You Are in Love

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"You Are in Love"
Promotional single by Taylor Swift
from the album 1989
ReleasedFebruary 24, 2015 (2015-02-24)
StudioJungle City (New York)
Length4:27
LabelBig Machine
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
  • Taylor Swift
  • Jack Antonoff
"You Are in Love (Taylor's Version)"
Song by Taylor Swift
from the album 1989 (Taylor's Version)
ReleasedOctober 27, 2023
Length4:27
LabelRepublic
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
  • Taylor Swift
  • Jack Antonoff
Lyric video
"You Are in Love (Taylor's Version)" on YouTube

"You Are in Love" is a song by the American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift from the deluxe edition of her fifth studio album, 1989 (2014). Big Machine Records released the track as an iTunes Store-exclusive download on February 24, 2015. Swift wrote and produced the song with Jack Antonoff, whose relationship with the writer-actress Lena Dunham influenced its lyrical content. Some critics applauded the song's portrayal of love with simple lyrics and production, although a few others deemed the track insubstantial.

The song was the inspiration for the music video of Swift's 2019 single "Lover". Following a dispute over her masters with her former label, Big Machine Records, Swift re-recorded the song as "You Are in Love (Taylor's Version)", as part of her fourth re-recorded album, 1989 (Taylor's Version) (2023).

Background and writing[edit]

Taylor Swift had identified as a country musician until her fourth studio album, Red, which was released on October 22, 2012.[1][2] Red incorporates eclectic pop and rock styles beyond the country stylings of Swift's past albums, which led to critics questioning her country-music identity.[3][4] Swift finalized her fifth studio album in mid-2014, during the Asian leg of the Red Tour.[5] Inspired by 1980s synth-pop, she named the album 1989 after her birth year to signify an artistic reinvention: she described it as her first "official pop album".[6] On 1989, Swift worked with new producers including Jack Antonoff, who produced three tracks, including "You Are in Love".[7] Antonoff first sent Swift the instrumental track of "You Are in Love", with Swift later writing the lyrics to it.[8]

Music and lyrics[edit]

"You Are in Love" is a ballad[9][10] instrumented by a recurring synth riff[11] that critics thought to evoke the music of Bruce Springsteen; David Greenwalt of The Oregonian thought that it "[echoes] the synth tones" of "Streets of Philadelphia" (1993),[12] while Sal Cinquemani of Slant Magazine picked "Secret Garden" (1995) as a possible influence.[11] The lyrics, narrated from an outside woman's perspective,[8][12] present imagery of various phases and experiences in a fruitful relationship ("small talk", "coffee at midnight", "kisses on sidewalk"),[11] with the words being set to a four-note motif that forms the melody of the verses.[9] According to Swift, the inspiration was the relationship of Antonoff and the writer-actress Lena Dunham, both of whom were close friends of hers.[13] Dunham dubbed it as her "someday wedding song".[14]

When interviewed about writing "You Are in Love", Swift said she found it difficult and boring at times. The song also describes love and something that can be felt, seen or heard. Swift also said that she wrote it as a commentary of Antonoff and Dunham's relationship, saying that she's actually going through everything that happened in it.[15] The song is also the inspiration for the music video of the title track of her seventh studio album, "Lover".[16]

Release and commercial performance[edit]

Taylor Swift in a black and blue crop top, holding a brown acoustic guitar
Swift performing "You Are in Love" on acoustic guitar during the 1989 World Tour

"You Are in Love" was originally included as one of the three bonus cuts on the deluxe package of 1989, which was released exclusively at Target in the United States. On February 17, 2015, Swift announced that she would make all the bonus tracks available to US iTunes Stores as promotional singles one at a time.[17] The song was released on February 24, 2015, by Big Machine Records.[18]

"You Are in Love" debuted on both the US Billboard Hot 100 and Canadian Hot 100, with peaks of number 83[19] and number 99,[20] respectively. The track was featured in the setlist of the 1989 World Tour (2015), where Swift would sing it with either an acoustic guitar or a steel guitar.[21][22] On August 4, 2023, she sang the song with a piano during the Los Angeles stop as part of her Eras Tour (2023–2024) and included it on the extended cut of the tour's associated concert film.[23][24][25] In January 2024, the song received a gold certification from the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) for selling over 35,000 units.[26]

After signing a new contract with Republic Records, Swift began re-recording her first six studio albums in November 2020.[27] The decision came after a 2019 public dispute between Swift and the talent manager Scooter Braun, who acquired Big Machine Records, including the masters of Swift's albums the label had released.[28][29] By re-recording them, Swift had full ownership of the new masters, including the copyright licensing of her songs, devaluing the Big Machine-owned masters.[30] The re-recording of "You Are in Love", subtitled "Taylor's Version", was released as part of Swift's fourth re-recorded album, 1989 (Taylor's Version), on October 27, 2023.[31] It debuted and peaked at number 38 on the Billboard Global 200[32] and reached the countries of New Zealand (38),[33] Canada (42),[20] and the US (43).[34]

Critical reception[edit]

