Taylor Swift Breathes New Life into ‘Fearless’, an Album That Defined My Youth

Taylor Swift re-released her album Fearless today, 13 years after the album’s first release. The album takes fans away from the current grim reality and whisks them back to their naïve, complicated, and magical teenage years. 

I was in my early teens when Fearless was first released. I purchased a copy of Taylor’s Grammy-winning album in my local supermarket and danced, cried, and sang along to it as it played on a cheap old CD player in my bedroom. Fast-forward to today, I’m 26 and these songs, lyrics, and stories that Taylor has perfectly crafted still mean just as much, if not more, to me. I woke up at 5:00 a.m. to listen to Fearless (Taylor’s Version) and felt like a kid on Christmas morning. There is so little joy in the world right now and Swift’s music has been the one constant source of glee in my life. Her music has been the soundtrack to both the darkest and brightest moments of my story so far; and it feels reassuring to have her here as we continue to live through the pandemic. 

Fearless helped us get through heartbreak, grief and unrequited love.

We sought comfort in Taylor’s lyrics, but also found joy in the complete and utter delight that is young love. Your first crush, your first kiss, your first true love. They’re the things you never ever forget and having Fearless as the soundtrack to those moments was simply magical.

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I knew listening to a new version of this album was going to be surreal. I’ve grown and developed so much since the first time I ever listened to it, but I never expected to feel as elated as I did when Fearless started to play. Fearless has given us the chance to travel back in time. These songs remind us of falling in love, those embarrassing teenage crushes and long lost friendships that once meant everything to us. We’ve been given a chance to reminisce on a chapter of our lives that was  a blissful, but complicated era. We danced in our PJs to “You Belong With Me”; sobbed silently to “Fifteen” after having our hearts broken. We daydreamed about falling in love as we listened to “Love Story”; and felt understood as we sang along to “Forever & Always” after losing the person we naively believed was the one.

Along with some of her greatest songs ever, Swift released songs from the vault; including “Mr. Perfectly Fine”, “You All Over Me”, and “That’s When and We Were Happy”. These songs have further proved that Swift has always been one of the most enchanting song writers of our time.

Songs that make you weep, twirl and sing at the top of your lungs are the best of all and Fearless is full of them.

Personally, “The Best Day” reduced me to tears within seconds. We don’t tend to realize just how incredible our parents are; especially when you’re a teenager and all you care about is the boy you have a crush on and spending Saturdays in the mall with your best friends. Listening to the song as a 26-year-old hit differently. As someone who has watched a parent battle health problems and feared losing them prematurely, listening to Swift’s love letter to her own mother was an emotional rollercoaster. It made me realize that heartache and growing up go hand-in-hand; and also how Swift’s music has always been there for me, mending my heart over and over again. 

By re-releasing Fearless, Swift has opened up a time machine that has let us escape this haunting chapter and embrace one that was full of singing, fighting, and kissing in the rain. I will happily jump back into it head first, fearless.

Which track from Taylor Swift were you most excited to hear again on Fearless (Taylor’s Version)? Let us know in a comment below!

Header: Taylor Swift (Republic), Instagram

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