]
Music video
The song's accompanying music video was directed by Roman White. In the video, Swift portrays both the protagonist and antagonist, which she respectively described as "the nerd, who is pining away for this guy that she can't have" and "the popular girl."[4] Swift described the popular girl's persona as "horrible and scary and intimidating and perfect".[58] Her love interest is portrayed by American actor Lucas Till; Swift met Till while acting on the set of Hannah Montana: The Movie in April 2008. She later asked him to act in the video, as she was intrigued by his "cool look", embodying a "dreamy guy".[58] In regards to his acting on the video, Swift said, "He's absolutely perfect for the part and really fun to be around, too."[4] According to her, the video's plot is "charming"; she also said that, "the whole video, I'm just sitting there pining away, wishing I could be in her position."[58] In regards to the video's conclusion, White explained that Swift "becomes who she really is", while Swift thought it was a happy ending.[58] Swift commented, "One of my favorite things about this video is that there wasn't a standard performance scene. This video was pretty much all story line and I'm narrating it in the moment, basically narrating while all this is happening around me."[58]
The video was shot in two days in Gallatin and Hendersonville, Tennessee.[4] On the first day of filming, Swift used a body double in order for both Swift, as the protagonist and antagonist, to appear in one shot.[58] In a scene where she appeared dancing, White replaced Swift's routine with one having no rhythm; she recalled, "It was some of the most fun I'd had in a long time, just freaking out and doing the dumbest moves."[58] On the second day, they first filmed a prom scene and, lastly, the football game, both being filmed at Pope John Paul II High School. The school supplied many students as extras, including football players, band members, cheerleaders and students. The final prom scene used the school's decorations for its real prom the next night. When filming for a touchdown, Till was unable to catch the ball, furthering the length of the shoot.[58] "You put a lot of good solid effort in it and it looks good," Swift stated about filming.[58]
The video commences with Till arguing with his girlfriend through a phone call. As soon as Swift, as the protagonist, notices, they begin to communicate by holding up signs through their adjoining bedroom windows. Till closes his curtains, and Swift holds up a sign saying, "I love you". As the song's chorus approaches, Swift starts to sing and dance in front of a mirror, changing to different clothing multiple times reflecting various high school cliques including a goth, a hippie, and a skater. Afterward, Swift is sitting in a bench while reading a book. Till arrives and the two talk. Then, Swift, as the antagonist, arrives in a red convertible car and Till gets in it; Swift, the antagonist, kisses him and gives a hostile look towards the protagonist. Suddenly, the antagonist Swift is seen cheerleading at a football game while Swift's other persona is in the bleachers, performing in the school band. After scoring the winning touchdown, Till moves toward his girlfriend and finds her flirting with a teammate, resulting in a heated argument which results in their breakup. Meanwhile, Swift the protagonist stares in amazement. Back looking at each other through their bedroom windows, Till and Swift again communicate through signs. Till asks Swift the protagonist if she was attending prom and she responds, "no, studying". Swift, however, notices Till has a dejected expression as he leaves, and she changes her mind. Shortly after, Swift is seen entering prom with a white dress, no longer looking like a nerd, while all her peers stare in amazement. When Till spots her, he walks towards her and Swift the antagonist, in a red dress, attempts to stop him, but he ignores her. Ending the video, Till and Swift reveal folded signs saying "I love you" and kiss while Swift the antagonist stares at them in anger.
The video deals with themes such as fitting in and staying true to oneself. As of January 2020, the video has over 1 billion views on YouTube, making it the first country music video on the site that reached that milestone.
Video reception
The video premiered on May 2, 2009, on CMT.[59] Chris Ryan of MTV commented, "'You Belong With Me' was a teen rom-com wrapped up in a music video, wherein Taylor plays two roles.[60] See Dooley of About.com believed Swift worked "doubly hard", playing two roles.[61] A Times Editor review from The St. Petersburg Times compared the large glasses Swift wore to those of Clark Kent.[19] Michael Deacon of The Daily Telegraph felt the video suited the song, "in that they're equally sappy and dull".[62]
At the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards, the video won the MTV Video Music Award for Best Female Video. During Swift's acceptance speech, rapper Kanye West interrupted her, grabbing her microphone and stating, "Yo Taylor, I'm really happy for you and I'ma let you finish, but Beyoncé [Knowles] had one of the best videos of all time", regarding Knowles' video for "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)".[63] According to Jayson Rodríguez of MTV News, Knowles "looked on from the crowd, stunned".[63] Later in the evening, during her acceptance speech for winning the MTV Video Music Award for Video of the Year, Knowles told about her experience winning her first Video Music Award with Destiny's Child and how much it meant to her, regarding her group winning Best R&B video at the 2000 VMAs for "Say My Name". She then called Swift from backstage to complete her acceptance speech.[64] Numerous critics, celebrities, and fans criticized West's actions, including the President of the United States, Barack Obama, who called West a "jackass".[65] At first, West made no effort in contacting Swift, but he later issued an apology, which Swift accepted.[66] The video was nominated for Video of the Year at the 45th Academy of Country Music Awards.[31] At the 2010 CMT Music Awards, the video received nominations for "Video of the Year" and "Female Video of the Year", but lost to Carrie Underwood's "Cowboy Casanova" and Miranda Lambert's "White Liar", respectively.[67] At the 2010 MuchMusic Video Awards, the video was nominated for the MuchMusic Video Award for Best International Artist Video and the MuchMusic Video Award for People's Choice: Favourite International Video, but lost to Miley Cyrus' video for "Party in the U.S.A." and Adam Lambert's video for "Whataya Want From Me", respectively.[68]