Mathew V, You Belong With Me | COVERS

In the 41^st edition of COVERS (2024), Mathew V delivers a compelling rendition of “You Belong With Me” originally performed by Taylor Swift.   

Ah, it’s time to get cozy and cover up! In COVERS, we highlight a musician or band covering songs by another musician (likely a popular musician). COVERS focuses solely on the musician who covers.  It is open to established musicians and musicians who may not be as well-known. In the 41^st edition of COVERS (2024), Mathew V delivers a compelling rendition of “You Belong With Me” originally performed by Taylor Swift.

“She wears short skirts, I wear T-shirts / She’s cheer captain, and I’m on the bleachers / Dreaming ‘bout the day when you wake up and find / That what you’re lookin’ for has been here the whole time.” Superstar Taylor Swift famously sang those lyrics.  Appearing originally on Swift’s Grammy-winning sophomore LP, Fearless, “You Belong With Me” was ubiquitous back then.  Nominated for three Grammys, it won none despite being Swift’s ace-in-the-hole.  As such a big song by one of the biggest musicians, it’s a hard act to follow.  However, the handsome and talented Mathew V comes in hot on his cover of “You Belong With Me”.  Yes, the song was penned by Swift and Liz Rose but our gifted Canadian makes “You Belong With Me” his own.

One way that “You Belong With Me” becomes a Mathew V song is instrumental accompaniment.  Where Swift had country-pop vibes with the instrumentation to match, Mathew is only accompanied by piano. The piano is sufficient! The best moments from those 88 keys occur during the pre-chorus (excerpted above) and chorus sections.  The keys give this country-pop joint a jazzy, cabaret vibe. Who would’ve thought? More important than the keys are top-notch vocals. That boy can S-A-N-G! If you’ve followed “My Boy” (see what I did there), you already know he’s a beast with his pipes.  His tone is gorgeous from the get-go.  He reinvigorates the already tuneful melodies of this classic with his playfulness, melodic tweaks, and sweet runs.  I love his energy and enthusiasm during the chorus the most:

“If you could see that I’m the one who understands you
Been here all along, so why can’t you see?
You belong with me.”

Ooh-wee, “My Boy”! The second verse is more dynamic than the first – Mathew V flexes! Another delightful musical moment comes at the end. Mathew slackens the tempo, milking the pop greatness for everything it’s worth.  Taylor owns  “You Belong With Me” but Mathew V, he puts his foot into this pleasant, jazzy, stripped cover.

Mathew V // “You Belong With Me” // Mathew V // 2024

Mathew V, You Belong With Me: Covers No. 41 (2024) [📷: Brent Faulkner /The Musical Hype; Mathew V; Alan Cordero, Ba Tik, Kampus Production, Matteo Milan, SHVETS production from Pexels; OpenClipart-Vectors, StockSnap, Vicki Hamilton from Pixabay]