Fearless (Taylor Swift song)
{{short description|2010 single by Taylor Swift}}
{{Featured article}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=November 2024}}
{{Infobox song
| name = Fearless
| cover = Taylor Swift - Fearless (Single).png
| alt = Cover artwork of "Fearless", showing Swift standing in the rain as car headlights shine on her
| border = yes
| type = single
| artist = Taylor Swift
| album = Fearless
| released = {{start date|2010|1|4}}
| recorded =
| studio = Blackbird (Nashville, Tennessee)
| genre = * Country pop
| length = 4:01
| label = Big Machine
| writer = * Taylor Swift
| producer = * Taylor Swift
| prev_title = Two Is Better Than One
| prev_year = 2009
| next_title = Today Was a Fairytale
| next_year = 2010
| misc = {{External music video|{{YouTube|ptSjNWnzpjg|"Fearless"}}}}
}}
"Fearless" is a song by the American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift and the title track of her second studio album, Fearless (2008). She wrote the track with Liz Rose and Hillary Lindsey, and produced it with Nathan Chapman. A country pop and pop rock song, "Fearless" is instrumented by booming drums and chiming guitars. Lyrically, it sees Swift's narrator embracing the romantic drive of a thrilling first date, allowing herself to live true to her heart.
Big Machine Records released "Fearless" to country radio in the United States as the album's fifth and final single on January 4, 2010. Music critics generally praised the production as catchy and engaging and the lyrics for portraying earnest adolescent sentiments; some retrospective reviews have regarded "Fearless" as one of Swift's best songs. In the United States, the single peaked at number nine on the Billboard Hot 100 and number 10 on Hot Country Songs, and it was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America. The song also charted in Canada, Spain, and the United Kingdom.
Swift included "Fearless" in the set list to her first headlining tour, the Fearless Tour (2009–2010); footage from the tour was used in the song's music video. She later included the song in the set lists of the Speak Now World Tour (2011–2012) and the Eras Tour (2023–2024). After a 2019 dispute regarding the ownership of Swift's back catalog, she re-recorded the song and released it as "Fearless (Taylor's Version)" for her 2021 album Fearless (Taylor's Version). The re-recorded song charted in Australia, Canada, Singapore, and the United States.
Background and writing
Taylor Swift wrote songs for her second studio album, Fearless, while touring as an opening act for other country musicians during 2007–2008, when she was 17–18 years old; she was promoting her first album, Taylor Swift (2006).{{cite web |last=Kawashima |first=Dale |date=February 16, 2007 |title=Special Interview (2007): Taylor Swift Discusses Her Debut Album, Early Hits, and How She Got Started |url=http://www.songwriteruniverse.com/taylorswift123.htm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160324060932/http://www.songwriteruniverse.com/taylorswift123.htm |archive-date=March 24, 2016 |access-date=December 17, 2010 |website=Songwriter Universe}}{{cite magazine |last=Tucker |first=Ken |author-link=Ken Tucker |date=March 26, 2008 |title=The Billboard Q&A: Taylor Swift |url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/1046063/the-billboard-qa-taylor-swift |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130705032846/http://www.billboard.com/articles/news/1046063/the-billboard-qa-taylor-swift |archive-date=July 5, 2013 |access-date=September 26, 2024 |magazine=Billboard}} Continuing the romantic themes of Taylor Swift, Fearless is about love and heartbreak from the perspective of a teenage girl, using autobiographical narratives embedded with high-school and fairy-tale imagery.{{sfn|Perone|2017|p=20}} According to Swift, this was a deliberate choice to ensure her fans could relate to her album, and nearly every track had a "face" that she associated with it.{{cite web |last=Graff |first=Gary |date=March 26, 2010 |title=Living Fearless Taylor Swift Talks About Her Whirlwind Rise to the Top |url=http://www.theoaklandpress.com/articles/2010/03/26/entertainment/doc4baba3395e3ef490410773.txt |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120910102217/http://www.theoaklandpress.com/articles/2010/03/26/entertainment/doc4baba3395e3ef490410773.txt |archive-date=September 10, 2012 |access-date=September 26, 2024 |work=The Oakland Press}} She and the producer Nathan Chapman recorded over 50 songs for Fearless, and "Fearless" was one of the 13 tracks that made the final cut.{{cite magazine |last=Ganz |first=Caryn |date=October 2, 2008 |title=Fall Music Preview: Taylor Swift's Fearless |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/fall-music-preview-taylor-swifts-fearless-242318/ |url-access=limited |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220209073750/https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/fall-music-preview-taylor-swifts-fearless-242318/ |archive-date=February 9, 2022 |access-date=February 9, 2022 |magazine=Rolling Stone}}{{cite AV media notes |title=Fearless |others= |year=2008 |publisher=Big Machine Records |type=CD liner notes |last=Swift |first=Taylor |author-link=Taylor Swift}}
Swift wrote "Fearless" with Liz Rose and Hillary Lindsey.{{Sfn|Spencer|2010|p=60}} She first conceived the track while touring, when she was single: "I wasn't even in the beginning stages of dating anybody."{{Sfn|Zaleski|2024|p=28}} Her imaginations of what could happen during an ideal first date developed into a songwriting idea for the track.{{Sfn|Zaleski|2024|p=28}} Summarizing the song's theme as "the best first date [she hasn't] had yet", Swift described "Fearless" as an aspirational song that deviated from other album songs about real-time feelings or experiences.{{Sfn|Zaleski|2024|p=28}}
Music and lyrics
{{listen
| pos = right
| filename = FearlessSample.ogg
| title = "Fearless"
| description = "Fearless" is a country pop and pop rock song incorporating booming drums and chiming guitars.
