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Fearless

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You are currently reading the article dedicated to the album Fearless. You may have been looking for the re-recorded version, the song or the tour.

Fearless is the second studio album by American recording artist, Taylor Swift. The album was released on November 11, 2008, through Big Machine Records. As with her first album, Taylor Swift, Swift wrote or co-wrote all thirteen tracks of Fearless. Most of the songs were written as the singer promoted her first album as the opening act for numerous country artists. Due to the unavailability of collaborators on the road, eight songs were written by Swift. Other songs were co-written with Liz Rose, Hillary Lindsey, Colbie Caillat and John Rich. Swift also made her debut as a record producer, co-producing all songs on the album with Nathan Chapman.

Five singles were released from Fearless. The first single, "Love Story", sold more than 8.1 million copies worldwide (according to the IFPI).[1] It was a crossover hit that became one of the best-selling singles of all time internationally and was once the best-selling country song of all time. The succeeding single, "White Horse", also performed well in the US. "You Belong With Me" was an international success, becoming Swift's second best-selling single and her highest position on the US Billboard Hot 100 at the time. "Fifteen" and "Fearless" followed with both achieving a platinum certification from the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).

Fearless was an international breakthrough and huge commercial success for Swift. It debuted at No. 1 in the United States, and later became the best-selling album of 2009, selling over 3.2 million copies. It gave Swift, 18 at the time, the distinction of being the youngest artist in history to have the year's best-selling album. It has sold over 7 million copies in the United States.[2] Fearless topped the charts in Canada and New Zealand and achieved multi-platinum status in six countries. In all, Fearless has sold more than 9,7 million copies worldwide as of December 2017.[3] Fearless is also the most awarded album in the history of country music, winning Album of the Year at the 52nd Annual Grammy Awards, the American Music Awards of 2009, the Country Music Association Awards and the Academy of Country Music Awards. Winning Album of the Year at age 20, Swift became the youngest artist in the history of the Grammy Awards to win the award. She would later win her second Album of the Year six years later.[4] On December 11, 2017, Fearless became the 121st album to achieve a diamond certification in the United States, signifying 10,000,000 album-equivalent units.[5] To promote the album, Swift embarked on her first concert tour, Fearless Tour between April 2009 and June 2010.

Background[]

Prior to stardom, Swift received a publishing contract with Sony/ATV Music. Over the course of that period, Swift composed over 250 songs, either alone or collaborating with other songwriters including Robert Ellis Orrall and Liz Rose,[6] and refused to give them away to already established acts with intentions of someday singing them herself. When Swift signed to Big Machine Records, she compiled her Taylor Swift album of material written during her publishing contract, and expected to do the same for her second album. She said, "I've been very selfish about my songs. I had this dream of this project [Taylor Swift] coming out for so many years now that I just stockpiled. I'm so happy that I did because now we have a second album full of songs and a third album full of songs, and I don't have to lift a finger."[7] However, when embarking on her first and second tour as opening act for Rascal Flatts and George Strait, respectively, Swift continued to compose numerous songs. "I've written a lot of songs by myself lately, especially since I've been alone so much on the road," she said. "I do love writing on the road – I usually write at the concert venue. I'll find a quiet place in some room at the venue, like the locker room."[8]

As a result of writing subsequent to touring, Swift self-penned most of the material. "I've written like eight songs for the second album by myself. If you're in Arkansas, who's there to write with?"[9] During vacation days from touring, Swift collaborated with Rose,[9] musician John Rich, and singer-songwriter Colbie Caillat.[10]

In the writing process, she was heavily influenced by Sheryl Crow's candidness and truthful, yet vulnerable storytelling, and Brad Paisley's touching, yet humorous nature; she opened for Paisley.[6] She sought to prolong with centering romantic love the theme of the album. Primarily, she did not want to alienate her fans with songs about life on the road, for she could never relate to songs of the sort when younger. She continued, "I really try to write more about what I feel and guys and love because that's what fascinates me more than anything else – love and what it does to us and how we treat people and how they treat us. So pretty much every song on the album has a face that I associate with it."[11] Despite her revelation of not having kissed a male in two years, Swift said the album was not wrung dry of such inspiration because she still underwent breakups and felt its core emotions. Adding it did not "take much [for her] to get that sort of emotion out in a song",[12] she explained physical intimacy did not have to resort to kissing to feel disappointment, frustration, or heartbreak.[9] Although she had written numerous new songs, Swift decided to also include previously written tracks, believing there were stories she did not have the opportunity to put out with Taylor Swift, and still desired to.[9]

