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.

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.

[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.

[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 Studio in Nashville, Tennessee.

"[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 who was in a relationship with a popular-yet-"snobby, ridiculous, overrated girl".

[22] Jody Rosen categorized "You Belong with Me" as power pop,[23] 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".

[27][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.

[18] 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".

[d] Craig S. Semon of the Telegram & Gazette described the song as an "irresistible keeper",[79] and Chris Richards of The Washington Post thought that the use of country banjos and new-wave guitars was "perfectly natural".

[e] Some reviewers observed sophistication in the songwriting;[80] Josh Love from The Village Voice chose it as one of the album's great songs that display "preternatural wisdom and inclusiveness"[81] and Jon P. McLaughlin of The Province said it captures "the nuances and minutiae" of high-school romance.

[38] Some critics were more reserved in their praise; Chris Williams of Billboard said the lyrics might seem immature to some listeners[19] and Johnny Davis of The Observer said the high-school imagery "may needle British ears".

[84] 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".

[90][91] Critics have considered "You Belong with Me" one of Swift's signature songs[92][93] and said its pop-friendly sound preceded her artistic shift from country to mainstream pop.

"[96] 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".

[105] Some feminist authors regarded "You Belong with Me" as 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.

[106][f] Sady Doyle deemed the song a "triumph of girl-on-girl sexism" that promotes "moral superiority and '50's-style coy submissiveness",[110] and Lauren Michele Jackson regarded it as a "bouncy jaunt through the valley of 'me versus those other girls' ".

[112] Roman White directed the music video for "You Belong with Me", in which Swift portrays both the protagonist ("the nerd, who is pining away for this guy that she can't have") and the antagonist ("the popular girl, horrible, scary, intimidating and perfect").

[114] In a behind-the-scenes video that was aired on Great American Country, Swift elaborated on the narrative, in which the protagonist wishes she could be in the antagonist's position in a relationship with the boy.

[132] Mary Fogarty and Gina Arnold deemed it a representation of Swift's talent for portraying "contradictory ... performed persona" but maintain her authenticity, and an early example of her cultural status as both "villain and victim" that represents ideals of "an America that has passed into history" and "a feminist future".

Before the concerts began, a screen showed footage of celebrities including Miley Cyrus, Faith Hill, and Garth Brooks sharing their definitions of the word "fearless".

[150][151] At the 52nd Annual Grammy Awards in February 2010, Swift and Stevie Nicks performed a medley of "You Belong with Me" and "Today Was a Fairytale", and Fleetwood Mac's "Rhiannon".

[153][154] Jon Caramanica of The New York Times said it was refreshing to "see someone so gifted make the occasional flub" and that it was necessary for her to have "her facade ... come undone a bit" as her fame grew bigger.

[159][160] The song was part of Swift's performance at BBC Radio 1's Teen Awards[161] and a VH1 Storytellers episode that was recorded at Harvey Mudd College in California; both took place in October 2012.

[163][164] She also sang the song at the Formula One United States Grand Prix on October 22, 2016,[165] and at the pre-Super Bowl event Super Saturday Night on February 4, 2017.

[170][171] 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".

[210] One day before the release, the singer-songwriters Olivia Rodrigo and Conan Gray, whom Swift had contacted, posted clips of themselves dancing to excerpts of "You Belong with Me (Taylor's Version)" on TikTok.

[217] Swift produced "You Belong with Me (Taylor's Version)" with Christopher Rowe, who recorded her vocals at Kitty Committee Studio in London.

[221] Kitty Empire of The Observer said the re-recording has a "smoother" and more "nuanced" production that is evident in the "interplay between the guitar and banjo",[219] and Lucy Habron of Clash said the more-defined instruments make the song "shinier".

[224] Joe Coscarelli from The New York Times said the re-recorded track "can't help but sound like [a cover]" because of Swift's matured vocals and teenage lyrics.