}}
"Fearless" is four minutes and one second long. Swift and Chapman produced the track, which was recorded by Chad Carlson and mixed by Justin Niebank at Blackbird Studio in Nashville. "Fearless" is a country pop{{Sfn|Zaleski|2024|p=28}} and pop rock song.{{Cite web |last=Mylrea |first=Hannah |date=April 9, 2021 |title=Taylor Swift – Fearless (Taylor's Version) Review: A Celebration of Self |url=https://www.nme.com/reviews/album/taylor-swift-fearless-taylors-version-review-2916595 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230113083030/https://www.nme.com/reviews/album/taylor-swift-fearless-taylors-version-review-2916595 |archive-date=January 13, 2023 |access-date=July 10, 2021 |website=NME |language=en-GB}}{{Cite web |last=Barbieri |first=Alyssa |date=April 10, 2021 |title=Ranking Every Song on Taylor Swift's Re-Recorded Fearless Album |url=https://ftw.usatoday.com/lists/taylor-swift-fearless-taylors-version-song-rankings |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210429235540/https://ftw.usatoday.com/lists/taylor-swift-fearless-taylors-version-song-rankings |archive-date=April 29, 2021 |access-date=July 10, 2021 |website=USA Today |language=en-US}} Its arrangement consists of booming drums and chiming guitars{{Sfn|Zaleski|2024|p=28}} alongside mandolin and fiddle; the bridge incorporates a key change.{{Sfn|Zaleski|2024|p=28}} The musicologist James E. Perone writes that there are "unexpected musical influences" evoking diverse styles of country, pop, folk, and alternative rock in the drums, guitars, and other instruments' "tone colors".{{Sfn|Perone|2017|p=20}} Larry Rodgers of The Arizona Republic categorized the song as "rootsy pop".{{Cite news |last=Rodgers |first=Larry |date=December 7, 2008 |title=Fearless |work=The Arizona Republic |page=E4 |id={{ProQuest|239095110}}}}
Lyrically, the song details Swift's imagination of an ideal first date:{{Sfn|Spencer|2010|p=60}} her narrator embraces the romantic drive and the thrilling sentiments.{{Sfn|Zaleski|2024|p=28}} The narrator pays attention to the details, such as how the pavement glistens in the moonlight after a rain, how her date "runs [his] hand through [his] hair", and how she gets excited and nervous anticipating a first kiss.{{Cite news |last=Semon |first=Craig S. |date=November 30, 2008 |title=Teen Phenom Swift Sings with Fearless Sincerity |work=Telegram & Gazette |page=G4 |id={{ProQuest|269016248}}}} The couple have an impromptu dance in a parking lot and frolic in the rain before giving each other a passionate kiss.{{Sfn|Zaleski|2024|p=28}} She relinquishes her pretense, allowing herself to live true to her heart: "I don't know why, but with you I'd dance in a storm in my best dress;"{{Sfn|Zaleski|2024|p=28}} this lyric embodies some of the imagery commonly used in Swift's other songs: dancing, rain, and concealing one's timidity.{{Cite web |last=Jones |first=Nate |date=May 20, 2024 |title=All 245 Taylor Swift Songs, Ranked |url=https://www.vulture.com/article/all-taylor-swift-songs-ranked-from-worst-to-best.html |url-access=limited |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240825025026/https://www.vulture.com/article/all-taylor-swift-songs-ranked-from-worst-to-best.html |archive-date=August 25, 2024 |access-date=September 26, 2024 |website=Vulture |language=}}{{Cite web |last=Sheffield |first=Rob |author-link=Rob Sheffield |date=April 25, 2024 |title='Fearless' (2008) |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-lists/taylor-swift-songs-ranked-rob-sheffield-201800/fearless-2008-194916/ |access-date=September 26, 2024 |website=Rolling Stone}}
Swift described the song's greater concept as "the fearlessness of falling in love": "[No] matter how many times you get hurt, you will always fall in love again."{{cite web |last=Swift |first=Taylor |author-link=Taylor Swift |title=Cut By Cut |url=http://www.bigmachinerecords.com/taylorswift/index.cfm?id=110 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100403025349/http://www.bigmachinerecords.com/taylorswift/index.cfm?id=110 |archive-date=April 3, 2010 |access-date=May 25, 2010 |publisher=Big Machine Records}} Rob Sheffield, writing for Blender, opined that the lyric mentioning Swift's narrator getting caught in a storm "in my best dress" showed that she "likes to make a scene".{{cite web |last=Sheffield |first=Rob |author-link=Rob Sheffield |date=November 11, 2008 |title=Fearless |url=http://www.blender.com/guide/new/55348/fearless.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100228053010/http://www.blender.com/guide/new/55348/fearless.html |archive-date=February 28, 2010 |access-date=May 25, 2010 |work=Blender}} For Annie Zaleski, the track encapsulates the excitement of a wonderful date that one wishes "would last forever".{{Sfn|Zaleski|2024|p=28}} Amanda Ash of the Edmonton Journal thought that there is a sense of uncertainty under those thrilling moments.{{Cite news |last=Ash |first=Amanda |date=December 6, 2008 |title=Swift's More Mature, But Stays Fearless |work=Edmonton Journal |page=D3 |id={{ProQuest|250621343}}}}
Release and commercial performance