Having grouped over 75 songs,[6] recording with Nathan Chapman, who produced all but one song on Taylor Swift, commenced soon after having completed touring with Strait;[13] in the process, Swift made her record producing debut. Thereon, she and Chapman recorded and cut an abundance of songs to keep the best material on the album.[9] Thirteen tracks were planned due to Swift's fondness for the number; she considers it to be her lucky number.[6] To aid her in choosing the songs, Swift performed various new tracks – "Permanent Marker", "Missing You", "I'd Lie", "Sparks Fly", and "Fearless" – at the Gold Country Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada on May 29 and 30, 2007; only the latter song was chosen for the album.[14] By January 2008, Swift had recorded approximately half of the songs that would remain on the final cut of Fearless.[15] The remainder of the songs resulted from the last two recording sessions: one held in March 2008, the other held sometime in the summer of 2008.[9] When asked to describe the album, Swift commented, "It's the same kind of album I made (in 2006) – just two years older. Sound-wise, it's the kind of songs I like to write, which are country songs, but I guess because of the subject matter and because of some of the melodies I love to use, I guess they have crossover appeal."[11]

Title significance[]

After completing the album's first track, Swift reconsidered her personal definition of the word "fearless".[16] To her, "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."[16] She then started contemplating the word to title the album, and to assure she was making the correct decision, applied to every song on the album. Finding a fearless element to the themes and messages behind the songs, Swift decided to title the album Fearless. On the liner notes, she further explained the album title,

“ To me, Fearless is not the absence of fear. It's not being completely unafraid. To me, Fearless is having fears, Fearless is having doubts. Lots of them. ”

Release and promotion[]

As with her debut album, Taylor Swift, Swift was very involved with the album packaging. The album's images were photographed by Joseph Anthony Barker, Ash Newell and Sheryl Nields while the cover and graphic designs were executed by Leen Ann Ramey for Ramey Design. Fearless was released on November 11, 2008, in the United States and Canada,[17][18] and on November 15, 2008, in Australia. The album was then re-released on February 27, 2009, in Australia as a limited edition with bonus tracks originally from Taylor Swift and a new artwork. An international edition was released March 2, 2009, in Spain, and numerous countries followed in the consequent weeks.

Swift had already started composing songs for her next album, what would become Speak Now (2010), but had also written songs she believed did not correspond with her scope of the record. She included them in a re-release for Fearless.[19][20] Some tracks were written much prior recording, while others were done subsequently. "Jump Then Fall" was self-penned by Swift using a banjo and a "feel-good vibe", which, along with its bouncy character, caused for it to be Swift's favorite song on the re-release.[21] Swift also reworked the tempo and replaced the guitar-driven instrumentation to piano of "Forever & Always" for the new version of Fearless.[20] The re-release also included Swift's only cover on a studio album, a rendition of American rock band Luna Halo's "Untouchable" (2007).[22] Swift recalled that Borchetta had given her Luna Halo's eponymous second studio album to listen to, and ultimately chose to cover "Untouchable". Swift altered the song both musically and lyrically, and reworking the arrangement and switching the verses while maintaining the refrains similar.[22]

Titled Fearless Platinum Edition, the re-release was announced on September 10, 2009, with a release date of October 27, 2009.[20] It was then pushed forward one day, to October 26, 2009.[23] Fearless Platinum Edition bore a new collector's cover that altered the background color to black and included a CD and a DVD.[20] The CD had an additional six songs – "Jump Then Fall", "Untouchable", "Forever & Always" (Piano Version), "Come In With The Rain", "SuperStar", and "The Other Side Of The Door" – placed prior to the original tracks from the album.[20] The DVD comprised music videos ("Change", "The Best Day", "Love Story", "White Horse", and "You Belong With Me"), behind-the-scenes videos (for the latter three), over fifty images (photographed by Austin K. Swift, the singer's younger brother) and backstage footage from the first concert of the Fearless Tour, and "Thug Story" (a video with rapper T-Pain filmed exclusively for the 2009 CMT Music Awards).[20]

To promote the album, Swift released four promotional singles, advertised as "Countdown to Fearless". The first promotional single released was "Change" on August 8, 2008. The song was also included as part of the AT&T Team USA Soundtrack (2008).[24] "Fearless" was released as the second promotional single on October 14, 2008.[25] The third promotional single, "You're Not Sorry", was released October 28, 2008. The fourth and final song used to promote the album, "You Belong With Me", was released on November 4, 2008.

On June 8, 2008, Swift performed on Clear Channel's Stripped to promote Fearless. Two of the performances would later be released on the Target exclusive version of Fearless Platinum Edition.