Hannah Yasharoff and David Oliver, writing for USA Today, commended two lines from "You Are in Love": "You understand now why they lost their minds and fought the wars / And why I've spent my whole life trying to put it in words", further elaborating that it "[puts] specific and universal feelings into words", something Swift "does best".[35] Billboard's Ashley Iasimone compared the song to "The Lakes", elaborating that both songs portray "love that's as pretty as a picture, the kind that has no place for the noise from the outside world".[36] Alex Berry of Clash applauded the song for being an "etheral, delicate [ballad]",[10] while Grace Wehniainen of Bustle commended it for being a "hidden gem among gems", further elaborating that it "isn't just a gorgeous song, but a handy time capsule for Swift's personal and professional life".[15] Vulture's Nate Jones complimented its simplicity demonstrated by the "appropriately restrained" vocals and production,[37] and Variety's Chris Willman deemed the track "a sweet testament to being aspirational about love through the proxy passions of friends".[38]

On a less positive side, Jane Song of Paste ranked "You Are in Love" 66th out of 158 in a 2020 ranking of Swift's songs, considering it "sweet", but also noting that the romantic rumors of Antonoff blemished its message.[39] Courteney Larocca of Business Insider regarded the song as one of the 17 worst Taylor Swift songs, criticizing it for being "boring" and commenting that "It's just disappointing that a song about realizing you're fully in love is about a relationship that ultimately didn't work out—and wasn't even one from Swift's own life".[40]

Credits and personnel[edit]

"You Are in Love" (2014)

"You Are in Love (Taylor's Version)" (2023)

  • Taylor Swift – vocals, background vocals, writer, producer
  • Jack Antonoff – writer, producer, programming, engineering, synthesizer, electric guitar, bass guitar, drums
  • Mikey Freedom Hart – synthesizer, electric guitar, acoustic guitar, programming, engineering
  • Evan Smith – synthesizer, programming, engineering
  • Michael Riddleberger – drums, percussion, engineering
  • Sean Hutchinson – drums, percussion, programming, engineering
  • Zem Audu – synthesizer, engineering
  • Christopher Rowe – engineering
  • David Hart – engineering
  • Oli Jacobs – engineering
  • Jon Sher – engineering assistance
  • Megan Searl – engineering assistance
  • Joey Miller – engineering assistance
  • Jozef Caldwell – engineering assistance
  • Serban Ghenea – mixing
  • Randy Merrill – mastering
  • Ryan Smith – mastering

Charts[edit]

"You Are in Love" (2014)[edit]

Chart performance for "You Are in Love"
Chart (2014) Peak
position
Canada (Canadian Hot 100)[20] 99
US Billboard Hot 100[19] 83

"You Are in Love (Taylor's Version)" (2023)[edit]

Chart performance for "You Are in Love (Taylor's Version)"
Chart (2023) Peak
position
Canada (Canadian Hot 100)[41] 42
Global 200 (Billboard)[32] 38
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[33] 38
US Billboard Hot 100[34] 43

Certification[edit]

Certification for "You Are in Love"
Region Certification Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)[26] Gold 35,000‡

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

References[edit]

