Like the titular name of her most recently re-recorded album, singer Taylor Swift has FEARLESSly disclosed six previously unreleased songs in ”Fearless: Taylor’s version”. So while the newly recorded versions of “Love Story” and “You Belong With Me” are, and have been, absolute bangers, how do these new songs hold up on their own?
Which have the possibility of becoming future classics? Which are “middle of the album” at best? So here is my overall review of the “Fearless (Taylor’s Version) (From the Vault)” songs
To start, here is my ranking order from total banger to a solid bop.
1. Mr.Perfectly Fine
2. Bye Bye Baby
3. Don’t You
4. We Were Happy
5. That’s When
6. You All Over Me
Let me explain.
As a casual music fan, I based my list on 3 things. Overall enjoyability, the melody, and the lyrics. Besides that, I also acknowledged when my own relatability affected how I enjoyed this song and tried my best to make sure it didn’t affect my end results.
First, the positives. I love ”Mr. Perfectly Fine” It’s got an amazing tune, empowering lyrics for those who are heartbroken, and overall is more than perfectly fine! It’s a solid BANGER. If it had come out during the first release, it would’ve been a smash hit.
Next in my ranking was “Bye Bye Baby”, which totally tugged at the heartstrings. What I enjoyed the most in this song was Swift’s voice, self narrating the heartbreaking situation of driving away from an ex’s place for the last time. The emotion In the final “bye bye baby” was palpable.
“Don’t You” was a solid song as well. While I didn’t particularly enjoy the lyrics, I felt it was a relatable premise for many and I enjoyed the instrumentals plenty. The instrumental music itself was definitely my favorite part of this song.
The final three songs (From the Vault) were also good! Just not something I would personally have on repeat like “Mr. Perfectly Fine”. “We Were Happy” had amazing lyrics, I loved the overall collaboration from Keith Urban and Swift in “That’s When”, and I really loved the premise of healing from heartbreak while still having its effects on you from “You All Over Me”. While more “middle of the album” for me personally, anything on Swift’s album is still a bop in general.
Overall, “Fearless: Taylor’s Version” was an extreme nostalgia fest for me overall. These Vault songs were great, and in my opinion should’ve been released back then or at least sooner. I’m just glad she has the freedom to do so now.