Singles[]

Promotional singles[]

"Love Story" was released as the album's lead single on September 12, 2008, via digital distribution. The song was highly acclaimed by music critics who complimented Swift's writing style and the song's plot.[26] The track was also a commercial success internationally. It is Swift's best-selling single to date, pushing over 6.5 million copies worldwide since January 2010, therefore establishing itself among of the best-selling singles of all time.[27] In the United States, "Love Story" has sold over 5 million digital downloads as of May 2011 and became one of the best-selling singles in the United States.[28] It is the best-selling country single of all time, and was later surpassed by Lady Antebellum's "Need You Now" (2009) in April 2011.[29] Furthermore, "Love Story" peaked at number four on the Billboard Hot 100 and marked the highest peak by a country song on Mainstream Top 40 (Pop Songs) since Shania Twain's "You're Still the One" (1998).

"White Horse" became Fearless' second single on December 9, 2008. It garnered generally positive reception with critics commenting that Swift was able to make its message palpable and selecting it among the best tracks on Fearless.[30] It peaked at number thirteen in the Billboard Hot 100 and number two on Hot Country Songs. It sold over 1.6 million copies in the United States as of February 2011[31] and managed to chart in Australia,[32] Canada, and the United Kingdom.[33]

"You Belong With Me" was released as the third single from Fearless on April 26, 2009. Critical reception for the song was mixed, ranging from "every single Taylor Swift hit sounds the same"[34] to naming it one of her best songs.[30] However, "You Belong With Me" enjoyed commercial success internationally. In the United States, the song was tied for Swift's best-charting effort with "Today Was a Fairytale" (2010), at number two, until "We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together" reached number one in 2012. Driven mostly by non-country radio airplay, the song established the largest crossover radio audience since Faith Hill's "Breathe" (2000).[35] Selling over 3.6 million copies as of February 2011, the track is the third-best-selling country single of all time.[36] Roman White directed the music video for "You Belong With Me", which plot centers on the protagonist secretively loving the male lead, although he has a girlfriend; both the protagonist and antagonist were portrayed by Swift.[37] It won the MTV Video Music Award for Best Female Video in 2009, but during Swift's acceptance speech, rapper Kanye West interrupted, protesting in support of nominee Beyoncé Knowles. The incident caused tumult in the media, with many coming to Swift's defense.[38]

"Fifteen" was released as the fourth single from the album on September 1, 2009. It was praised by numerous critics for its vulnerability and accurate portrayal of a real teenager.[39] Commercially, "Fifteen" was mildly successful, peaking at number twenty-one on the Billboard Hot 100 and number nineteen on the Canadian Hot 100. In the United States, the song sold over 1.1 million digital downloads as of February 2011.[28] The music video for the single was directed by White and is heavily accentuated with special effects. It features Swift walking through a garden, where she relives many memories with her friend.

"Fearless", the album's title track, became the fifth and final single released from Fearless on January 4, 2010. The song generally pleased contemporary critics, many who complimented it for appealing to different age groups.[40] The song peaked at number nine on the Billboard Hot 100 after its release as a promotional single. During that time, it was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for the sales of over 500,000 digital downloads.[41] It therefore became the first single released after being certified gold by the RIAA. Once released as a single, "Fearless" was only able to reach the position of number seventy-six.[42] It also peaked at number thirty-two in Spain.[43] The title track has an associated music video consisting of footage of the tour itself and backstage; it was directed by Todd Cassetty.[44]

Tour[]

Main article: Fearless Tour

On April 23, 2009, Swift began her first headlining tour called the Fearless Tour in North America. It ran until July 10, 2010 and had four legs and 105 shows in four countries. Sales for the tour began in February 2009 and tickets for several tour dates and venues were sold out in a record of less than one minute.[45][46][47]

Commercial performance[]

A commercial success in the United States, Fearless set many chart records and catapulted Swift to mainstream prominence.[48] On the Billboard 200, it debuted at number one with first-week sales of 592,000 copies,[49] and spent 11 non-consecutive weeks at number one, the longest run of the 2000s decade.[50][51] It holds the records for the most weeks at number one for a female country album[52] and the album with the most top-40 entries on the Billboard Hot 100 (13 including tracks from the Platinum Edition).[53] [note 1] Five tracks peaked within the top 10: "Fearless", "Love Story", "You Belong With Me", "Change", and "Jump Then Fall"; Fearless was the first album since Bruce Springsteen's Born in the U.S.A. (1984) to have five top-10 songs with none reaching number one.[54] On the Top Country Albums chart, Fearless spent 35 weeks at number one.[55] It became the female album with the second-longest weeks at number one on Top Country Albums, behind Shania Twain's Come On Over (1997, 50 weeks).[56]

With 3.217 million copies sold in the United States, throughout 2009, Fearless was the year's best-selling album in the country. The achievement made Swift, then 20 years old, the youngest artist and the only female country musician to have a best-selling album of a calendar year.[57] It was the only album from the 2000s decade to spend its first full year in the top 10 of the Billboard 200 and spent a total of 58 weeks in the top 10—a record for a country musician.[58][59] In December 2017, the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) certified Fearless Diamond in recognition of 10 million album-equivalent units based on sales and streams. All singles were certified platinum or multi-platinum; the tracks "You're Not Sorry" and "Forever & Always" were certified platinum; and "Hey Stephen", "Breathe", "The Way I Loved You", "The Best Day", "Change", and "Jump Then Fall" were certified gold. By January 2024, Fearless had sold 7.285 million copies in the United States.