  1. ^ Caulfield, Keith (October 30, 2012). "Taylor Swift's Red Sells 1.21 Million; Biggest Sales Week for an Album Since 2002". Billboard. Archived from the original on February 1, 2013. Retrieved May 8, 2024.
  2. ^ Lewis, Randy (October 30, 2012). "Taylor Swift raises the bar with a savvy Red marketing campaign". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on December 28, 2020. Retrieved December 28, 2020.
  3. ^ McNutt 2020, pp. 78.
  4. ^ Light, Alan (December 5, 2014). "Billboard Woman of the Year Taylor Swift on Writing Her Own Rules, Not Becoming a Cliche and the Hurdle of Going Pop". Billboard. Archived from the original on December 26, 2014. Retrieved May 8, 2024.
  5. ^ Garibaldi, Christina (May 30, 2014). "Taylor Swift Finally Reveals Details About Her Next Album". MTV. Archived from the original on June 2, 2014. Retrieved May 8, 2024.
  6. ^ Eells, Josh (September 16, 2014). "Taylor Swift Reveals Five Things to Expect on 1989". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on November 16, 2018. Retrieved May 8, 2024.
  7. ^ Zollo, Paul (February 12, 2015). "The Oral History of Taylor Swift's 1989". The Recording Academy. Archived from the original on April 4, 2016. Retrieved May 8, 2024 – via Cuepoint.
  8. ^ a b Hopper, Alex (February 7, 2024). "Behind the Meaning of 'You Are In Love' by Taylor Swift". American Songwriter. Retrieved May 1, 2024.
  9. ^ a b Perone 2017.
  10. ^ a b Berry, Alex (October 27, 2023). "Taylor Swift - 1989 (Taylor's Version)". Clash. Retrieved April 4, 2024.
  11. ^ a b c "Taylor Swift and Jack Antonoff's 20 Best Collaborations". Slant Magazine. April 29, 2024. Retrieved May 7, 2024.
  12. ^ a b Greenwald, David (October 27, 2014). "Review: Taylor Swift's 1989 loses more than country". The Oregonian. Retrieved March 29, 2024.
  13. ^ Monroe, Jazz (May 8, 2015). "Taylor Swift reveals that Lena Dunham and Jack Antonoff inspired 1989 song". NME. Retrieved March 29, 2024.
  14. ^ White, Caitlin (October 25, 2014). "Taylor Swift Finally Wrote The Happiest Love Song—But It's Not About Her". MTV. Retrieved March 29, 2024.
  15. ^ a b Wehniainen, Grace (October 23, 2023). "Taylor Swift Wrote 'You Are In Love' About Lena Dunham & Jack Antonoff". Bustle. Retrieved April 4, 2024.
  16. ^ Larocca, Courteney. "17 of the best and 17 of the worst Taylor Swift songs of all time". Business Insider. Retrieved April 1, 2024.
  17. ^ Lipshutz, Jason (February 17, 2015). "Taylor Swift Releasing 1989 Bonus Songs to iTunes". Billboard. Retrieved April 27, 2024.
  18. ^ "You Are In Love – Single". ITunes Store. February 24, 2015. Archived from the original on June 3, 2015. Retrieved April 27, 2024.
  19. ^ a b "Taylor Swift Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved December 8, 2021.
  20. ^ a b c "Taylor Swift Chart History (Canadian Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved December 8, 2021.
  21. ^ Yahr, Emily (December 3, 2021). "Taylor Swift 1989 World Tour: Set List, Costumes, the Stage, the Spectacle". The Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved April 27, 2024.
  22. ^ Landsbaum, Claire (June 9, 2015). "We Re-created Taylor Swift's 1989 World Tour for You". Vulture. Retrieved April 27, 2024.
  23. ^ Shafer, Ellise (November 27, 2023). "Taylor Swift's Eras Tour: Every Surprise Song She's Played So Far". Variety. Archived from the original on December 28, 2023. Retrieved December 29, 2023.
  24. ^ Georgi, Maya (March 14, 2024). "Taylor Swift Reveals 'You Are in Love' As Third Surprise Song for 'Eras Tour' Disney+ Version". Rolling Stone. Retrieved April 1, 2024.
  25. ^ Dailey, Hannah (March 14, 2024). "Taylor Swift Confirms This 1989 Fan Favorite Is the Third Acoustic Song in Disney+ 'Eras Tour': Watch". Billboard. Retrieved April 1, 2024.
  26. ^ a b "Jan 2024 Single Accreds" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved February 14, 2024.
  27. ^ Melas, Chloe (November 16, 2020). "Taylor Swift Speaks Out about Sale of Her Masters". CNN. Archived from the original on November 18, 2020. Retrieved November 19, 2020.
  28. ^ "Taylor Swift Wants to Re-record Her Old Hits". BBC News. August 22, 2019. Archived from the original on August 22, 2019. Retrieved August 22, 2019.
  29. ^ Finnis, Alex (November 17, 2020). "Taylor Swift Masters: The Controversy around Scooter Braun Selling the Rights to Her Old Music Explained". i. Archived from the original on February 12, 2021. Retrieved February 13, 2021.
  30. ^ Shah, Neil (April 9, 2021). "Taylor Swift Releases New Fearless Album, Reclaiming Her Back Catalog". The Wall Street Journal. Archived from the original on October 8, 2021. Retrieved September 25, 2022.
  31. ^ Vassell, Nicole (October 27, 2023). "Taylor Swift Fans Celebrate As Pop Star Releases 1989 (Taylor's Version)". The Independent. Retrieved October 30, 2023.
  32. ^ a b "Taylor Swift Chart History (Global 200)". Billboard. Retrieved April 1, 2024.
  33. ^ a b "Taylor Swift – You Are in Love (Taylor's Version)". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved April 1, 2024.
  34. ^ a b "Taylor Swift Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved April 1, 2024.
  35. ^ Yasharoff, Hannah; Oliver, David. "Taylor Swift's 85 best lyrics definitively ranked". USA Today. Retrieved April 1, 2024.
  36. ^ Iasimone, Ashley (August 30, 2020). "If Folklore Turned You On to Taylor Swift, These Are the Deep Cuts You'll Like". Billboard. Retrieved April 2, 2024.
  37. ^ Jones, Nate (November 8, 2023). "All 214 Taylor Swift Songs, Ranked". Vulture. Retrieved May 7, 2024.
  38. ^ Willman, Chris (August 9, 2023). "Taylor Swift's 25 Best Bonus Tracks, Ranked". Variety. Retrieved May 7, 2024.
  39. ^ Song, Jane (February 11, 2020). "All 158 Taylor Swift Songs, Ranked". Paste. Retrieved April 10, 2024.
  40. ^ Larocca, Courteney (October 30, 2019). "17 of the best and 17 of the worst Taylor Swift songs of all time". Business Insider. Retrieved April 1, 2024.
  41. ^ "Taylor Swift Chart History (Canadian Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved November 7, 2023.

Bibliography[edit]

  • Perone, James E. (July 14, 2017). The Words and Music of Taylor Swift. ABC-CILO. p. 65. ISBN 9781440852954.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: date and year (link)
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