As most of you may know by now, Taylor Swift has re-released her “Fearless” (2008) album. There’s so much hype around the re-recordings, and I’m sure a lot of you are lost; you may be wondering, “why is she rerecording them?”, or “what’s the big deal?”. These are very valid questions, and I’m here to explain it all to you in a quick, brief summary with a cute ranking of the albums at the end, noting the changes between the 2008 version and Taylor’s version (2021).

Why is Taylor re-recording her old music?

A grimey little man (and talent manager of musicians like Justin Bieber) named Scooter Braun began working with the company label that Taylor signed with when she was 15 (Big Machine). Taylor Swift’s contract with Big Machine expired around 3 years ago, and since then she has been working under Republic Records. The contract she signed at 15 essentially had ownership of her first 6 albums: Self-titled, Fearless, Speak Now, Red, 1989, and Reputation. So, the fate of Taylor’s 6 albums were in the hands of both Scooter Braun and Big Machine; the label sold the company to Braun, and in turn, Taylor’s 6 albums were now owned by Scooter Braun. Since Taylor signed a poor contract when she was young, she lost all ownership of her work; so, Taylor’s re-recording all 6 albums and releasing them under the original album name with (Taylor’s Version) being added to the title.

What’s the big deal?

Basically, Taylor fanatics and casual fans are super excited for the re-recordings of all 6 albums, whether it be based in nostalgia of the new and improved versions or to just to support Taylor after she got played. But it’s also a big deal because her album has topped the country charts once again…even 13 years later. Overall, Taylor’s version has started a ton of excitement in the music industry…

“Fearless” (Taylor’s Version) contain extra songs she labeled as “songs from the vault” which consisted her unreleased songs. Taylor turned the waiting experience into a puzzle that her fans had to figure out; and this is something Taylor does often. She puts “easter eggs” in some of her social media posts, word choice, and music videos to surprise the fans who search for them! It’s a fun little game…but now everyone’s waiting to see what Taylor does next! As both a Kanye and a Taylor fan, I can safely say that this is an exciting moment in music! Taylor Swift = Girlboss.

Ranking!!! (BTWSSSS this is a no skip album. Like seriously. I mean it)

1. The Way I Loved You

2. Hey Stephen

3. Fearless

4. Breathe

5. Forever & Always

6. Today Was A Fairytale

7. Tell Me Why

8. Mr. Perfectly Fine

9. Don’t You

10. The Best Day

11. Fifteen

12. You’re Not Sorry

13. Change

14. Jump Then Fall

15. You Belong With Me

16. The Other Side Of the Door

17. White Horse

18. Come in With the Rain

19. You All Over Me

20. We Were Happy

21. Superstar

22. That’s When

23. Bye Bye Baby

What will Taylor do next?

Personally, I think Taylor is one of the most surprising and spontaneous artists out there. I mean, releasing 3 albums in the span of a year? That’s nearly unheard of…not to mention, her raging success with this first rerecording of her old albums. Many debate that Taylor’s going to release a third “sister” album named “Woodvale” to match with her albums “Folklore” and “Evermore” that had similar themes and genre style. “Woodvale” is either a purposeful easter egg or its completely accidental; and no one will know for sure until she releases her next project. Some think 1989 (Taylor’s Version) is going to be released sometime this summer with “Style” being its lead single, but others, like myself, believe she’s going to release Speak Now (Taylor’s Version) sometime soon. It’s all up for debate, of course, because Taylor Swift is a puzzle master. I’m just excited to see what she does next, and I’m sure everyone else can agree. This is pretty exciting stuff. Like, I even bought the “Fearless” (Taylor’s Version) CD…and I listen to it at least 5 times a day. A good $13 well spent, if you ask me. Basically, no one knows what’s gonna happen, but that’s kind of the beauty of it all. That’s what makes things exciting. I mean, some people even think that the “Style” single is going to feature Harry Styles…and if you know, you know. But, there is a possibility. Who knows.

Should I Listen?

As I said earlier, this is a no skip album; you should absolutely listen to this album, even if you’ve already heard the original recording of the album. It’s different. The production, vocals, UGH! All of it; it’s a million times better than the original. Also, support the artist, not the gross money stealing man named “Scooter”. If I’d have to recommend any songs for you to start out with, here’s 5 good starters:

1. Mr. Perfectly Fine
2. Fearless
3. Fifteen
4. Hey Stephen
5. The Way I Loved You

Yes. In that exact order. I promise you will not be let down. I personally think the nostalgia of this album in relation to how many years have passed really adds some flare to the album, not to mention she sounds amazing.