Fearless' commercial success extended beyond the United States and marked Swift's international breakthrough. In the wider English-speaking world, Fearless peaked atop the charts of Canada and New Zealand and within the top five of Australia (number two), Scotland (number four), and the United Kingdom (number five). It received multi-platinum certifications in Ireland and the United Kingdom (double platinum), New Zealand (triple platinum), Canada (four-times platinum), and Australia (eight-times platinum). The album reached the top 10 on charts in Japan, and top 20 in Austria, Brazil, Germany, Greece, and Sweden. It was awarded sales certifications across European and Asian markets, including gold certifications in Japan, Germany, Austria, and Norway; a platinum certification in Denmark; a double-platinum certification in Singapore, and a nine-times-platinum certification in the Philippines.[60] As of April 2021, the album had sold 12 million copies worldwide.[61]

Critical reception[]

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
Source Rating
Metacritic 73/100[62]
Review scores
Source Rating
AllMusic 5/5 stars[63]
Blender 4/5 stars[64]
Entertainment Weekly B[65]
The Guardian 3/5 stars[66]
MSN Music A−[67]
The Observer 4/5 stars[68]
Q 2/5 stars
Rolling Stone 4/5 stars[69]
Slant Magazine 2.5/5 stars[70]
USA Today 3/4 stars[71]

Fearless received positive reviews from critics, earning a collective score of 73 out of 100 on Metacritic based on 14 reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[62] Stephen Thomas Erlewine of AllMusic believed Swift abandoned teen pretenses, styling herself after Shania Twain and Faith Hill prior to becoming divas. He added that Swift presented herself as a "big sister instead of a big star", pointing "Fifteen" as a prime example of it.[63] Despite noting the album's pop music elements outweighed its country music elements and calling it "one of the best mainstream pop albums of 2008", Erlewine said Fearless "never [felt] garish, a crass attempt at a crossover success".[63] Ken Tucker of Billboard wrote, "Those who thought Taylor Swift was a big deal after the release of her first record be prepared: She's about to get way bigger. Though they're written by a teenager, Swift's songs have broad appeal, and therein lies the genius and accessibility in her second effort."[72] James Reed of The Boston Globe believed Swift's charm was in her songwriting and that honesty is what separated her from other teenage starlets at the time who relied on "big-name producers, songwriters, and Disney shows for a music career."[73] Drawing similarities between her ability to "blur the line between commercial country and Top 40 radio", Reed compared the singer to a younger version of the Dixie Chicks.[73] Writing for MSN Music, Robert Christgau found Swift's message about "believing in love stories and prince charmings and happily ever after" distastefully sentimental, but was nonetheless very impressed with the catchiness and "diaristic realism" of Swift's songs. He believed the record "can pass for a concept album about the romantic life of an uncommonly-to-impossibly strong and gifted teenage girl, starting on the first day of high school and gradually shedding naiveté without approaching misery or neurosis".[67] Leah Greenblatt from Entertainment Weekly stated, "A button-cute blond teen with a pocket full of hits – sounds like the early aughts all over again, no? But aside from sharing, possibly, a box of Clairol, there is nothing remotely Britney- or Christina-esque about Swift."[65] Greenblatt presumed that at the time her fan base would remain young females due to her way of communicating with them, but would grow over time.[65]

Alexis Petridis of the British newspaper The Guardian had mixed opinions about the album; he thought it was certainly "bland and uninventive", yet executed incredibly well. Over the course of listening to it, he queried if more music of the sort was needed, and concluded that "the feeling that the world is going to answer your query in the affirmative swiftly overwhelms you."[66] Jody Rosen of Rolling Stone called Swift "a songwriting savant with an intuitive gift for verse-chorus-bridge architecture that [...] calls to mind Swedish pop gods Dr. Luke and Max Martin."[69] Rosen attributed Swift's particular charm to in how intertwined almost impersonal professionalism with intimate and real confessions.[69] Jonathan Keefe of Slant Magazine believed Fearless pointed out that Swift was capable of having a long musical career. However, Keefe was disappointed in the album, for it did not showcase significant refinements as she did on Taylor Swift; but, with an immature voice and young age, to him, Swift still had enough time to perfect her craft and make a great album.[70] Josh Love of The Village Voice wrote, "This remarkably self-aware adolescent's words don't falter, masterfully avoiding the typical diarist's pitfalls of trite banality and pseudo-profound bullshit."[74] Chris Richards of The Washington Post said, "In Swift's world, every song is a radio-ready charmer, confirming the 18-year-old's ability to pen a gaggle of consistently pleasing tunes."[75] He noted Swift's voice was only minimally twangy and her vocal delivery was sugary enough to receive heavy rotation on Radio Disney, yet poised enough to do the same on CMT. He also felt Swift was a talented songwriter, but her consistency sometimes fell into uniformity.[75]

