As we continue to rejoice over the re-release of Taylor Swift’s sophomore album, Fearless, the star herself joined Audacy’s Katie Neal to discuss the decision she made to re-release one of her most beloved albums and the emotional labor and love that went into re-recording each track.
Listen to your favorite Pop music now on Audacy
With the original album debuting almost 13 years ago, Taylor tells us, “it was so nostalgic to re-record Fearless because it was an album that was so important in my growth as a person, and as a girl and as a woman, and as a songwriter. It was kind of that album where it was the perfect storm of like coming of age and coming of age in my career too.”
Considering it her “breakthrough” album Swift also says, “I think going back in and re-doing it, I was so happy and excited to sort of bring my voice and my insight of having lived 15 years plus longer than this album to kind of bring that to the album if that makes sense. You know, to kind of bring as much wisdom as you have and a voice that’s sung more concerts, learned more tricks… it was fun to think that it could possibly even be improved.”
With some hesitancy tinged with confidence, Taylor even remarks that these new versions might be better, “question mark!? That’s how I feel at least!” As a seasoned artist with maturity to back her ever-powerful voice, Fearless (Taylors Version), takes on new life and a new meaning not just for Taylor, but for Swifities everywhere who came up on the original album.
The superstar tells us that even now when she sings “White Horse,” she still gets emotional. The song which is about “comparing the fairy tale imagery we are taught… to what can really happen in young love and young heartbreak,” resonates with fans both young and old and will always be a Swift classic.
Taylor adds, ”you just expect a ‘happily ever after’ type thing and then you don’t find it and you’re faced with this reality of ‘oh, this isn’t Hollywood, this is a small town,’ you know those kind of realizations that hit you, but I’ve always been so proud of this one…”
However, one cannot discuss Taylor Swift “classics” without touching upon the cultural phenomenon, “You Belong With Me.” “'You Belong With Me' is a song that just absolutely changed my life,” exclaimed Taylor.
Related
“It was one of those songs that I had written about unrequited love and crushes at school and I never would’ve imagined how many people I would see in a crowd one day screaming, ‘she wears short skirts, I wear T-shirts,’ or that there would be think pieces about it, or that it would be like this thing that launched me and my career into this place that I never imagined it would go to.”
Both “You Belong With Me” and “Love Story” are the two songs that Swift credits the success of her stratospheric career to. Taylor tells us that being able to re-record both of the successful songs gave her the chance to look back on the memories and experiences attached to both hits. She notes, “I’m very lucky.”
Check out Taylor Swift’s full interview above.
LISTEN on the Audacy App
Sign Up and Follow Audacy
Facebook | Twitter | Instagram