‘Fearless (Taylor’s Version)’
“Fearless (Taylor’s Version)” was released over a month ago to incredible fanfare, immediately breaking records. Though, at this point, it’s fair to point out that Taylor could release an EP of herself covering some of Barney the dinosaur’s hit musical numbers and probably still manage to break at least one or two records. But alas, “Fearless (Taylor’s Version)” did extremely well in its first week, (though it understandably dropped off a bit the following week; these are, after all, thirteen year old songs that just about everyone on earth has already heard and probably knows the lyrics to), coming at number one on the Billboard 200 chart and claiming the title of biggest country music album release of the past six years.
My Notes
I won’t go song by song for the entire album since we’ve had most of these songs for years, but I will offer a few thoughts on the album as a whole. First off, Taylor’s vocals have really improved and matured a lot. The rerecorded songs sound almost identical to the originals, but they go down smoother. Most people who hear these songs on the radio or in public probably won’t notice a difference, but if you listen for it, you can tell. The song that might be the most noticeably different is “You Belong With Me,” and it’s still pretty true to the original.
On another note, I was really glad she got Colbie Caillat back for “Breathe,” and I hope the rest of the featured artists will come back for the other albums. I’m sure Ed Sheeran will reappear for “Red” and “Reputation,” but I do wonder whether artists like Gary Lightbody, Future, and The Civil Wars will come back around.
It was a really novel idea to give fans new songs “from the vault” that Taylor had from back in the day. Even if they weren’t included 13 years ago because they weren’t great, she’s had plenty of time to rethink them and polish them up a bit, and her fans will still eat them up. It was a fun, unique way to get people excited for an album they’d already heard, and it’s a great example of why her fans are so dedicated and loyal: she really goes out of her way to make them happy.
The Vault, Song by Song:
As usual, I’ve given each song two ratings out of ten, the first rating is how I felt about it after the first time I listened to it, the second is how I feel about it after more listens and some time to process each track. The titles are a little long, but I don’t make the rules. If I’d been through all that shit with the record companies, I’d probably put my name on every song I own, too.
“You All Over Me (Taylor’s Version) (From The Vault) [feat. Maren Morris]”: 8/10, 6.5/10
Maren Morris is more or less nonexistent on this track, which is fine by me. It is a good song, but a little bit more grown up than the rest of “Fearless.” It definitely sounds like Taylor, I just don’t know that it sounds like 2008 Taylor.
“Mr. Perfectly Fine (Taylor’s Version) (From The Vault)”: 7.5/10, 8.5/10
“Mr. Perfectly Fine” just fits with the rest of fearless so… perfectly. It has that youthful naivety that made Taylor’s first few albums feel so genuine. The bridge is phenomenal. It absolutely should’ve made the album in 2008. Really the only thing I don’t like about it is the very last line.
“We Were Happy (Taylor’s Version) (From The Vault)”: 3/10, 4/10
A bit bland, honestly. Quite forgettable. I think it tries too hard to be country, talking about buying a farm and whatnot. Probably my least favorite vault song.
“That’s When (Taylor’s Version) (From The Vault) [feat. Keith Urban]”: 5.5/10, 5.5/10
This one is solid. Keith Urban was a nice touch, though maybe just a little less of him would’ve been fine. The song is good background listening, but I can see why it was left of the original album; I don’t think the lyrics actually make a ton of sense.
“Don’t You (Taylor’s Version) (From The Vault)”: 4/10, 5.5/10
The general theme for the vault songs that weren’t released before the rest of the rerecorded Fearless album (so not including “You All Over Me” and “Mr. Perectly Fine”) is that you can sort of see why they weren’t included in 2008. This one fits that theme. It’s easy listening and it’s good background music, and while the lyrics do sound like something Taylor started writing back in the day, the final version of the song sounds a little too modern to fit with the rest of “Fearless.” I don’t dislike it, though, and I think it has potential to grow on me.
“Bye Bye Baby (Taylor’s Version) (From The Vault)”: 6/10, 4/10
I’m a little bored with the vault songs by the time I get to “Bye Bye Baby.” Again, it’s not bad, it just sort of blends in with the rest of them.
The Bottom Line
This album is absolutely excellent, and the songs from the vault are just icing on the cake. It’s hard to imagine a more faithfully executed re-recording of the original “Fearless” than what Taylor has given us in her version. I will have no problem at all listening to these new tracks instead of the old ones, and I’m glad Taylor chose to make the principled and tedious decision to go through with the re-recordings. I can’t wait for the rest.