Accolades[]

Year Organization Award Result Ref.
2009 Canadian Country Music Association Top Selling Album Won [76]
Country Music Association Awards Album of the Year Won [77]
Academy of Country Music Awards Won [78]
American Music Awards Favorite Country Album Won [79]
[80]
Favorite Pop/Rock Album Nominated
Teen Choice Awards Choice Female Album Won [81]
[82]
2010 Canadian Country Music Association Top Selling Album Won [76]
Juno Award International Album of the Year Nominated [83]
Grammy Awards Best Country Album Won [84]
Album of the Year Won [84]

At the 52nd Grammy Awards, Fearless won the Grammy Award for Album of the Year and Best Country Album.[85] Swift's Album of the Year win made her the youngest person ever at the age of 20 to receive that award, thereby surpassing Alanis Morissette's win for Jagged Little Pill at the age of 21. Six years later at the 58th Grammy Awards, Swift won Album Of The Year again for 1989, becoming the first woman to win the award twice for her own work. Fearless was also the first album in history to win the American Music Award, Academy of Country Music Award, Country Music Association Award, and Grammy Award for Album of The Year in the same year making it the most awarded album in the history of country music.[86]

Track listing[]

Standard edition
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."Fearless"Swift • Hillary Lindsey • Liz RoseSwift • Nathan Chapman4:01
2."Fifteen"SwiftSwift • Chapman4:54
3."Love Story"SwiftSwift • Chapman3:55
4."Hey Stephen"SwiftSwift • Chapman4:14
5."White Horse"Swift • RoseSwift • Chapman3:54
6."You Belong With Me"Swift • RoseSwift • Chapman3:51
7."Breathe" (featuring Colbie Caillat)Swift • CaillatSwift • Chapman4:23
8."Tell Me Why"Swift • RoseSwift • Chapman3:20
9."You're Not Sorry"SwiftSwift • Chapman4:21
10."The Way I Loved You"Swift • John RichSwift • Chapman4:04
11."Forever & Always"SwiftSwift • Chapman3:45
12."The Best Day"SwiftSwift • Chapman4:05
13."Change"SwiftSwift • Chapman4:40
Total length:53:26
International edition
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
14."Our Song"SwiftChapman3:21
15."Teardrops On My Guitar"Swift • RoseChapman3:15
16."Should've Said No"SwiftChapman4:08
Total length:63:59
Japanese Edition
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
17."Beautiful Eyes"SwiftRobert Ellis Orrall2:59
18."Picture To Burn" (Radio Edit)Rose, SwiftChapman2:53
19."I'm Only Me When I'm With You"Orrall, Angelo Petraglia, SwiftOrrall, Angelo Petraglia3:34
20."I Heart ?"SwiftOrrall3:17
Total length:76:42
Platinum edition
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."Jump Then Fall"SwiftSwift • Chapman3:56
2."Untouchable"Cary Barlowe • Nathan Barlowe • Tommy Lee James • SwiftSwift • Chapman5:11
3."Forever & Always" (Piano version)SwiftSwift • Chapman4:27
4."Come In With The Rain"Swift • RoseSwift • Chapman3:58
5."SuperStar"Swift • RoseSwift • Chapman4:21
6."The Other Side Of The Door"SwiftSwift • Chapman3:57
7."Fearless"Swift • Rose • LindseySwift • Chapman4:01
8."Fifteen"SwiftSwift • Chapman4:55
9."Love Story"SwiftSwift • Chapman3:56
10."Hey Stephen"SwiftSwift • Chapman4:16
11."White Horse"Swift • RoseSwift • Chapman3:55
12."You Belong With Me"Swift • RoseSwift • Chapman3:51
13."Breathe" (featuring Colbie Caillat)Swift • CaillatSwift • Chapman4:21
14."Tell Me Why"Swift • RoseSwift • Chapman3:22
15."You're Not Sorry"SwiftSwift • Chapman4:21
16."The Way I Loved You"Swift • RichSwift • Chapman4:04
17."Forever & Always"SwiftSwift • Chapman3:45
18."The Best Day"SwiftSwift • Chapman4:07
19."Change"SwiftSwift • Chapman4:40
Total length:1:19:19

