April 9 didn’t just mark the end of the first week of fully in person school. It was also a highly anticipated day for Swifties everywhere, as it marked the day of Taylor Swift’s sophomore album Fearless being re-released under her ownership. For us, this long anticipated day meant only one thing: we had to pick out our top three songs from Fearless (Taylor’s Version).

Elizabeth 

Taylor Swift proves yet again that she is still one of the most acclaimed artists of our time. I was only allowed to review three songs, but this entire album is literally everything. 

First off, we have the album’s title track, “Fearless.” This song describes the feverish feeling of falling in love and the recklessness that comes with a new relationship. I really like how Taylor has a renewed confidence in her voice with the re-released version, with no reservation about the way she truly feels. At the same time, I enjoyed how the musical intro remained the same in both versions to pay homage to the original recording.

Next, we have the song “You’re Not Sorry” which tells the story of being continuously let down by one’s significant other. I really enjoyed the re-released version because you can physically sense the emotion in Taylor’s singing. The original Fearless album was released when Taylor was only 19, so while she had her fair share of heartbreak, she didn’t have the same life experiences that she’s had now at 31.. The energy coming from the re-released version just can’t be replicated. 

Finally, we have “Mr. Perfectly Fine,” one of her songs from the vault (she wrote the song in 2008, but didn’t record the song until this past year). The song exposes a certain ex and his seemingly non-reaction to their breakup (*cough* *cough* JOE JONAS). My absolute favorite line in the song is, “Mr. ‘Leaves me all alone,’ I fall apart, It takes everything in me just to get up each day, But it’s wonderful to see that you’re okay.” The lyrics are fantastic and overall, this song is just too good. 

Emma

No one can pull off a rerelease quite like Taylor. She has proved to Swifties everywhere that she can make her music a favorite not once, but twice. Our fifth grade selves never knew what was coming when we thought the original Fearless was the best. Clearly it was not a phase.

Taylor raised the bar when she released the single Love Story (Taylor’s Version) before the re-recorded album, and it definitely exceeded all expectations. I personally prefer this version compared to the original, with her mature voice and reminder that her country music phase will never be completely over.

Confession time: I was about to hate on Taylor for a second because I thought she didn’t include the piano version of “Forever & Always” in Fearless (Taylor’s Version), but of course she did! I like the piano version more because it is easier to hear and resonate with her lyrics, which I felt were lost in her original version. I highly recommend this song for singing in the shower. Your shampoo bottle will be very grateful.

The original version of “Superstar” never really caught my eye, but Taylor’s Version made this classic a top three in my view. I highly recommend this calm, upbeat song for a nice walk in the spring weather or whenever math class is getting you down (not like I’ve ever been there before).

Ella

When an album as iconic as Fearless is rereleased, it can be hard to narrow down all twenty six songs down to a favorite three. However, there are a handful of songs I find myself listening to on repeat. 

First, we have the second track on the album, “Fifteen.” This song has always been a favorite of mine, mostly because when I was younger, I loved the picture it painted of high school. Now as a sophomore, I can say that my freshman year was not nearly as exciting as Taylor’s in “Fifteen,” but I still find myself going back to the song again and again. Specifically in Fearless (Taylor’s Version), I love how mature her voice sounds, and I feel like it gives the song an even more nostalgic quality than it had before.

The second song in my top three is “Breathe.” Honestly, I used to be one of those people who skipped this song when listening to Fearless. However, after playing the song on repeat for the past two weeks, I can’t believe I ever missed the beauty in “Breathe.” The lyrics are incredible (“People are people, and sometimes we change our minds”), and the musical accompaniment fits the theme of the song perfectly. In addition, “Breathe” is super relatable as it describes the emotions following the growth apart from a friend that’s an all too familiar feeling for many high schoolers.

Finally, we have none other than “The Way I Loved You.” You can say what you want about this song, but I will always come back to it. The crescendo of the guitar at the beginning immediately draws you in and never lets you go. In fact, the entire song is a buildup to one of the most cathartic choruses ever. “The Way I Loved You” is one of those songs that you want to scream at the top of your lungs while blasting it on high volume through your headphones.

Clara

After staying up until 12 on a school night to listen to all of Fearless (Taylor’s Version), I was everything but disappointed. The variety of music on this album speaks volume about how far she would go in the music industry. Although I love every song, I definitely have three songs that stick out the most. 

First, “White Horse” has always been a go-to song when I need a sad moment to myself. I really liked how the guitar sounded in the re-recording along with the newfound maturity in her vocals, whereas before she sounded very small

On a happier note, “Jump Then Fall” is a song about not being afraid to fall in love (fitting right in with the theme of being fearless). In Taylor’s Version of this song, it seems like she got to relive this feeling with her current boyfriend (Joe Alwyn), I think the happiness expressed in this song is incomparable to the other songs on the album. I can practically hear her smiling during the first verse!

The last song that really hits home for me is “You Belong With Me” because it’s the song that made me a Swiftie in 2008 after hearing it in the back of my mom’s car on the way to the grocery store. She doesn’t seem as whiny in her version — she’s really come a long time since she first recorded this one and it’s easy to tell. The electric guitar and the drums are the perfect way to express the emotions that Taylor was feeling when she first wrote this song.