"Fearless" was first released as a promotional single from the album on October 14, 2008, as part of "Countdown to Fearless", an exclusive campaign by the iTunes Store.{{Sfn|Zaleski|2024|p=28}}{{Cite magazine |last=Tucker |first=Ken |author-link=Ken Tucker |date=October 25, 2008 |title=Taylor Swift Goes Global |magazine=Billboard |pages=22–25 |volume=120 |issue=43 |id={{ProQuest|227230140}}}} Big Machine Records released Fearless on November 11, 2008. Swift chose "Fearless" as the title track because she felt it represented the overarching theme of the album about fearlessly being oneself:{{Sfn|Zaleski|2024|p=28}} "fearless doesn't mean you're completely unafraid and it doesn't mean that you're bulletproof. It means that you have a lot of fears, but you jump anyway."{{cite web |last=Vena |first=Jocelyn |date=November 11, 2008 |title=Taylor Swift Says She 'Owed It' To Her Fans To Be Open About Joe Jonas Breakup |url=http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1599032/20081110/swift__taylor.jhtml |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100312093907/http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1599032/20081110/swift__taylor.jhtml |archive-date=March 12, 2010 |access-date=May 25, 2010 |publisher=MTV}} The song was the fifth{{cite magazine |author=Trust |first=Gary |date=January 5, 2010 |title=Taking Peaks, Part 1: Nos. 100-76 |url=http://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/chart-beat/960816/taking-peaks-part-1-nos-100-76 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140928140801/http://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/chart-beat/960816/taking-peaks-part-1-nos-100-76?page=0%2C2 |archive-date=September 28, 2014 |access-date=July 27, 2010 |magazine=Billboard}} and final single from Fearless; Big Machine released it to country radio in the United States on January 4, 2010.{{cite web |date=January 4, 2010 |title=Going For Adds: CHR/Country |url=http://gfa.radioandrecords.com/publishGFA/GFANextPage.asp?sDate=01/04/2010&Format=4 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120316091430/http://gfa.radioandrecords.com/publishGFA/GFANextPage.asp?sDate=01%2F04%2F2010&Format=4 |archive-date=March 16, 2012 |access-date=May 25, 2010 |website=Radio & Records |publisher=}}{{cite news |date=December 29, 2009 |title=Country Aircheck Chart Info |url=https://www.countryaircheck.com/pdf_publication/Issue_172%20-%20December%2029,%202009.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210915052437/https://www.countryaircheck.com/pdf_publication/Issue_172%20-%20December%2029,%202009.pdf |archive-date=September 15, 2021 |access-date=September 15, 2021 |work=Country Aircheck |page=7 |issue=172}}
On the US Billboard Hot 100 chart dated November 1, 2008, "Fearless" debuted and peaked at number nine.{{cite magazine|last=Cohen|first=Jonathan|date=October 23, 2008|title=T.I. Returns To No. 1 On The Hot 100|url=http://www.billboard.com/articles/news/1043700/ti-returns-to-no-1-on-the-hot-100|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130502013556/http://www.billboard.com/articles/news/1043700/ti-returns-to-no-1-on-the-hot-100|archive-date=May 2, 2013|access-date=May 25, 2010|magazine=Billboard}} It was Swift's second top-10 debut of 2008 after "Change", making her the first female artist since Madonna in 1998 to have two top-10 debuts in one calendar year.{{Cite magazine |last=Pietroluongo |first=Silvia |date=November 1, 2008 |title=Another Swift Entry |magazine=Billboard |page=54 |volume=120 |issue=44 |id={{ProQuest|227233802}}}} "Fearless" is one of the 13 tracks from Fearless to chart within the top 40 of the Billboard Hot 100, breaking the record for the most top-40 entries from a single album.{{cite magazine |last=Pietroluongo |first=Silvio |date=November 12, 2009 |title=Rihanna's 'Roulette' Lands In Hot 100's Top 10 |url=http://www.billboard.com/articles/news/266734/rihannas-roulette-lands-in-hot-100s-top-10 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130826114349/http://www.billboard.com/articles/news/266734/rihannas-roulette-lands-in-hot-100s-top-10 |archive-date=August 26, 2013 |access-date=January 3, 2010 |magazine=Billboard}} It peaked at number 10 on the Hot Country Songs and number 18 on the Pop 100 charts. The Recording Industry Association of America awarded the single a platinum certification on October 23, 2012, and the single had sold one million downloads in the United States by November 2017.{{cite magazine |last=Trust |first=Gary |date=November 26, 2017 |title=Ask Billboard: Taylor Swift's Career Album & Song Sales |url=https://www.billboard.com/pro/taylor-swift-career-album-song-sales-ask-billboard/ |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241204093558/https://www.billboard.com/pro/taylor-swift-career-album-song-sales-ask-billboard/ |archive-date=December 4, 2024 |access-date=December 12, 2024 |magazine=Billboard }}
In Canada, "Fearless" peaked at number 69 on the Canadian Hot 100 and number 7 on the Canada Country chart. The single peaked at number 32 in Spain and number 111 in the United Kingdom. It received a platinum certification in Australia.