Original track listing[]

Taylor's room 14
  1. "Permanent Marker"
  2. "Tell Me Why"
  3. "I'd Lie"
  4. "Fearless"
  5. "Dark Blue"
  6. "Sparks"
  7. "The One Thing" (later titled "Bye Bye Baby")

Outtakes[]

Spotify streams[]

Standard edition
No. Song Streams
1. Fearless 127,910,873
2. Fifteen 121,374,062
3. Love Story 958,903,111
4. Hey Stephen 51,012,434
5. White Horse 114,095,357
6. You Belong With Me 691,651,046
7. Breathe 70,313,687
8. Tell Me Why 32,467,009
9. You're Not Sorry 47,622,607
10. The Way I Loved You 73,114,382
11. Forever & Always 55,465,774
12. The Best Day 41,652,102
13. Change 27,984,287
Platinum edition
No. Song Streams
1. Jump Then Fall 26,314,638
2. Untouchable 23,689,145
3. Forever & Always (Piano Version) 27,939,481
4. Come In With The Rain 17,397,283
5. SuperStar 14,313,555
6. The Other Side Of The Door 15,585,823
* Total streams 2,538,806,656

No. Song Streams
1. Love Story 958,903,111
2. You Belong With Me 691,651,046
3. Fearless 127,910,873
4. Fifteen 121,374,062
5. White Horse 114,095,357
6. The Way I Loved You 73,114,382
7. Breathe 70,313,687
8. Forever & Always 55,465,774
9. Hey Stephen 51,012,434
10. You're Not Sorry 47,622,607
11. The Best Day 41,652,102
12. Tell Me Why 32,467,009
13. Forever & Always (Piano Version) 27,939,481
14. Change 27,984,287
15. Jump Then Fall 26,314,638
16. Untouchable 23,689,145
17. Come In With The Rain 17,397,283
18. The Other Side Of The Door 15,585,823
19. SuperStar 14,313,555

Last Update: January 12, 2025

Physical copies[]

Standard editions[]

Special editions[]

Prologue[]

The following prologue was included in the album booklet.

“ This album is called "Fearless", and I guess I'd like to clarify why we chose that as the title. To me, "Fearless" is not the absence of fear. It's not being completely unafraid. To me, fearless is having fears. Fearless is having doubts. Lots of them. To me, fearless is living in spite of those things that scare you to death. Fearless is falling madly in love again, even though you've been hurt before. Fearless is walking into your freshman year of high school at fifteen. Fearless is getting back up and fighting for what you want over and over again...even though every time you've tried before, you've lost. It's fearless to have faith that someday things will change. Fearless is having the courage to say goodbye to someone who only hurts you, even if you can't breathe without them. I think it's fearless to fall for your best friend, even though he's in love with someone else. And when someone apologizes to you enough times for things they'll never stop doing, I think it's fearless to stop believing them. It's fearless to say "you're NOT sorry", and walk away. I think loving someone despite what people think is fearless. I think allowing yourself to cry on the bathroom floor is fearless. Letting go is fearless. Then, moving on and being alright...That's fearless, too. But no matter what love throws at you, you have to believe in it. You have to believe in love stories and prince charmings and happily every after. That's why I write these songs. Because I think love is fearless. ”

Booklet[]

Physical booklet[]

Digital booklet[]

Photoshoot[]

Main article: Fearless photoshoot

Personnel[]

