Rating: 9/10
Fearless was Taylor Swift’s crossover from pure-country to pop-country, and one could say that the transition was well-received. Fearless ended up winning the Best Album Grammy, and was the best-selling album of 2009.
The album boasts some of the most iconic songs in Taylor Swift’s catalog, so without further ado, let’s get into my subjective ranking of the Fearless tracks (minus the platinum edition tracks because I can’t be bothered).
13. Tell Me Why (Track 8)
Fearless is honestly such a good album that even the song that I’m ranking as the worst is an absolute bop. This song features a rather salty Taylor, who, even in her anger, has managed to give us some great vocals. However, this song is a little too country for me, which is a weird complaint, considering that some of my favorite songs from her other albums are just as country as this one. Maybe it’s that the opening instrumental sounds like something from an Irish jig.
12. Breathe (Track 7)
This song is written about a friendship, not a romance, which adds a new layer to the lyrics. The harmonies between Colbie and Taylor are beautiful, the humming in between the verses is pleasant, and the lyrics are poignant, but it’s just a little too sad for me and it blends in with a lot of her other songs.
11. Change (Track 13)
This is a great closer for the album, and it’s quite inspirational. However, it doesn’t stand out much, and I don’t find myself listening to it often.
10. The Best Day (Track 12)
Oh, how I wish I could rank this higher, as it is so incredibly sweet. Taylor Swift’s ode to her mother is truly moving, and it really shows just how strong the bonds of family can be. It makes you reminiscent and nostalgic for the somewhat quiet moments that defined your childhood, and I genuinely appreciate that she put this song on her album. I really do want to rank this higher, but I must keep going before I reorder this whole list.
9. You’re Not Sorry (Track 9)
This song is so honest and emotional, but very empowering. Here we find Taylor deciding to stop giving someone chances after they’ve hurt her time and time again. This song is pretty heartbreaking, and I’m sure it’s very relatable for people who have endured frustrating relationships filled with apologies and undeserved forgiveness. However, it doesn’t have much replay-value for me.
8. Love Story (Track 3)
Here’s where we transition into the stand-out tracks of the album. I’m really sorry. I know I have a lot of nerve to place what is quite possibly the most iconic Taylor Swift song ever created at the half way mark of this list. I don’t even know why I have it ranked so low (although, it’s not that low) but it’s probably because I’ve heard it so many times that I’m almost numb to it’s utter magnificence. Moving past all that, this song is a great retelling of Romeo and Juliet, but with a happy ending! Yay! Add in a country-pop background instrumental, and you’ve got yourself a seriously good song.
7. White Horse (Track 5)
Ah, White Horse. I’d say that, at the time of it’s release, this was the most heartbroken we had ever heard Taylor. This song is a great representation of what Taylor Swift’s Track 5 has come to be: a hugely impactful punch to the emotional-gut. I love the metaphors (they’re not metaphors but I can’t think of what to call them) that she makes throughout the song. For example, “I’m not a princess, this ain’t a fairy tale. I’m not the one you’ll sweep off her feet, lead her up the stairwell. This ain’t Hollywood, this is a small town” is quite a sad sentiment (although the song gets slightly uplifting at the end).
6. Hey Stephen (Track 4)
This song is so cute, and it’s pretty relatable for me amidst my current situation of serious crushing. Lyrics such as “I can’t help it if you look like an angel” and “Can’t help it if there’s no one else, I can’t help myself” really highlight the infatuation that can come with crushing on someone. The humming after the chorus also adds a facet of girlishness and youthfulness to the song that is very nice to listen to. Overall, I really love this song.
5. Fearless (Track 1)
The opener for the album tells you right away that Taylor’s second album is going to be much more mature than her first. Fearless is definitely a great choice as the titular song, as it encompasses the magical jittery feelings of the honeymoon phase. The whole song sounds like something out of a fairy tale, and her vocals are really great. Every time I listen to this song it gets me pumped.
4. Fifteen (Track 2)
This is such a wise song, I love it so much (especially considering that Taylor was still a teenager when she wrote this). It’s very country, but I don’t mind it at all in this case. This song, similarly to A Place In This World from her debut album, is a total anthem for young girls. It really captures the magical moments that everyone remembers from their teenage years with lyrics like “And then you’re on your very first date and he’s got a car and you’re feeling like flying. And your Mama’s waiting up, and you’re thinking he’s the one, and you’re dancing ’round your room when the night ends.”
3. Forever and Always (Track 11)
What an absolute bop of a breakup song, am I right? The passion and frustration that Taylor feels in this track is palpable, and it’s one of those songs that makes me mad at the nonexistent person who has done me oh-so-wrong. I still don’t really understand the whole “It rains in your bedroom” thing, but in a way I kind of do. It doesn’t make sense, but at the same time, it just does.
2. The Way I Loved You (Track 10)
This song really surprised me, because I was expecting it to be some sad ballad about how much she loved someone and how much they hurt her. That’s not what it is at all. I love the way the verses sound, and I love the way the chorus sounds. And I love how distinctly different they are. In any other song I would probably find it off-putting for the verses and the chorus to sound like two separate tracks, but in this I really do love it. Also, whenever I hear this song I think of The Notebook, so that’s cool. This song really takes you on a rollercoaster of emotions and makes you feel like you’re experiencing what she’s singing about, and it sounds so amazing. This is honestly such a fantastic song.
1. You Belong With Me (Track 6)
Words cannot describe how deep the love I have for this song goes. If I could marry a song, it would be this one. I really don’t know where to begin. This song is so utterly relatable it astounds me. Like I said in the debut album ranking, Taylor just really knows how to take things are commonly experienced, and put them into words in a way that everyone, within their separate and unique situations, can relate to. From “You’ve got a smile that could light up this whole town” to “I’m in my room, it’s a typical Tuesday night, I’m listening to the kind of music she doesn’t like, and she’ll never know your story like I do” I really can’t understand how anyone could possibly dislike this song.
Anna's Music World 