Critical reception
In reviews of Fearless, critics generally praised the title track for its catchy production. Those who picked it as an album highlight included the Hartford Courant{{'s}} Thomas Kintner, who wrote that its "juicy jangling" production "keeps [Swift] ahead of the game",{{Cite news |last=Kintner |first=Thomas |date=November 18, 2008 |title=Taylor Swift: Fearless |work=Hartford Courant |page=C3 |id={{ProQuest|257197529}}}} and The Baltimore Sun's Rashod D. Ollison, who described the sound as "breezy".{{Cite news |last=Ollison |first=Rashod D. |date=November 11, 2008 |title=Fearless |work=The Baltimore Sun |page=C3 |id={{ProQuest|406214077}}}} Jody Rosen of Rolling Stone highlighted the loud guitars and dynamic refrains,{{Cite web |last=Rosen |first=Jody |author-link=Jody Rosen |date=November 13, 2008 |title=Taylor Swift Fearless Album Review |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-album-reviews/fearless-252671/ |url-access=limited |access-date=September 26, 2024 |website=Rolling Stone |language= |archive-date=November 15, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211115025614/https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-album-reviews/fearless-252671/ |url-status=live }} and Jim Abbott of the Orlando Sentinel found the track suitable for "arena sing-alongs".{{Cite news |last=Abbott |first=Jim |date=December 5, 2008 |title=Taylor Swift |work=Orlando Sentinel |page=33 |id={{ProQuest|284212169}}}}
Others, such as Alice Fisher of The Guardian{{cite web |last=Fisher |first=Alicer |date=May 9, 2009 |title=Enough to Make You Scream |url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2009/may/10/taylor-swifto2-review |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131016150712/http://www.theguardian.com/music/2009/may/10/taylor-swifto2-review |archive-date=October 16, 2013 |access-date=May 21, 2010 |work=The Guardian |publisher=}} and Jim Harrington of The San Jose Mercury News,{{cite web |last=Harrington |first=Jim |date=April 12, 2010 |title=Review: Taylor Swift at HP Pavilion |url=http://blogs.mercurynews.com/aei/2010/04/12/review-taylor-swift-at-hp-pavilion/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110320035408/http://blogs.mercurynews.com/aei/2010/04/12/review-taylor-swift-at-hp-pavilion/ |archive-date=March 20, 2011 |access-date=May 26, 2010 |work=The San Jose Mercury News}} complimented the lyrics for portraying universal feelings evoked by love that appealed to a broad audience. In USA Today, Elysa Gardner appreciated the storytelling lyrics and the earnest "innocence and wonder" that the track portrayed.{{Cite web |last=Gardner |first=Elysa |date=November 11, 2008 |title=Swift Unspiffed |url=https://usatoday30.usatoday.com/printedition/life/20081111/d_listen11_spotlight.art.htm |access-date=November 12, 2024 |website=USA Today |page=D5 |archive-date=December 10, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221210143910/https://usatoday30.usatoday.com/printedition/life/20081111/d_listen11_spotlight.art.htm |url-status=live }} Ash thought that "Fearless" set the overall tone for the album and found it to incorporate a sense of maturity to the obvious teenage sentiments. In a less enthusiastic review, Jonathan Keefe of Slant Magazine wrote that the song demonstrated a lack of refinement in Swift's songwriting in how the meter "emphasizes the incorrect syllables of words".{{Cite web |last=Keefe |first=Jonathan |date=November 16, 2008 |title=Review: Taylor Swift, Fearless |url=https://www.slantmagazine.com/music/taylor-swift-fearless/ |access-date=November 12, 2024 |website=Slant Magazine |language= |archive-date=November 11, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221111232247/https://www.slantmagazine.com/music/taylor-swift-fearless/ |url-status=live }}
Retrospective opinions on "Fearless" have remained generally positive. Zaleski described the production as "easygoing" but also bold, Swift's vocals "forceful", and the key change "epic". She also found the lyrical details vivid and specific that elevated the emotional engagement.{{Sfn|Zaleski|2024|p=28}} Several critics have ranked the track highly among Swift's discography. Sheffield, in his 2024 ranking of Swift's 274 songs, placed "Fearless" at number 42. He praised how the lyrics incorporated many of the familiar tropes of her songwriting and the production "builds up to a swoon". Nate Jones of Vulture (2024) ranked the song 29th out of 245, hailing the way Swift channeled the thrilling emotions despite the lyrics using familiar themes.
"Fearless" was ranked among the 20 best songs by Swift by Billboard's Jason Lipshutz (2017),{{Cite web |last=Lipshutz |first=Jason |date=August 1, 2017 |title=Taylor Swift's 15 Best Songs: Critic's Picks |url=https://www.billboard.com/music/pop/taylor-swift-songs-best-hits-list-7882347/ |access-date=November 12, 2024 |website=Billboard |language= |archive-date=March 4, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230304161411/https://www.billboard.com/music/pop/taylor-swift-songs-best-hits-list-7882347/ |url-status=live }} Paste{{'s}} Jane Song (2020),{{Cite web |last=Song |first=Jane |date=February 11, 2020 |title=All 158 Taylor Swift Songs, Ranked |url=https://www.pastemagazine.com/music/taylor-swift/best-taylor-swift-songs/ |access-date=November 12, 2024 |website=Paste |archive-date=April 13, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200413001443/https://www.pastemagazine.com/music/taylor-swift/best-taylor-swift-songs/ |url-status=live }} Exclaim!