  • Taylor Swift – lead vocals, producer, songwriter, vocal harmony, acoustic guitar, booklet design
  • Nathan Chapman – producer, acoustic guitar, bass guitar, electric guitar, keyboard, Hammond organ, mandolin, mixing, percussion, piano, programming, steel guitar, vocal harmony
  • Scott Borchetta – executive producer
  • Sammie Allan – backing vocals
  • Joseph Anthony Baker – photography
  • Steve Blackmon – mixing assistant
  • Drew Bollman – mixing assistant
  • Andrew Bowers – finger snapping
  • Nicholas Brown – finger snapping
  • Nick Buda – drums
  • Kenzie Butler – assistant engineer, engineer
  • Colbie Caillat – finger snapping, guest appearance
  • Jason Campbell – production coordinator
  • Chad Carlson – engineer, mixing, sound recording
  • Joseph Cassell – wardrobe stylist
  • Todd Cassetty – enhanced recording
  • Carolyn Cooper – finger snapping
  • Burrus Cox – finger snapping
  • Eric Darken – percussion, vibraphone
  • Shawn Daughtry – mixing assistant
  • Dan Dugmore – steel guitar
  • Lauren Elcanv – finger snapping
  • Caitlin Evanson – vocal harmony
  • Kyle Ford – assistant engineer, engineer
  • Kyle Ginther – assistant engineer, engineer
  • Kenny Greenberg – electric guitar
  • Jed Hackett – engineer
  • Rob Hajacos – fiddle
  • Tony Harrell – Hammond organ, keyboard, piano
  • Amos Heller – bass guitar
  • Claire Indie – cello
  • John Keefe – drums
  • Tim Lauer – Hammond organ, keyboard, piano
  • Matt Legge – assistant engineer, engineer
  • Tim Marks – bass guitar
  • Delaney McBride – finger snapping
  • Emma McBride – finger snapping
  • Justin McIntosh – graphic design
  • Grant Mickelson – electric guitar
  • Ash Newell – photography
  • Justin Niebank – mixing
  • Sheryl Nields – photography
  • Mark Petaccia – assistant engineer, engineer
  • LeeAnn Ramey – cover art, graphic design
  • Sandi Spika – hair stylist, make-up artist, wardrobe stylist
  • Bryan Sutton – acoustic guitar, mandolin
  • Whitney Sutton – copy coordinator
  • Todd Tidwell – assistant engineer, engineer, mixing assistant
  • Ilya Toshinsky – banjo
  • Lorrie Turk – make-up artist
  • Brady Wardlaw – hair stylist
  • Hank Williams – mastering
  • Brian David Willis – engineer
  • Al Wilson – percussion
  • Jonathan Yudkin – cello, string arrangements, strings

Hidden messages[]

Trivia[]

  • There is an unknown version of the album with the subtitle (MP3) on Spotify.[87]

References[]

