Our Emotional Journey Listening to Taylor Swift's New Fearless Album, Including Our Favorite Songs

Beth Garrabrant
Beth Garrabrant

Taylor Swift is taking fans right back to 2008 with the release of her rerecorded Fearless album. While the 26-song album includes a handful of previously unreleased vault songs, it's the rerecorded versions of hits like "Love Story" and "Fifteen" that are really making Swifties emotional. As Swift noted in the album's intro letter, Fearless was truly the album that changed her entire career. It put her on the map as an artist, it showed her growth from a teenager to a young woman, and it was when she formed an unbreakable bond with her fans.

Swift's music has always been an incredibly personal experience for fans. For me, each album always takes me back to a certain time of my life when I was dealing with my own heartbreak or crushes, and her rerecorded Fearless album is no different. Not only was I flooded with nostalgia listening to these rerecordings, but I was also filled with a sense of pride knowing that Swift finally owns these songs. There's just something incredibly emotional about hearing Swift sing about her teenage experiences with her mature vocals. She's really come a long way these past few years, and I'm so grateful to have been on this journey with her since the very beginning.

As you take this "fearless" journey yourself, read ahead as a handful of POPSUGAR editors and Swifties list some of their favorite rerecorded songs from the album.

01
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"Fearless (Taylor's Version)"

"The instrumentation in the intro had me bopping along, but I was not prepared for Swift's updated vocals in that first note. Our girl is all grown up! BRB, running into the street and spinning around in my best dress, fearless." — Kelsie Gibson, editor, celebrity and entertainment

02
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"Fifteen (Taylor's Version)"

"Something about Swift singing, 'Wish you could go back / And tell yourself what you know now' is just making me superemotional. She's grown up so much in these past few years. This version is literally like Swift singing to her 15-year-old self." — Kelsie Gibson, editor, celebrity and entertainment

"'Wish you could go back / And tell yourself what you know now.' I'm not crying, you are! Her voice sounds so much wiser in this recording, and everything hits a little harder with the perspective we've both gained in the past 13 years." — Charisandra Perez, social media and partnerships coordinator

03
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"Love Story (Taylor’s Version)"

"Whenever I hear 'Love Story,' I'm taken back to when I was 15 and heard Taylor Swift for the first time. Despite growing up in a rural area, I tried my best not to love country, but Swift kind of changed all that. For 'Love Story,' I always remember hearing it on the radio as I was getting ready for homecoming. I didn't have a date, but for the duration of the song, it didn't matter. I felt as if my Prince Charming was on his way, and I was about to have the time of my life." — Grayson Gilcrease, assistant celebrity and entertainment editor

04
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"You Belong With Me (Taylor's Version)"

"Two words: her vocals. After Folklore and Evermore, I missed the Swift belt! Her voice is much stronger, and able to tell the story with such emotion now. The production quality captured every little inflection we may have missed the first time around — the way she emphasizes 'What you doing with a girl like that?' is so good — and there's a 10/10 chance I'll be blasting this in my room all weekend." — Charisandra Perez, social media and partnerships coordinator

05
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"Breathe (Taylor's Version)"

"Listening to the updated, mature vocals on the rerecorded version of 'Breathe' — along with basically every other track on Fearless (Taylor's Version) — feels like returning home 13 years later. Am I shocked that my 31-year-old self is as emotionally distressed by 'Breathe' as I was in 2008? No. Because Swift's lyrics have the magical ability to make you feel like every song was written just for you at that exact moment in your life. And I'm looking forward to once again sobbing along to 'Breathe' in the year 2035." — Kristin Harris, head of talent relations and celebrity editor

06
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"You're Not Sorry (Taylor's Version)"

"Within the first few notes of 'You're Not Sorry,' I already have chills. Whew, those strings are much more apparent in this version, and I love it so much. As Swift puts extra emphasis on 'You're not sorry' in the chorus, the song seems to take on a whole new meaning given her broken relationship with Big Machine Records founder Scott Borchetta after he sold her masters to Scooter Braun." — Kelsie Gibson, editor, celebrity and entertainment

07
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"Forever & Always (Taylor's Version)"

"If there's one track on Fearless that can make me immediately break out into a dramatic scream-sob, it's 'Forever & Always.' It's the one I'd blast in the car — windows down, hair blowing in the wind— back in 2008. And 13 years later, it has me dancing around my apartment, lamenting my latest heartbreak in the same exact way it did when I was 19. I'd also like to submit the updated, dramatic 'RAAINS when you're gone' at 2:49 for 2022 Grammy's consideration." — Kristin Harris, head of talent relations and celebrity editor

"'Forever & Always' is a song I like to scream-sing in the rain. Does that happen often? No. Do I think of a young Joe Jonas breaking Swift's heart? Yes. Do I get mad at him all over again for those three minutes and 45 seconds? Yes. Will I be taking any more questions on this? Absolutely not." — Grayson Gilcrease, assistant celebrity and entertainment editor

08
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"The Best Day (Taylor's Version)"

"So, I basically sobbed through this entire song. 'The Best Day' has always held special meaning for me and my mom, so I always get emotional listening to it. However, watching Swift's lyric video with all of her home videos really struck a chord with me." — Kelsie Gibson, editor, celebrity and entertainment

09
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"Change (Taylor's Version)"

"This song hits different, doesn't it? Listening during the midnight release, it was the night things changed. Every lyric dripped with a power of redemption we never knew it held in 2008. It's an anthem for the ages." — Charisandra Perez, social media and partnerships coordinator

10
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"Come in With the Rain (Taylor's Version)"

"After being obsessed with the demo version of this song, I remember being so excited when Swift included 'Come in With the Rain' on her deluxe Fearless album. However, this new version takes things to the next level. Swift's mature vocals really make this ballad that much stronger and emotional." — Kelsie Gibson, editor, celebrity and entertainment