{{'}}s Alex Hudson and Megan LaPierre (2024),{{Cite web |last=Hudson |first=Alex |last2=LaPierre |first2=Megan |date=April 18, 2024 |title=Taylor Swift's 25 Best Songs Ranked |url=https://exclaim.ca/music/article/taylor_swifts_20_best_songs_ranked |access-date=November 12, 2024 |website=Exclaim! |language= |archive-date=December 6, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221206081044/https://exclaim.ca/music/article/taylor_swifts_20_best_songs_ranked |url-status=live }} and Variety{{'s}} Chris Willman (2024).{{Cite web |last=Willman |first=Chris |date=April 29, 2024 |title=Taylor Swift's 75 Best Songs, Ranked |url=https://variety.com/lists/best-taylor-swift-songs-ranked/fearless/ |access-date=November 12, 2024 |website=Variety |language=}} Lipshutz selected the opening lines ("There's something 'bout the way/ The street looks when it's just rained/ There's a glow off the pavement") as an example of Swift's abilities to depict romantic whimsy that not many artists could. Willman contended that the title track's "simpler ambitions" and "typically great melodic line" made it as enduring as other fairy tale–inspired Fearless songs. The Guardian
Live performances and music video
File:Keithtaylor 049.JPG (2009–2010).|alt=Taylor Swift donning a sparkling cocktail dress and playing a rhinestoned acoustic guitar]]
During promotion of Fearless, Swift performed the title track on Late Show with David Letterman on November 10, 2008,{{Sfn|Spencer|2010|p=65}} and as part of her concerts for the festivals and events she headlined in 2009, including the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo{{Cite news |last=Guerra |first=Joey |date=March 21, 2009 |title=Taylor Swift Brings Sweetness and Sass |work=Houston Chronicle |page=B2 |id={{ProQuest|396442636}}}} and the Florida Strawberry Festival in March,{{Cite news |last=Ross |first=Curtis |date=March 2, 2009 |title=Swift, Fans Bond Over Boys, Heartache |work=Tampa Tribune |page=2 |id={{ProQuest|271397109}}}} and Craven Country Jamboree in July.{{Cite news |last=DeDekker |first=Jeff |date=July 11, 2009 |title=Swept Off Their Feet; Taylor Swift Simply Scintillating |work=Regina Leader Post |page=A1 |id={{ProQuest|350032490}}}} She also performed it at the 2010 Summer Sonic Festival in Japan.{{cite web |date=December 31, 2010 |script-title=ja:2010年のライブイベント情報 |trans-title=2010 Event Info |url=https://www.universal-music.co.jp/taylor-swift/news/2012-01-2010live/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240317052119/https://www.universal-music.co.jp/taylor-swift/news/2012-01-2010live/ |archive-date=March 17, 2024 |access-date=March 17, 2024 |publisher=Universal Music Japan |language=ja}} Swift included "Fearless" in the set list of her first headlining concert tour, the Fearless Tour (2009–2010). For the performance of the song, she donned a silver sparkly cocktail dress and black cowboy boots, played a rhinestoned acoustic guitar, and twirled onstage.{{Cite web |last=Semon |first=Craig S. |date=June 7, 2010 |title=Taylor Swift Proves Worthy As Queen of Country Music |url=https://www.telegram.com/story/news/local/north/2010/06/07/taylor-swift-proves-worthy-as/51579019007/ |access-date=January 9, 2024 |website=Telegram & Gazette |archive-date=August 21, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220821014619/https://www.telegram.com/story/news/local/north/2010/06/07/taylor-swift-proves-worthy-as/51579019007/ |url-status=live }} Recordings from the Fearless Tour were used in the music video for "Fearless", directed by Todd Cassetty;{{cite web |title=Taylor Swift: 'Fearless' |url=http://www.cmt.com/videos/taylor-swift/475832/fearless.jhtml |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100220091616/http://www.cmt.com/videos/taylor-swift/475832/fearless.jhtml |archive-date=February 20, 2010 |access-date=May 30, 2010 |publisher=CMT}} it intertwines Swift's performances with behind-the-scene footage.{{cite web|last=Vena|first=Jocelyn|date=February 18, 2010|title=Taylor Swift's 'Fearless' Video A Love Letter To Her Fans|url=http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1632141/20100218/swift__taylor.jhtml|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100403025400/http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1632141/20100218/swift__taylor.jhtml|archive-date=April 3, 2010|access-date=May 30, 2010|publisher=MTV News}}
On the Speak Now World Tour (2011–2012), Swift performed "Fearless" as part of an acoustic mashup with Jason Mraz's 2008 song "I'm Yours" and Train's 2009 song "Hey, Soul Sister", on ukulele.{{cite web |last=Coffey |first=Kevin |date=May 28, 2011 |title=Taylor Swift Shimmers in Omaha |url=http://www.omaha.com/article/20110528/NEWS01/305289989/912797 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120630192444/http://www.omaha.com/article/20110528/NEWS01/305289989/912797 |archive-date=June 30, 2012 |access-date=August 19, 2011 |website=Omaha World-Herald |publisher=}}{{Cite news |last=Mervis |first=Scott |date=June 19, 2011 |title=Taylor Swift Brings Lots of Theatrics and Love to Heinz Field |url=http://www.post-gazette.com/ae/music/2011/06/18/Taylor-Swift-brings-lots-of-theatrics-and-love-to-Heinz-Field/stories/201106180204 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170116153943/http://www.post-gazette.com/ae/music/2011/06/18/Taylor-Swift-brings-lots-of-theatrics-and-love-to-Heinz-Field/stories/201106180204 |archive-date=January 16, 2017 |access-date=December 12, 2024 |work=Pittsburgh Post-Gazette}} The performance was recorded and released on DVD as part of the live album Speak Now World Tour – Live.