  1. ↑ IFPI Digital Music Report 2010
  2. ↑ Billboard 200 Chart Moves: Taylor Swift's 'Fearless' Surpasses 7 Million Sold in U.S.
  3. ↑ Taylor Swift Tops 20 Million in Record Sales
  4. ↑ "Taylor Swift's Fearless album the most-awarded country record"
  5. ↑ Taylor Swift now has a diamond-certified album
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 Taylor Swift – A Place In This World
  7. ↑ When She Thinks "Tim McGraw," Taylor Swift Savors Payoff: Hardworking Teen to Open for George Strait Next Year
  8. ↑ Special Interview (2007): Taylor Swift Discusses Her Debut Album, Early Hits, And How She Got Started
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 9.3 9.4 9.5 The Billboard Q&A: Taylor Swift
  10. ↑ Why Taylor Swift's Songwriting Sings
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 Living 'Fearless' Taylor Swift talks about her whirlwind rise to the top
  12. ↑ A Swift Kick in the Pants
  13. ↑ LIFE: Interview with Taylor Swift
  14. ↑ Taylor Swift Concert Review – Gold Country Casino – May 30, 2007
  15. ↑ An unassuming ride to Teen Queendom
  16. ↑ 16.0 16.1 Taylor Swift Says She 'Owed It' To Her Fans To Be Open About Joe Jonas Breakup
  17. ↑ Fearless: Taylor Swift
  18. ↑ Fearless: Taylor Swift
  19. ↑ Taylor Swift – Billboard Q&A
  20. ↑ 20.0 20.1 20.2 20.3 20.4 20.5 Taylor Swift To Re-Release 'Fearless' With New Songs
  21. ↑ Taylor Swift Talks Fearless Re-Release, New Songs
  22. ↑ 22.0 22.1 Nathan Barlowe of Luna Halo talks about Taylor Swift and 'Untouchable'
  23. ↑ Taylor Swift Is Even More Fearless, One Day Early
  24. ↑ Taylor Swift's Olympics Song on iTunes Friday
  25. ↑ Countdown to Fearless
  26. ↑ Taylor Swift – 'Love Story'
  27. ↑ Digital Music Sales Around the World
  28. ↑ 28.0 28.1 Week Ending May 22, 2011. Songs: Flooding The Zone
  29. ↑ Chart Watch Extra: Lady A Makes Country History
  30. ↑ 30.0 30.1 Six Great Taylor Swift Songs
  31. ↑ Week Ending Feb. 6, 2011: Katy Stands Alone
  32. ↑ Taylor Swift – White Horse (Song)
  33. ↑ Chart Stats – Taylor Swift – White Horse
  34. ↑ Taylor Swift: New song "You Belong With Me"
  35. ↑ T.I., Jay Sean Post High Debuts On Billboard Hot 100
  36. ↑ Ask Billboard: Britney Spears' '3' Decades of No. 1s
  37. ↑ Taylor Swift – You Belong with Me
  38. ↑ Kanye West Crashes VMA Stage During Taylor Swift's Award Speech
  39. ↑ 2009 in Review: Pop Music
  40. ↑ Enough to make you scream
  41. ↑ RIAA – Gold & Platinum: "Taylor Swift songs"
  42. ↑ Hot 100 – Week of April 10, 2010
  43. ↑ Taylor Swift – Fearless (Song)
  44. ↑ Taylor Swift – 'Fearless'
  45. ↑ Swift Tickets Gone before Many Have a Chance to Buy
  46. ↑ Taylor Swift tickets gone in a flash
  47. ↑ Taylor Swift Concert Tickets Sell Swiftly (Jonesboro, AR)
  48. ↑ Understanding Popular Music Culture
  49. ↑ Taylor Swift's Fearless Flies At No. 1 With 592,000
  50. ↑ Best Of 2009: Part 1
  51. ↑ Taylor Swift Reclaims Billboard 200 Throne
  52. ↑ Morgan Wallen's Dangerous Spends Ninth Week at No. 1 on Billboard 200, Most Since 2016
  53. ↑ Rihanna's 'Roulette' Lands In Hot 100's Top 10
  54. ↑ Juice WRLD's 'Legends Never Die' & The 27 Other Albums With Five or More Top 10 Hot 100 Hits
  55. ↑ Week Ending Oct. 31, 2010: A Cool Million for Swift
  56. ↑ Rewinding the Charts: In 2008, Taylor Swift Scored Her First Billboard 200 No. 1 with Fearless
  57. ↑ Chart Watch Extra: 20 Years of Top Albums
  58. ↑ Chart Watch Extra: A Full Year In The Top 10
  59. ↑ Week Ending Feb. 28, 2010: Beyond the Grave
  60. ↑ Taylor Swift Receives 9× Platinum Award for Her Fearless Album
  61. ↑ In Re-recording Her Back Catalogue, Taylor Swift Is Feeling the Fear – and Doing It Anyway
  62. ↑ 62.0 62.1 Fearless by Taylor Swift
  63. ↑ 63.0 63.1 63.2 Fearless – Taylor Swift
  64. ↑ Taylor Swift: Fearless
  65. ↑ 65.0 65.1 65.2 Fearless
  66. ↑ 66.0 66.1 Taylor Swift: Fearless
  67. ↑ 67.0 67.1 Consumer Guide
  68. ↑ Pop review: Taylor Swift, Fearless
  69. ↑ 69.0 69.1 69.2 Taylor Swift: Fearless
  70. ↑ 70.0 70.1 Taylor Swift: Fearless
  71. ↑ Taylor Swift hits all the right words
  72. ↑ Albums: Fearless
  73. ↑ 73.0 73.1 Young country star's 'Fearless' proves she's just that, and more
  74. ↑ Taylor Swift's Teenage Country-Star Tales, Spiked With Actual Wisdom
  75. ↑ 75.0 75.1 Taylor Swift, 'Fearless' and Full of Charm
  76. ↑ 76.0 76.1 Past Award Winners
  77. ↑ Taylor Swift makes history at Country Music Awards
  78. ↑ 2009 ACM Awards
  79. ↑ A Complete List of 2009 AMA Winners
  80. ↑ The L.A. Times Music Blog
  81. ↑ Announcing the Winners of the 2009 Teen Choice Awards!
  82. ↑ Teen Choice Awards 2009 nominees
  83. ↑ 2010 Juno Award nominees announced!
  84. ↑ 84.0 84.1 Taylor Swift takes album of the year, 3 other Grammys
  85. ↑ Taylor Swift Wins Album Of The Year Grammy For Fearless
  86. ↑ Taylor Swift's Fearless is Most Awarded Album in Country Music History
  87. ↑ https://open.spotify.com/album/3xTm2xiVy7qzJIKZcuFPr9

Notes[]

  1. ↑ "Fearless", "Fifteen", "Love Story", "White Horse", "You Belong with Me", "Forever & Always", "You're Not Sorry", "Change", "Jump Then Fall", "Untouchable", "Come In with the Rain", "SuperStar", and "The Other Side of the Door"
Fearless
"Fearless" • "Fifteen" • "Love Story" • "Hey Stephen" • "White Horse" • "You Belong With Me" • "Breathe" • "Tell Me Why" • "You're Not Sorry" • "The Way I Loved You" • "Forever & Always" • "The Best Day" • "Change"
Platinum Edition
"Jump Then Fall" • "Untouchable" • "Forever & Always" (piano version) • "Come In With The Rain" • "Superstar" • "The Other Side Of The Door"
Taylor's Version
"Today Was A Fairytale" • "You All Over Me" • "Mr. Perfectly Fine" • "We Were Happy" • "That's When" • "Don't You" • "Bye Bye Baby"
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