It was written by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice, for the 1996 film adaptation of the musical, Evita, based on the life of Argentinian leader Eva Perón.

After years of not working together due to their individual projects, Lloyd Webber and Rice collaborated on creating a new track for the film, with the hope of obtaining an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Song.

Madonna, who starred in the title role of the film, had tried to change the lyrics of the track to create a sympathetic portrayal of Perón, but was unsuccessful.

For a long time, Madonna had desired to play Perón and even wrote a letter to director Alan Parker, explaining how she would be perfect for the part.

[1] After securing the role, she underwent vocal training with coach Joan Lader since Evita required the actors to sing their own parts.

"[2][3] "You Must Love Me" was written by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice, who had reunited for Evita after a ten-year creative separation due to their individual projects.

[9][10] Recording sessions for the film's songs and soundtrack began in September 1995, and took place at the CTS Studios in London; Madonna was accompanied by her co-stars Antonio Banderas and Jonathan Pryce.

However, trouble arose as Madonna was not completely comfortable with laying down a "guide vocal" simultaneously with an 84 piece orchestra inside the studio.

[11] An emergency meeting was held between Parker, Lloyd Webber and Madonna where it was decided that the singer would record her part in a more contemporary studio while the orchestration would take place somewhere else.

[18] Larry Flick, from Billboard, called it "a momentous musical event [...] a bittersweet and quietly theatrical ballad [written] specifically for Madonna".

[6] Kathleen Guerdo, also from Billboard, said that, "[Madonna] delivers what is by far one of the strongest vocal performances of her career, comfortably scaling to the song's demanding soprano heights while infusing it with delicate, heart-rending emotion.

[21] Spin's Annie Zaleski noted that "[Madonna's] performances on the Evita soundtrack demonstrated her astronomical growth as a vocalist", citing "her fragile-sounding pleas on the Oscar-winning 'You Must Love Me'" as an example.

[23] On her review of Evita, Janet Maslin from The New York Times commented that, "Mr. Lloyd Webber and Mr. Rice have contributed a lilting new song, 'You Must Love Me', that's as suitable for weddings as it is for running South American countries".

[25] Greg Kot from the Chicago Tribune, called it "among the composers' finest works--a rare example of understatement with its sparse instrumentation, brevity and nuanced lyricism".

[29] While ranking Madonna's singles, in honor of her 60th birthday, The Guardian's Jude Rogers placed "You Must Love Me" at number 50, calling it the singer's best performance from the film and pointing out the "emotional quaking desperation" in her voice.

[31] Also negative was Slant Magazine's Eric Henderson, who wrote that it "just barely misses taking the dishonor of being ranked the worst of the singles released from the soundtrack, it certainly chides that its entire mad existence was to push Andrew Lloyd Webber to an EGOT".

[48] The music video for "You Must Love Me" was directed by Parker and features the singer performing the song inside a small room; interspersed with footage and scenes from Evita.

[51] On March 24, 1997, Madonna performed the song at the 69th Academy Awards dressed in a full-length, strapless Christian Dior gown.

[52] According to choreographer Otis Sallid, they wanted to portray the singer in a restrained manner, hence the accompaniment in the stage was just a spotlight on her and a piano to her left.

[53] Writing for The Philadelphia Inquirer, movie critic Carrie Rickey felt Madonna "gave a restrained performance of the number".

[55] The performance received positive feedback from critics with Ricardo Baca, from The Denver Post, writing that "her courageous, late-set take on 'You Must Love Me' — from the filmed version of the Broadway musical Evita — was spot-on and gorgeous with its string accompaniment".

[59] Lana Del Rey recorded a cover of "You Must Love Me" in 2018 for Lloyd Webber's greatest hits album Unmasked: The Platinum Collection.