Fearless

The original cover.

The Taylor's Version cover.

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Play on Spotify

## Songs Ranking

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You Belong With MeDon't You (TV)

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Love StoryThat's When (TV)

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Forever & AlwaysMr. Perfectly Fine (TV)

***Fearless*** is the second studio album by the American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift. Under Big Machine Records imprint, it was released in the U.S. and Canada on November 11, 2008, and elsewhere on March 9, 2009. Written predominantly by Swift while she was promoting her 2006 self-titled debut album in 2007–2008, *Fearless* features additional songwriting credits from Liz Rose, Hillary Lindsey, Colbie Caillat, and John Rich. Swift wrote seven of the standard edition's 13 tracks by herself and, in her debut as a record producer, co-produced the album with Nathan Chapman.

*Fearless* is a country pop album whose composition incorporates country-associated instruments such as banjos, fiddles, mandolins, and acoustic guitars, that intertwine with dynamic electric guitars and strings. Music critics found the album to feature a crossover appeal brought by the influences of different styles of pop, folk, and rock. Inspired by Swift's teenage feelings, the lyrics explore themes of romance, heartache, and aspirations. The album's title refers to the overarching theme of all of its tracks, as they altogether depict Swift's courage to embrace the challenges of love.

After the release of *Fearless*, Swift embarked on the Fearless Tour, which ran from April 2009 to July 2010. The album was supported by five singles, including "Love Story" and "You Belong with Me", which performed well and set records on both country and pop radio. In the U.S., *Fearless* spent 11 weeks atop the *Billboard* 200 and was certified Diamond by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). It peaked in the top five of albums charts and received multi-platinum certifications in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the U.K., and has sold 12 million copies worldwide.

Music critics lauded Swift's songwriting for offering radio-friendly tunes and an emotional engagement that appealed to not only teenagers but also a broad audience, although some deemed the production formulaic. The most-awarded country album of all time, *Fearless* won Album of the Year at both the Country Music Association Awards and the Academy of Country Music Awards in 2009, and it won Album of the Year and Best Country Album at the Grammy Awards in 2010. The album featured on *Rolling Stone*'s 2022 list of the 100 Greatest Country Albums of All Time.

### Fearless (Taylor's Version)

***Fearless (Taylor's Version)*** is the first re-recorded album by the American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift, released on April 9, 2021, via Republic Records. It is the re-recording of Swift's second studio album, *Fearless* (2008), a counter-measure by Swift following the 2019 dispute over the ownership of her back catalog released by Big Machine Records. It includes six previously unreleased "From the Vault" tracks. Of the re-recorded tracks, 13 are from the original *Fearless* release, six are from the 2009 *Platinum Edition*, and one was a soundtrack single ("Today Was a Fairytale") for the 2010 film *Valentine's Day*.

Musically, *Fearless (Taylor's Version)* is a country pop album composed of guitars, banjo, fiddle, and strings. The lyrics are about Swift's adolescent reflections and feelings on love and heartbreak. Swift and Christopher Rowe produced all but the unreleased tracks to replicate the original recordings: they feature identical arrangements but with instruments and vocals that are more defined and controlled. Jack Antonoff and Aaron Dessner worked with Swift to produce the vault tracks, which have an indie- and-electronic-oriented soundscape brought by synthesizers and drum programming. Two vault tracks feature guest vocals from Maren Morris and Keith Urban respectively.

The album was preceded by "Love Story (Taylor's Version)", the re-recording of *Fearless*'s lead single "Love Story", and two vault tracks, "You All Over Me" and "Mr. Perfectly Fine", all of which charted within the top 10 of Hot Country Songs. *Fearless (Taylor's Version)* topped the charts in English-speaking countries including the United States, where it became the first re-recorded album to reach number one on the *Billboard* 200 chart. Critics praised the re-recorded album for what they deemed an enhanced production quality that brings a nostalgic feel, but some felt the vault tracks were insubstantial. Many attributed Swift's enduring popularity to the lyrical sentiments that appeal to a broad audience, and the media highlighted *Fearless (Taylor's Version)* as a significant event contributing to a wider industry discourse over artists' rights.