The Story of Us by Taylor Swift

"The Story of Us" is a song written and recorded by American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift for her third studio album, Speak Now (2010). Produced by Swift alongside Nathan Chapman, the song was sent to mainstream radio in the United States on April 19, 2011, as the fourth single from Speak Now. Swift composed "The Story of Us" regarding the time when she encountered an ex-boyfriend of hers at the 2010 CMT Music Awards. At the event, the two attempted to ignore each other, which inspired Swift to compose the song. "The Story of Us" was met with generally mixed reviews from critics, some of whom suggested that Swift is strongest when she lets her country roots shine. Prior to its single release, the song debuted and peaked at number 41 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the United States and number 70 on the Canadian Hot 100 due to strong digital sales. It re-entered the Billboard Hot 100 at number 98 after its single release. The music video of the song was directed by Noble Jones which took place in Vanderbilt University. It premiered on May 24, 2011. The music video was met with mostly positive reception among music critics for its departure from the usual high school setting of Taylor Swift's previous videos. "The Story of Us" was performed live in The Ellen DeGeneres Show and it was also included in the Speak Now World Tour set list. The performance from the tour was included on Swift's first live album, Speak Now: World Tour Live.