About You Need To Calm Down

"You Need to Calm Down" is a song by American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift. It was released on June 14, 2019, as the second single off her upcoming seventh studio album, Lover. Swift wrote and produced this song with her co-producer Joel Little. Swift addresses homophobia and her haters in the song.

On June 12, 2019, Swift announced a livestream on Instagram for the following day, where she is to share details on the release and her upcoming album. During the livestream, she announced the album title and revealed the second single, entitled "You Need to Calm Down," was coming out at midnight.

The song received generally positive reviews from music critics who praised its pro-LGBT message. Dan Stubbs from NME called the song "withering in its measured response", concluding it was "an infectious, bite-size pop package". Gwen Ihnat of The A.V. Club wrote that the song "clearly and refreshingly combats homophobia and anti-gay bias". Maeve McDermott and Joshua Bote, writing for USA Today, considered the song "an improvement" over the previous single "Me!", and "a more promising example of what fans can expect" from the album.

Mikael Wood of the Los Angeles Times also concurred that the song was "a big creative improvement" over "Me!", while commenting the "explicit pro-gay message is certainly welcome, but it also feels just the slightest bit cynical". Michelle Kim of Pitchfork opined that while the song is "well-intentioned" and the allyship deserved some praise, it is also "bewildering and underwhelming at the same time".

Justin Kirkland of Esquire wrote the song "misses the point of being an LGBTQ ally" by "equating online haters with the personal and societal struggle of LGBTQ+ people". Constance Grady of Vox called the song "exhausting", comparing the song unfavorably to "Blank Space", the second single from the album 1989.

"You Need to Calm Down" sees Swift addressing various detractors who post hurtful comments online, following themes of self-love and being true to one's identity that previously appeared on "ME!". Her second collaboration with producer Joel Little, it's also the second single from her 2019 seventh studio album Lover.

In the second verse, Swift continues to show her support for the LGBTQ+ community, following a June 2019 letter to Senator Lamar Alexander, as well as a petition she created to fight for legal equality among all people, regardless of sexuality or gender.