{{Cite web |last=Keefe |first=Jonathan |date=November 28, 2011 |title=Review: Taylor Swift, Speak Now World Tour Live |url=https://www.slantmagazine.com/music/taylor-swift-speak-now-world-tour-live/ |access-date=December 12, 2024 |website=Slant Magazine |archive-date=December 10, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211210072046/https://www.slantmagazine.com/music/taylor-swift-speak-now-world-tour-live/ |url-status=live }} She occasionally performed "Fearless" as a "surprise" number outside the regular set lists of her later tours. On the Red Tour, she sang it at the shows in Houston (May 2013),{{Cite news |last=Guerra |first=Joey |date=May 16, 2013 |title=Concert Review: Taylor Swift and Ed Sheeran at Toyota Center |url=https://blog.chron.com/29-95/2013/05/concert-review-taylor-swift-and-ed-sheeran-at-toyota-center/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190610135238/https://blog.chron.com/29-95/2013/05/concert-review-taylor-swift-and-ed-sheeran-at-toyota-center/ |archive-date=June 10, 2019 |access-date=November 12, 2024 |work=Houston Chronicle}} Chicago (August 2013),{{Cite web |last=Levy |first=Piet |date=August 11, 2013 |title=Concert Review: Taylor Swift's Red Tour Brings Color, Spectacle to Chicago's Soldier Field |url=https://archive.jsonline.com/entertainment/musicandnightlife/concert-review-taylor-swifts-red-tour-brings-color-spectacle-to-chicagos-soldier-field-b9968845z1-219170441.html |access-date=November 12, 2024 |website=Milwaukee Journal Sentinel |language= |archive-date=August 5, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210805034659/https://archive.jsonline.com/entertainment/musicandnightlife/concert-review-taylor-swifts-red-tour-brings-color-spectacle-to-chicagos-soldier-field-b9968845z1-219170441.html |url-status=live }} and London (February 2014).{{Cite web |last=Dibdin |first=Emma |date=February 2, 2014 |title=Taylor Swift's Red Tour at the O2: Review |url=https://www.digitalspy.com/music/live-reviews/a548327/taylor-swift-brings-the-red-tour-to-londons-o2-arena-review/ |access-date=November 12, 2024 |website=Digital Spy |language=}} She performed an acoustic version of "Fearless" during the San Diego show of the 1989 World Tour (August 2015){{Cite web |last=Varga |first=George |date=August 30, 2015 |title=Taylor Swift Sweats It Off at Steamy Petco Park Show |url=https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/2015/08/30/taylor-swift-sweats-it-off-at-steamy-petco-park-show/ |url-access=subscription |access-date=November 13, 2024 |website=San Diego Union-Tribune |language= |archive-date=July 2, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240702061906/https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/2015/08/30/taylor-swift-sweats-it-off-at-steamy-petco-park-show/ |url-status=live }} and the East Rutherford show of the Reputation Stadium Tour (July 2018).{{cite magazine |last1=Iasimone |first1=Ashley |date=November 20, 2018 |title=All the Surprise Songs Taylor Swift Has Performed On Her Reputation Stadium Tour B-Stage |url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/pop/8458025/taylor-swift-reputation-tour-b-stage-songs-list |access-date=November 13, 2024 |magazine=Billboard |archive-date=February 27, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240227045220/https://www.billboard.com/music/pop/taylor-swift-reputation-tour-b-stage-songs-list-8458025/ |url-status=live }}
The song was included as part of the regular set list for her sixth headlining concert tour, the Eras Tour (2023–2024). It served as the opening number for the Fearless act.{{Cite web |last=Shafer |first=Ellise |date=March 18, 2023 |title=Taylor Swift Eras Tour: The Full Setlist From Opening Night |url=https://variety.com/2023/music/news/taylor-swift-eras-tour-setlist-1235552488/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230318073358/https://variety.com/2023/music/news/taylor-swift-eras-tour-setlist-1235552488/ |archive-date=March 18, 2023 |access-date=March 19, 2023 |website=Variety |language=}} She performed the track donning a golden fringe dress and playing a rhinestoned guitar, which evoked her fashion in the Fearless tour of 2008.{{Cite web |date=February 16, 2024 |title=Star Style: The Designers Behind Taylor Swift's Eras Tour Outfits |url=https://www.nzherald.co.nz/lifestyle/taylor-swifts-eras-tour-costume-outfits-explained-from-lover-to-midnights/UIA5YPQU5VHWFAML3M3LFZP6CQ/ |access-date=November 13, 2024 |website=The New Zealand Herald |language=}}
Personnel
Adapted from the liner notes of Fearless
- Chad Carlson – recording
- Nathan Chapman – producer
- Taylor Swift – producer, lead vocals
- Justin Nieback – mixing
- Drew Bollman – mixing assistant
Charts
{{col-begin}}
{{col-2}}
=Weekly charts=
| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;"
|+ 2010 weekly chart performance for "Fearless" !scope="col"|Chart (2010) !scope="col"|Peak |
| {{single chart|Canada|69|artist=Taylor Swift|rowheader=true|access-date=August 12, 2022|refname="Canada"}} |
| {{single chart|Billboardcanadacountry|7|artist=Taylor Swift|rowheader=true|access-date=August 12, 2022|refname="CanadaCountry"}} |
| {{single chart|Spain|32|artist=Taylor Swift|song=Fearless|rowheader=true|refname="spain"|access-date=August 12, 2022}} |
| scope="row"|UK Singles (OCC){{cite web |url=http://www.zobbel.de/cluk/CLUK_S.HTM |title=Chart Log UK: DJ S – The System Of Life |publisher=Zobbel.de |access-date=June 17, 2012 |archive-date=March 4, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304032837/http://zobbel.de/cluk/CLUK_S.HTM |url-status=live }}
|111 |
|---|
| {{single chart|Billboardhot100|9|artist=Taylor Swift|rowheader=true|access-date=August 12, 2022|refname="Hot100"}} |
| {{single chart|Billboardcountrysongs|10|artist=Taylor Swift|rowheader=true|access-date=August 12, 2022|refname="CountrySongs"}} |
| scope="row"| US Pop 100 (Billboard){{cite web|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101228202646/http://allmusic.com/artist/taylor-swift-p816977/charts-awards/billboard-singles|url=http://allmusic.com/artist/taylor-swift-p816977/charts-awards/billboard-singles|title=Taylor Swift – Billboard Singles|website=AllMusic|archive-date=December 28, 2010|access-date=December 28, 2010|url-status=dead}}
