The song received generally positive reviews from critics, who discussed the similarity to Fearless and praised the songwriting, production, and both artists performances.

[2][3] The decision followed a public dispute in 2019 between Swift and the talent manager Scooter Braun, who acquired Big Machine Records, including the masters of her albums which the label had released.

He also provided drum machine programming and instruments including acoustic, bass, electric, and high string guitars, keyboards, piano, percussion, and synthesizers.

It was mixed by Serban Ghenea at MixStar Studios in Virginia Beach and mastered by Randy Merrill at Sterling Sound in Edgewater.

[19] Having an acoustic and midtempo production,[20][21] its instrumentation features fiddles, mandolin, chiming guitars, looping synth drums, and subdued percussion.

[29][30] She is constantly being reeled back into the memories of the relationship and addresses the messiness it left on her: "The way the tires turn stone on old country roads / They leave it muddy underneath, reminds me of you".

[c] In Taste of Country, Billy Dukes thought the lyrics were "soft-spoken" and suggested that the track's subject could be an abusive ex-lover whom the narrator now "harshly rebuked".

[24] Ellie Bate of BuzzFeed News found the song's opening line to resemble to that of the fellow album track "Fearless", which describes "rain on a sidewalk".

[22] Mylrea wrote that the music gave her a little bit déjà vu and felt that the song, although an previously unreleased track, was "like a time capsule of the Fearless era".

Mylrea thought Swift's voice was more powerful than it was on the original Fearless and the lyrics showcased her storytelling that "manages to convey a whole relationship" in a few sentences and contains her signature putdown.

[30] The Guardian's writer Kitty Empire thought the "From the Vault" tracks were "a mixed bag", but she picked the song as a highlight and found its sound satisfying.

Willman believed that it had "a lot of terrific lines" reminiscent of Swift's early songwriting, but he stated that the track's electric guitar was "abrasive" and out of place yet also enough to "[feel] like 2008 heartland radio".

[25] The Telegraph's music journalist Neil McCormick said that the song's "siniously seductive" nature would have been a little "too pushily aggressive for Taylor's teenage image".

[27] Billboard writers considered the song "Fearless-core at its finest" and thought Morris' vocal contribution made Swift's songwriting "shine brighter".

[42] Selling 12,000 downloads in its first week, "You All Over Me" debuted atop on the US Country Digital Song Sales chart and became Swift's 16th number-one entry and Morris' fourth.

[46] Outside of the US, "You All Over Me" debuted and peaked at number 35 on the Billboard Global 200[47] and reached the national charts of Canada (29),[48] Australia (34),[49] Ireland (35),[50] and the United Kingdom (52).