Swift Re-Releases Fearless, and the Hits Still Land

Taylor Swift’s Fearless (Taylor’s Version) is not a new album. It is a statement. Released in 2021, the 27-track re-recording of her 2008 debut takes every song off the original and runs them through a modern studio. The result is a louder, clearer version of a record that already felt like a calling card. Swift sings harder here, and the songs sound bigger.

Opening With Fifteen

The record opens with “Fearless (Taylor’s Version)” and “Fifteen,” the latter a track about a teenage driver’s first mistake. Both sit comfortably in the new mix. “Love Story” follows, and it remains the centerpiece: a country-pop anthem that turned Swift into a star. The re-recorded version doesn’t change the melody, but it gives the chorus more weight.

“Hey Stephen” and “White Horse” continue the run of strong cuts. “You Belong With Me” closes the early stretch as the album’s biggest hit, and it still lands with the same swagger it always had.

From Breathe to the Piano Interlude

“Breathe,” “Tell Me Why,” “You’re Not Sorry,” “The Way I Loved You,” and “Forever & Always” form the middle stretch. None of these five is a standout, but none drags either. They hold the album together while the hits around them do the work.

“The Best Day” and “Change” are the strongest songs here. “Jump Then Fall” and “Untouchable” round out the sequence, with the latter running over five minutes and feeling like a bonus track stuck in the main flow.

The Vault Tracks

The album’s second half is where the ambition shows. “Forever & Always (piano version)” is a solo piano take on the earlier track, and it works better than it should. “Come In With the Rain” and “Superstar” are solid, though neither reaches the heights of the front half.

“The Other Side of the Door” and “Today Was a Fairytale” close the standard tracklist with two songs that feel like filler. Neither earns its place next to the hits that surround it.

Then comes the vault. Six previously unreleased tracks — “You All Over Me,” “Mr. Perfectly Fine,” “We Were Happy,” “That’s When,” “Don’t You,” and “Bye Bye Baby” — appear at the end. These are the real discoveries. “Mr. Perfectly Fine” is the best of the bunch, a sharp, bitter breakup song that sounds like it could have been a hit if it had made the original release.

The Vault Tracks’ Numbers

Here’s how the six vault tracks break down by length:

Track	Length
“You All Over Me”	3:41
“Mr. Perfectly Fine”	4:37
“We Were Happy”	4:04
“That’s When”	3:09
“Don’t You”	3:28
“Bye Bye Baby”	4:02

Track Position Comparison

Track	Original Position	New Position
“Fifteen”	2	2
“Hey Stephen”	4	4
“White Horse”	5	5
“You Belong With Me”	6	6
“Breathe”	7	7
“Tell Me Why”	8	8

The Remix and the Verdict

The album ends with “Love Story (Taylor’s Version) (Elvira remix),” a dance version of the lead single. It’s a fun closer, but it’s also the weakest moment on the record. The Elvira beat doesn’t match the song’s warmth.

Taken as a whole, Fearless (Taylor’s Version) succeeds because it respects the originals while making them better. The vault tracks add texture, and the re-recorded versions sound fresh without losing the charm that made the first album work. It’s a safe bet for fans and a smart move for Swift’s catalog.

The weaker moments — the piano interlude, the vault filler, the remix — don’t sink the record. They just keep it from being perfect.

The recordFearless (Taylor’s Version) Taylor Swift27 tracks · 110 min