| style="text-align:center;"| 18 |
| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"
|+ 2024 weekly chart performance for "Fearless" ! scope="col"| Chart (2024) ! scope="col"| Peak |
| scope="row"| Singapore (RIAS){{cite web|title=RIAS Top Charts Week 10 (1 – 7 Mar 2024)|url=https://www.rias.org.sg/rias-top-charts/|publisher=RIAS|access-date=March 12, 2024|archive-date=March 12, 2024|archive-url=https://archive.today/20240312065047/https://www.rias.org.sg/rias-top-charts/}}
| 10 |
|---|
{{col-2}}
=Year-end charts=
| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;"
|+ Year-end chart performance for "Fearless" !Chart (2010) !Position |
| scope="row"|US Hot Country Songs{{cite magazine|url=http://www.billboard.biz/bbbiz/charts/yearendcharts/2010/hot-country-songs |title=Year End Charts – Hot Country Songs – Issue Date: 2010 |magazine=Billboard |access-date=August 15, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110702021039/http://www.billboard.biz/bbbiz/charts/yearendcharts/2010/hot-country-songs |archive-date=July 2, 2011 |url-status=dead}}
|55 |
|---|
{{col-end}}
Certifications
{{Certification Table Top|caption=Certification for "Fearless"}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=Australia|award=Platinum|type=single|relyear=2008|certyear=2024|access-date=February 14, 2024|refname=ARIA}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=United States|title=Fearless|artist=Taylor Swift|type=single|award=Platinum|certyear=2012|access-date=July 6, 2018|digital=true|refname="RIAA"}}
{{Certification Table Bottom|noshipments=true}}
"Fearless (Taylor's Version)"
{{Infobox song
| name = Fearless (Taylor's Version)
| artist = Taylor Swift
| album = Fearless (Taylor's Version)
| released = {{start date|2021|4|9}}
| studio = *Blackbird (Nashville, Tennessee)
- Prime Recording (Nashville, Tennessee)
| genre = *Country pop
| length = {{duration|m=4|s=1}}
| label = Republic
| writer = * Taylor Swift
| producer = * Taylor Swift
| misc = {{External music video|{{YouTube|7lLigiVgJsE|"Fearless (Taylor's Version)"}}|type=song|header=Lyric video}}
}}
After signing a new contract with Republic Records, Swift began re-recording her first six studio albums, including Fearless, in November 2020. The decision came after a 2019 public dispute between Swift and the talent manager Scooter Braun, who acquired Big Machine Records, including the masters of Swift's albums the label had released.{{Cite news |date=August 22, 2019 |title=Taylor Swift Wants to Re-Record Her Old Hits |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-49432817 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190822202321/https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-49432817 |archive-date=August 22, 2019 |access-date=August 22, 2019 |work= |publisher=BBC News}}{{cite news |last=Finnis |first=Alex |date=November 17, 2020 |title=Taylor Swift Masters: The Controversy around Scooter Braun Selling the Rights to Her Old Music Explained |url=https://inews.co.uk/culture/music/taylor-swift-masters-scooter-braun-selling-rights-music-rerecording-row-explained-762411 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210212170953/https://inews.co.uk/culture/music/taylor-swift-masters-scooter-braun-selling-rights-music-rerecording-row-explained-762411 |archive-date=February 12, 2021 |access-date=February 13, 2021 |newspaper=i}} By re-recording her catalog, Swift had full ownership of the new masters, including the copyright licensing of her songs. In doing so, she would benefit from the financial gains over the Big Machine–owned masters.{{Cite news |last=Shah |first=Neil |date=April 9, 2021 |title=Taylor Swift Releases New Fearless Album, Reclaiming Her Back Catalog |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/taylor-swift-releases-new-fearless-album-reclaiming-her-back-catalog-11617945524 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211008111731/https://www.wsj.com/articles/taylor-swift-releases-new-fearless-album-reclaiming-her-back-catalog-11617945524 |archive-date=October 8, 2021 |access-date=September 25, 2022 |newspaper=The Wall Street Journal}}
Swift released the re-recorded version of Fearless, titled Fearless (Taylor's Version), on April 9, 2021, via Republic;{{cite web |date=April 12, 2021 |title=Still Fearless: Re-Recording The Past On Taylor's Version |url=https://www.npr.org/2021/04/12/985842675/still-fearless-re-recording-the-past-on-taylors-version |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230418045503/https://www.npr.org/2021/04/12/985842675/still-fearless-re-recording-the-past-on-taylors-version |archive-date=April 18, 2023 |access-date=January 16, 2022 |publisher=NPR}} all re-recorded tracks contain the additional "Taylor's Version" moniker.{{cite news |last1=Caramanica |first1=Jon |author-link=Jon Caramanica |last2=Coscarelli |first2=Joe |last3=Pareles |first3=Jon |author-link3=Jon Pareles |last4=Sisario |first4=Ben |author-link4=Ben Sisario |last5=Zoladz |first5=Lindsey |date=April 9, 2021 |title=Taylor Swift Remade Fearless as Taylor's Version. Let's Discuss. |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2021/04/09/arts/music/taylor-swift-fearless-taylors-version.html |url-access=limited |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210409224903/https://www.nytimes.com/2021/04/09/arts/music/taylor-swift-fearless-taylors-version.html |archive-date=April 9, 2021 |access-date=April 9, 2021 |newspaper=The New York Times}} A day prior to the album's release, a snippet of "Fearless (Taylor's Version)", the re-recording of the title track, premiered on Good Morning America.