The first time we were all introduced to Fearless was in 2008 when it became Taylor Swift‘s second studio album, continuing the country sound from her self-titled debut album.
What was unique about Fearless, though, was its ability to reach fans beyond the country music realm, garnering Taylor more Swifites. Fearless told the story of Taylor’s teenage years, and her lyrics went on to explore love, heartbreak, and being head over heels for someone.
“Love Story,” “You Belong with Me,” “White Horse,” “Fifteen,” and “Fearless” went on to become singles. Fearless took home the Album of the Year and Best Country Album awards at the 2009 GRAMMYs, plus “White Horse” won two more.
Always one to surprise fans, Taylor announced back in February 2021 that she planned to re-record and re-release her second studio album. Taylor also added that this album would include six unreleased songs from “the vault.” After months of fans decoding hints and clues — including the release date and the new song titles — the day has finally arrived.
https://twitter.com/taylorswift13/status/1359854050544615425?s=20
Taylor has now given us her 2021 take on Fearless and has renamed it Fearless (Taylor’s Version). Compared to when this album was first released in 2008, Fearless has grown and matured just like the singer.
In 2008, this album was from the perspective of a teenage Taylor falling in love while also dealing with a broken heart. Now, with this new version, one might say that Taylor is looking back at her teenage years and is writing a letter to her younger self.
Fearless (Taylor’s Version) includes songs from the original record but also songs from the Platinum Edition such as “Jump Then Fall,” “Untouchable,” “Come In With The Rain,” “Superstar,” “The Other Side Of The Door,” as well as her single “Today Was A Fairytale.”
The vault door is about to be as unhinged as you’ll think I am after you watch this video.
Level: Expert
Happy decoding! pic.twitter.com/xBXBXGVcdb
— Taylor Swift (@taylorswift13) April 2, 2021
From 2008 to now, both of these records are still one (two?) of a kind. However, if there’s anything that’s distinguishable from the first release, it’s that Taylor’s voice is seasoned and she has now brought along her frequent and most recent producing collaborators, Jack Antonoff and Aaron Dessner.
For her songs from the vault, the trio produced “You All Over Me,” “Mr. Perfectly Fine,” “We Were Happy,” “That’s When,” “Don’t You,” and “Bye Bye Baby.” What sets these songs apart from the original 2008 songs is not only the fact that she brought Maren Morris and Keith Urban to sing alongside her, but she added a bit of her sound from both folklore and evermore. These additions allowed the new version of Fearless to resemble who Taylor and her music are today.
It was the night things changed. Fearless (Taylor’s Version) is out now: https://t.co/Sw5JzYR4cS pic.twitter.com/SoJRNdPfho
— Taylor Swift (@taylorswift13) April 9, 2021
Fearless (Taylor’s Version) still manages to capture what we felt back in 2008 — navigating one’s youth through the ups and downs of love and heartbreak. It’s just this time, Fearless has a new meaning. It’s no longer about having fear and doubts, but now living through the experience, persevering, and ultimately getting to feel free and truly fearless.
You can stream Fearless (Taylor’s Version) by Taylor Swift on here.