Released in 2008 –and reissued in 2021 under her own name– Taylor Swift’s Fearless will forever and always remain one of the most influential albums of the early 21st century. My current favorite song from the album is, in fact, “Forever and Always.” Specifically the  piano version. The double occurrence of this song on the album presents several ideas to the listener, including why do they sound different? By changing the background instruments, Swift is able to transform the original “Forever and Always” — an upbeat, angsty complaint about a lover– into “Forever and Always (Piano Version),” a much more somber and cry-worthy reflection on a past relationship. I guess the song may not be forever and always the same, but the piano chords mixed with Taylor’s breaking voice will continue to touch my heart.

A key memory of the start of her career, “Love Story” makes a play on the classic story of Romeo and Juliet. The opening lyrics “we were both young when I first saw you” describe the tale of two lovers in a forbidden relationship — but I guess they also describe when I first heard the song, back in 2008. A classic to millennials and generation z, this retelling of Romeo and Juliet brought a happy ending to the Shakespearean tragedy. Paired with seemingly country instrumentals and vocals, “Love Story” becomes a modernized telling of the young lovers and remains as a key release from Swift’s career.

The album is a teller of young love stories, filled with over the top memories of experiences of love as a teenager. “Today Was A Fairytale” reflects on a fond memory with a lover, a common experience among teenage girls — hopefully referring to the now adopted fairytale endings and not many of the gruesome original endings. “Fifteen” serves as a message to a younger version of herself about how to take on the many relationship issues that’ll come out of high school. It appealed so much to listeners when first released, as many fans were around that age. Now, it seems that the message may be more relatable to those listeners’ children.

Of course, we can’t discuss Fearless without including the iconic “You Belong With Me.” A high tempo song of jealousy and wanting, Taylor Swift may have been the original “pick-me girl” but we can ignore that in exchange for the fun melody given. Through her 2021 re-issue, Swift pulled several songs from the vault, including the quickly loved “Mr. Perfectly Fine.” In contrast to its heartbreaking theme, the song and melody are filled with fun beats and major-toned  vocals. Perhaps most important to the theme of this album though is the title track and opener “Fearless.” It’s a loving tune paired with the story of a beginning love — a perfect introduction to this album that tells of many phases.

Through her many different songs about love and the teenage girl, Taylor Swift’s Fearless gives an iconic memory– both in sound and visuals. The original and re-issue both feature an easy image of Swift, seeming to be carried by the wind. Seeing how popular the album stayed 14 years since its original release, it’s not hard for me to say that it’ll stay memorable for decades to come. Even as listeners stop relating to the teenage reflections, they’ll continue to love their experience from the album, a fearless expedition for love.

Images from em.wikipedia.org

Songs from spotify.com