"You Don't Own Me" is a pop-punk[1] song that was written by Pale Waves frontwoman Heather Baron-Gracie, and the singer-songwriter Sam de Jong; it is played in the key of C♯ minor and at 170 beats per minute.

[2][3] Described by Stitched Sound as a "empowering, guitar-heavy release of frustration",[4] "You Don't Own Me" opens with a "gritty chugging guitar" riff that plays over the song's verses.

In an interview with NME, Baron-Gracie explained that the track is "about what it’s like to be a woman in this world ... [It discusses] how society depicts, judges and criticises women on a daily basis.

I also wanted to say a fuck you to everyone that plays by these fake delusional rules that women and gender need to fit inside a specific box.

"[9] The site also likened Baron-Gracie's dress to those worn by Melanie Martinez and called the overall production "a throwback of a lifetime".