I’ve written about this before, but Fearless was the first CD I ever owned. I played it in my room, in the car, on my grandma’s new boombox–– pretty much anywhere you could play music. Listening to it brings me back and I was so excited for the new album. It was definitely a blast from the past, and while I loved hearing my old favorite songs, I really enjoyed the new ones too! Here are my favorite tracks on the album.
- “Jump Then Fall (Taylor’s Version)”
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I never had the platinum edition as a kid, so I basically wasn’t aware of this song until April 9th. And for the first couple of listens, I didn’t particularly care for it. But once I (sort of) memorized the lyrics and really got into the chorus, it’s safe to say I’m going to be listening to this a lot. The lyrics are so cute and positive, and I’m a huge fan of how the chorus builds right after the bridge. This is definitely a summer drive with the windows down kind of song!
- “Mr. Perfectly Fine (Taylor’s Version) (From the Vault)”
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Unlike some of the other songs on this list, this was an immediate favorite. I don’t know if it’s because it’s a new song that has 2008 vibes or if the energy in it is so infectious (probably a little of both), but it has the perfect anger that’s in “Tell Me Why” and the general feeling of the last chorus in “White Horse.” It’s repetitive without feeling repetitive, so the lyrics are easy to memorize, and I’m pretty sure the key change shot pure happiness into my brain.
- “Forever & Always (Piano Version) (Taylor’s Version)”
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Another platinum edition song. “Forever & Always” was the perfect blend of angry lyrics and fun music. If I could describe the difference between the normal and piano versions, I would say that the original feels like it’s placing the blame on the person she’s singing about, while the piano version feels more like she’s blaming herself for the relationship failing. It’s softer, slower, and genuinely heartbreaking. I had never heard it before a few days ago, but it’s a staple on some of my sadder playlists now.
- “Today Was a Fairytale (Taylor’s Version)”
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Listen, I absolutely detested this song as a kid. The lyrics were so simple–– “I wore a dress, you wore a dark grey t-shirt”?? “I can feel my heart. It’s beating in my chest”?? From renowned lyricist Taylor Swift?? I remember being so angry at those sentences. (The first one has grown on me with the idea of having such a good day you remember everything down to the outfits, but the second one still makes me laugh. It’s so bad.) So I was prepared to hate it during my full album listen this time around. Maybe I’m just not a bitter 10-year-old anymore, or maybe the mature vocals made it better, but I love it. It’s simple and light and just has this feeling of innocence that surrounds it, and it’s entirely devoid of relationship problems or doubts that usually pop up in love songs. Honestly, I would listen to this over Love Story.
- “Fifteen (Taylor’s Version)”
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Out of all of them, this is the one that sounded the most different to me. She recorded Fearless at 18, and now she’s 31, so her voice is noticeably different (it’s stronger, she has more breath control, it just sounds like an older person is singing). It hits me different now at 22 than it did when I was younger because back then I was absolutely in the headspace of thinking everything that happened to me was going to be a defining moment of my life. I was still in high school, had never moved from my friend groups or town or basically experienced any of the things that I have now. I think my present self could give a teenage me some pretty good advice, which is exactly how the song has changed. The maturity of her voice in this re-recorded version makes it feel much more like someone with life experience advising someone with almost none–– like a mother comforting her daughter when she’s upset.
Special mentions: “Hey Stephen” (it sounds almost exactly the same), “The Best Day” (please watch the lyric video, it’s so sweet), and “Fearless” (those opening notes took me all the way back).