Just last month, on Friday, April 9th, American singer-songwriter, Taylor Swift, released the first of six re-recordings of her earliest albums. “Fearless”, a pop and country-pop album, was originally released in November of 2008 by Big Machine Records, a record label Swift no longer is associated with. Years later, however, the thirty-one-year-old pop superstar, re-released the album under the title “Fearless (Taylor’s Version)” — this coming after Taylor failed to acquire the rights to her early albums when Scooter Braun’s Ithaca Holdings bought her former label in 2019. Without her knowledge and consent, her catalog was then sold to a private equity firm “Shamrock Capital”. Braun was harshly criticized by Swift and many fans for his substantial investment of over $300 million as he would now receive the profit from the albums and songs she no longer, essentially, owns. Swift’s contract with Big Machine — wherein she recorded from her 2006 self-titled debut to 2017’s “reputation” — expired in fall 2018; she then signed a deal with Universal Music Group for future recordings such as 2019’s “Lover”, 2020’s “folklore” and “evermore”, and finally, 2021’s “Fearless (Taylor’s Version)”. Swift was eighteen at the time she first released Fearless in 2008 — in it, thirteen songs, selling more than ten million copies in the United States alone. Taylor’s 2021 version holds twenty-six in total, including 6 “From the Vault” tracks — songs that were scrapped originally.
As millions across the globe have heard the original album in its entirety, this “Taylor’s Version” is the first step for the singer to own the rights to her work. Although these songs were written from Taylor’s sixteen to eighteen-year-old point of view, the album still holds meaning — in some ways, the meaning is entirely new. From the title-track opener, “Fearless”, to track twenty “Today Was A Fairytale” fans deftly discerned differences between the 2021 and 2008 versions. Whether this was the lower, melodious tone of Swift’s voice or the clearer head notes she hit effortlessly, Swift proved her capability with ease.
Her hit song “Love Story (Taylor’s Version)” was initially written about forbidden love in teenage relationships, only, this time, fans found the nostalgic song to reveal a deeper meaning — sounding more as if Swift was singing to them instead of her lover. The same can be said for several other songs on the album such as “Fifteen” and “Change”. The considerable difference between this version and the last is the relatability of the lyrics and work. Thousands of teens have grown up listening to Swift’s work, only, with songs such as “Superstar” and “The Way I Loved You”, they can now approach the album with newfound understanding after going through the experiences Swift describes. The soft strum of guitar is prevalent throughout the album along with the crisp, rich sound of Swift’s voice, giving listeners a taste of her newly matured voice.
One thing fans anticipated more than ever were the six unreleased, never-before-heard songs at the end of the album. One of the most popular, and a personal favorite, being track twenty-five, the slow-paced, synth-pop song of “Don’t You”. In this bitter, angsty ballad, the song describes Swift’s encounter with a recent ex where she then recalls moments in their relationship and the pain when it ended. The angst prevalent throughout the album is even more recognized in this song where she explains wanting to move on, but ultimately, unable to with not understanding how the person doesn’t feel the same pain as she.
As a Swift fan from a young age, “Fearless (Taylor’s Version)” is something I have been looking forward to since she announced the idea of re-recording her earliest albums. With high expectations, this album did not disappoint. For anyone who is a fan of country, pop, or simply Taylor Swift herself, they will surely enjoy this album. Furthermore, reliving the nostalgia from when I first heard this album at no older than four is something I have not gone through with any other artist. Overall, I give this album a solid 5 out of 5 stars; perfect for any person of any age group.