"You Need to Calm Down" is a song recorded by American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift. It was released on June 14, 2019, as the second single from her seventh studio album, Lover (2019).
The fourteenth track on the album, Swift wrote and produced the song with Joel Little. "You Need to Calm Down" is an upbeat, summery synth-pop and electropop song, with a chorus of ascending echoes. Its lyrics see Swift address internet trolls and homophobes, voicing her support for the LGBTQ+ community.
An accompanying lyric video was released on June 14, 2019. The music video was released on June 17, featuring an ensemble cast, directed by Swift and Drew Kirsch, and executive-produced by Swift and Todrick Hall. "You Need to Calm Down" divided music critics, some of whom praised the song for its catchiness and pro-LGBT message, while few others criticized its theme as confusing and cynical. Nevertheless, "You Need to Calm Down" is regarded as a gay anthem.
The single reached number one in Scotland, and the top five in Australia, Canada, Ireland, Malaysia, New Zealand and the United Kingdom. It debuted at the second spot on the US Billboard Hot 100, becoming the second consecutive top-two single from Lover and tying Swift with Madonna for the most number-two hits in the chart's history.
At the 2019 MTV Video Music Awards, the "You Need to Calm Down" music video received nine nominations, winning two: Video of the Year, which is Swift's second win in the category following "Bad Blood" (2015), and the Video for Good.
The song also received a nomination for Best Pop Solo Performance at the 62nd Grammy Awards.