Fearless (Taylor’s Version) Opens a New Chapter In Taylor Swift’s Musical Journey
Taylor Swift has once again blown the music world away, but this time she’s done so with a blast from the past.
On April 9th, after months of anticipation, and multiple carefully deciphered clues, the world was finally graced with Fearless (Taylor’s Version). Of course Fearless (Taylor’s Version) is full of the classics we all know and love, but we’ve been given a little something extra. With those classics, along with six never heard before tracks pulled from the vault, Fearless (Taylor’s Version) has dazzled and amazed. And this time, just to make it all the more special, this version of Fearless now belongs to her.
In the 13 years since Fearless was first released, Taylor’s voice and style has matured and has evolved to place her amongst some of the greats in the music industry. Though there are subtle differences between the 2008 and the 2021 versions of each song, and with the occasional one-word lyrical changes, it is clear that Taylor Swift stayed true to the roots of Fearless, and the nostalgia factor is most definitely there.
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It has been a little while since we got to hear Taylor in all her country glory. So, this album is not only opening a new chapter in her musical journey with her reclaiming her masters one album at a time, but it’s a nice little nod to where her journey started, and just how far she has come.
If you are anything like me, and have been a massive Taylor Swift fan for years, or even if you remember just a few songs from the original Fearless album, then you probably experienced the massive wave of nostalgia that washes over with every track on this album. As soon as the opening chords start playing, suddenly it’s 2008 again, and I am in the back of my parents’ car, singing along like there is no tomorrow.
Fearless (Taylor’s Version) follows the same tracklist to the 2008 release, opening with the titular track, ‘Fearless‘, immediately setting the tone for the album. It definitely still is country, much like it was back in 2008, but now it almost has more of a pop feel to it. Taylor even went as far as getting the band back together, literally speaking, to have some of the members of her old touring band feature on the album.
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Like anyone who has been an avid fan of Taylor Swift for many years, the release of the re-recording was cause for a lot of excitement, and an excuse to revisit some favourite tracks and discover some new ones. Some of the tracks I was most excited to revisit were ‘You Belong With Me’, ‘The Way I Loved You’, ‘Forever & Always’, and ‘The Best Day’.
‘You Belong With Me‘ is a song that I have loved from the first listen way back in 2008, with a boppy track and lyrics that are so easy to sing along to, I think it is safe to say that even 13 years later, it’s still a favourite.
If you’re looking for a song that is as dramatic as it is passionate, then ‘The Way I Loved You‘ ticks all the boxes. This song knows how to build to the peak and then deliver over and over again with a chorus that would be fitting to scream along to in the rain. That’s the kind of vibe this gives off.
One of the songs that probably underwent the biggest change from the 2008 release of Fearless, is ‘Forever and Always‘. With significantly less country found in the 2021 version, this is still a powerful song, and is arguably more so, especially with the mature voice and style that Taylor has found over the years.
‘The Best Day‘, an incredibly beautiful tribute to Taylor’s mother, is just as beautiful, if not more emotional, than the 2008 version. This song was a comfort song growing up, and getting to hear it rerecorded, and having the same response I had all those years ago, is a tribute to the lasting nature of the song, but also Taylor’s talent and commitment to upholding the integrity of these songs.
My love affair with Fearless (Taylor’s Version) doesn’t stop there, as we were also given six amazing tracks from the vault. Though I do love each and every one of them, a stand out for me was ‘Mr. Perfectly Fine‘. It’s so easy to sing along to, and listen to, as well as being super catchy, it’s a great way to showcase the songs that were written for ‘Fearless’ back in 2008, but didn’t quite get to be heard, at least not until now.
I might be biased, given how much I love this album, but Fearless (Taylor’s Version) just shows how talented Taylor Swift is, and how, even 13 years later, the songs from an earlier album of her’s can still take the music world by storm.
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