{{Cite magazine |last=Ginsberg |first=Gab |date=April 8, 2021 |title=Taylor Swift Recruits Olivia Rodrigo & Conan Gray to Help Tease Re-Recorded Fearless Songs: Hear Multiple New Snippets |url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/pop/9553262/taylor-swift-olivia-rodrigo-conan-gray-share-clips-fearless/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210418044222/https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/pop/9553262/taylor-swift-olivia-rodrigo-conan-gray-share-clips-fearless/ |archive-date=April 18, 2021 |access-date=April 18, 2021 |magazine=Billboard}} Swift and Christopher Rowe produced "Fearless (Taylor's Version)", which was recorded by David Payne at Blackbird and Prime Recording Studios in Nashville. Rowe recorded Swift's vocals at her home studio in London, and Serban Ghenea mixed the track at MixStar Studios in Virginia Beach, Virginia.{{Cite AV media notes |title=Fearless (Taylor's Version) |others= |publisher=Republic Records |year=2021 |type=CD liner notes |id=B0033578-02 |last=Swift |first=Taylor |author-link=Taylor Swift}}
= Reception =
"Fearless (Taylor's Version)" has the same arrangement as its original counterpart, leading The New York Times{{'}} Joe Coscarelli to comment that the re-recorded version "[sounds] more remastered than rerecorded". There are subtle alterations in the details; The New York Times{{'}} Jon Pareles wrote that the re-recording omits the organ note 10 seconds into the song, and the commercial music professor Michael A. Lee identified the electric guitar as louder, particularly during the fade-out at the 3:53 mark.{{cite magazine |last=Huff |first=Lauren |date=April 13, 2021 |title=Taylor Swift's New Fearless Album Sounds Different—We Got An Expert to Tell Us Why |url=https://ew.com/music/taylor-swift-new-fearless-album-differences/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211207051047/https://ew.com/music/taylor-swift-new-fearless-album-differences/ |archive-date=December 7, 2021 |access-date=December 6, 2021 |magazine=Entertainment Weekly}} According to Pareles, the alternations are so slight that fans who were used to the original album would not tell the difference. Hannah Mylrea of NME deemed the instrumentation more refined while making the song retain its "starry-eyed lyricism" and "stellar instrumental arrangements", and Sheffield and Clash{{'}}s Lucy Harbron highlighted Swift's matured vocals.{{Cite web |last=Harbron |first=Lucy |date=April 9, 2021 |title=Taylor Swift: Fearless (Taylor's Version) |url=https://www.clashmusic.com/reviews/taylor-swift-fearless-taylors-version |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210409075926/https://www.clashmusic.com/reviews/taylor-swift-fearless-taylors-version |archive-date=April 9, 2021 |access-date=July 10, 2021 |website=Clash |language=en}}
"Fearless (Taylor's Version)" peaked at number 53 on the Billboard Global 200. It charted in Canada (46) and Singapore (26). In the United States, the track peaked at number 71 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number 14 on Hot Country Songs. In Australia, "Fearless (Taylor's Version)" peaked at number 54 on the ARIA Singles Chart and was certified platinum. It was certified silver in the United Kingdom, where it peaked at number 99 on the UK Streaming Chart.
= Personnel =
Adapted from the liner notes of Fearless (Taylor's Version){{div col}}
- Taylor Swift – vocals, songwriting, production
- Hillary Lindsey – songwriting
- Liz Rose – songwriting
- Christopher Rowe – production, vocal engineering
- Mike Meadows – acoustic guitar, twelve-string guitar, background vocals, Hammond B3, mandolin
- Derek Garten – engineering
- John Hanes – engineering
- Lowell Reynolds – engineering, recording
- David Payne – recording
- Caitlin Evanson – background vocals
- Paul Sidoti – background vocals, electric guitar
- Amos Heller – bass
- Matt Billingslea – drums
- Max Bernstein – electric guitar
- John Yudkin – fiddle
- Randy Merrill – mastering
- Serban Ghenea – mixing
{{div col end}}
= Chart performance =
=Certifications=
{{Certification Table Top|caption=Certifications for "Fearless (Taylor's Version)"}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=Australia|title=|award=Platinum|artist=|type=single|relyear=2020|certyear=2024|access-date=June 14, 2024|certref=}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=New Zealand|artist=Taylor Swift|title=Fearless (Taylor's Version)|type=single|award=Gold|access-date=December 19, 2024|source=radioscope|relyear=2021|certyear=2024}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=United Kingdom|award=Silver|artist=Taylor Swift|title=Fearless (Taylor's Version)|type=single|relyear=2021|certyear=2024|access-date=June 25, 2024|id=17620-1598-1|refname="BPI"}}
{{Certification Table Bottom|streaming=true|nosales=true|noshipments=true}}
References
{{Reflist}}
= Cited literature =
- {{cite book |last=Perone |first=James E. |title=The Words and Music of Taylor Swift |publisher=ABC-Clio |year=2017 |isbn=978-1-44-085294-7 |series=The Praeger Singer-Songwriter Collection |pages=5–25 |chapter=Becoming Fearless}}
- {{cite book |first=Liv |last=Spencer |title=Taylor Swift: Every Day Is a Fairytale – The Unofficial Story |publisher=ECW Press |year=2010 |isbn=978-1-55022-931-8}}
- {{Cite book |last=Zaleski |first=Annie |author-link=Annie Zaleski |title=Taylor Swift: The Stories Behind the Songs |publisher=Thunder Bay Press |year=2024 |isbn=978-1-6672-0845-9 |pages=27–52 |chapter=The Fearless Era}}
{{Taylor Swift songs}}
Category:American pop rock songs
Category:Songs written by Taylor Swift
Category:Songs written by Hillary Lindsey
Category:Songs written by Liz Rose
Category:Song recordings produced by Nathan Chapman (record producer)
Category:Song recordings produced by Taylor Swift