Fearless (Taylor’s Version) Review - By Taylor Swift
By Lela S.
Less than two years ago, Taylor Swift announced she’d be redoing her back catalog to reclaim ownership of her early material after the master recordings of her Big Machine discography were acquired by industry mogul Scooter Braun.
Yesterday, at midnight, the first re-recorded album was released: Fearless (Taylor’s Version). In this article, since the original album was released way back in 2008, I’ll review only the last 6 songs, which are from the vault: You All Over Me, Mr. Perfectly Fine, We Were Happy, That’s When, Don’t You, and Bye Bye Baby.
The first song is You All Over Me (Taylor’s Version). Like most of the songs from her previous albums Folklore and Evermore, this song has a calmer, less upbeat vibe. As always, in this song, she demonstrates the thing she’s best at: telling stories. You can clearly see this in verse 1.
Once the last drop of rain has dried off the pavement
Shouldn't I find a stain, but I never do
The way the tires turn stones on old county roads
They leave it muddy underneath, reminds me of you
You find graffiti on the walls of old bathroom stalls
You know, you can scratch it right off, it's how it used to be
But like the dollar in your pocket, it's been spent and traded in
You can't change where it's been, reminds me of me
Also, from what I’ve interpreted, this song is about a relationship she had, which she described in a handful of short lyrics:
I lived, and I learned, had you, got burned, held out, and held on, God knows, too long
Because of all these aspects, I rate this song 4.5/5.
Mr. Perfectly Fine ft. Maren Morris
The second song is Mr. Perfectly Fine. This song is really upbeat, despite its cheesy breakup lyrics. I also feel like the pre-chorus and chorus are very creative.
'Cause I hear he's got his arm 'round a brand-new girl
I've been pickin' up my heart, he's been pickin' up her
And I never got past what you put me through
But it's wonderful to see that it never fazed you
Hello Mr. "Perfectly fine"
How's your heart after breakin' mine?
Mr. "Always at the right place at the right time," baby
Hello Mr. "Casually cruel"
Mr. "Everything revolves around you"
I've been Miss "Misery" since your goodbye
And you're Mr. "Perfectly fine"
This upbeat song is the kind of song that I would want to sing for karaoke. I feel like this song crackles with some sort of magic and curiosity. Oh yeah, and also, I can relate. I can’t count the number of times I’ve said “Don’t worry about me, I’m perfectly fine” when I’m actually not. Because of this, I give Mr. Perfectly Fine 4.8/5.
I have to admit, this song is has a really sad vibe. But also, I love how the lyrics go so smoothly together. Here’s an example.
When it was good, baby, it was good, baby
We showed 'em all up
No one could touch the way we laughed in the dark
Talking 'bout your daddy's farm we were going to buy someday
And we were happy
The harmonies from Keith Urban also added a touch of, you know, emotion, to the song that would otherwise have had a really different vibe. I don’t really have a lot to say about this song, other than the fact that this song is really emotional and sad. Because of this, I give the song 4.3/5.
That’s When ft. Keith Urban
This super slow song, featuring Keith Urban, is not really my kind of song, but I have to admit, it’s decent enough. The lyrics are full of devotion, as you can see in the chorus.
That’s when
When I wake up in the morning
That’s when
When it’s sunny or storming
Laughing, when I’m crying
And that’s when
I’ll be waiting at the front gate
That’s when
When I see your face
I’ll let you in
And baby that’s when
It’s a very romantic and sincere song. I don’t quite like it though, because it’s a bit too slow for my taste. However, I have to admit that the voices of Keith Urban and Taylor Swift go together really well. I give this song 4.2/5.
This song is even slower and sadder than That’s When. It’s a heartbreak song, and I don’t like it (I have nothing against heartbreak songs, it’s just that this one isn’t that good). The lyrics are also kind of cheesy.
But don’t you
Don’t you smile at me and ask me how I’ve been
Don’t you say you’ve missed me if you don’t want me again
You don’t know how much I feel I love you still
So why don’t you
Don’t you
This isn’t the best song. The first songs are a lot better than the last ones. This one is not that good. I give it a 3.5/5. That’s how bad it is.
Surprisingly, this is one of the better ones. It’s still pretty slow, but I like this one better, probably because it’s slightly more upbeat and it has more description. Here’s an example.
It wasn’t just like a movie
The rain didn’t soak through my clothes
Down to my skin
I’m driving away and I
I guess you could say
This is the last time
I'll drive this way again
Lost in the gray and I
Try to grab at the fray cause I
I still love you but I can’t
You can really feel the description. It’s better than the other ones. Because of this, I rate the song 4.2/5.
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