All label and industry politics aside, Taylor Swift's decision to redo her entire catalogue as an "Up yours!" to music-biz wheeler/dealer Scooter Braun and Big Machine Records has in some cases been as firm an aesthetic decision as a business one.

Fearless, Swift's 2008 second album, was the first she chose to re-record for her "Taylor's Version" series and one wonders if that might have been due to some lingering dislike for the original finished product, put to tape when she was just 20 years old and probably not able to call all the shots in the studio. Because while it's hard to argue with the songwriting skills on display on those early Swift albums -- the Fearless mega-singles "You Belong With Me" and "Love Story" were keepers on delivery, make no mistake -- you can quibble a little in hindsight with some of their country-lite instrumental affectations and a tendency towards thin, over-polished and slightly "safe" production.

Like the later "Taylor's Version" of Speak Now, then, Swift's Fearless redux is grittier and more muscular than the original, though generally quite faithful to the somewhat rustic O.G. arrangements. Swift was also a far better singer in 2021 when she logged these sessions than she was in 2008, so whatever she might have lost in terms of immediate post-adolescent angst 13 years later she makes up for here in vocal depth and nuance. You can look at the whole "Taylor's Version" enterprise as a cash grab, yes, but if you're serious about Taylor Swift and interested in studying her development as an artist Fearless was an interesting point of departure for her to choose and actually worth studying against the new version. Or you could can just enjoy the tunes, which -- as previously stated -- were pretty damn good to begin with. 

TRACKLISTING:

1. Fearless (Taylor's Version)
2. Fifteen (Taylor's Version)
3. Love Story (Taylor's Version)
4. Hey Stephen (Taylor's Version)
5. White Horse (Taylor's Version)
6. You Belong With Me (Taylor's Version)
7. Breathe (Taylor's Version) (featuring Colbie Caillat)
8. Tell Me Why (Taylor's Version)
9. You're Not Sorry (Taylor's Version)
10. The Way I Loved You (Taylor's Version)
11. Forever & Always (Taylor's Version)
12. The Best Day (Taylor's Version)
13. Change (Taylor's Version)
14. Jump Then Fall (Taylor's Version)
15. Untouchable (Taylor's Version)
16. Forever & Always (Piano Version) (Taylor's Version)
17. Come In With The Rain (Taylor's Version)
18. Superstar (Taylor's Version)
19. The Other Side Of The Door (Taylor's Version)
20. Today Was A Fairytale (Taylor's Version)
21. You All Over Me (From The Vault) (featuring Maren Morris)
22. Mr. Perfectly Fine (From The Vault)
23. We Were Happy (From The Vault)
24. That's When (From The Vault) (featuring Keith Urban)
25. Don't You (From The Vault)
26. Bye Bye Baby (From The Vault)
27. Love Story (Taylor's Version) - Elvira Remix (Bonus Track)

TayREPUBLIC]