This is the most reviews I’ve done on any artist or band since I first started in 2017. Now, this one is a bit of the same old same old because “Fearless” was initially released in 2008 (Her second album), but if you have been watching Why Taylor’s Version was released, you will know why it is slightly different to the original. In 2019, Scooter Braun bought Big Machine Records, to whom Taylor was signed and promptly started acting like a fucking dickhead. He acquired all of Taylor’s masters from “Fearless” and the five following records (She will be re-recording those albums, too). Scooter made this an issue and held Taylor to ransom over the masters. However, Taylor, probably seeking the advice of a solicitor, did something very clever last year. A film company approached her to use her songs from “Fearless”. Upon doing this, she acquired a Synycronisation licence, separate from the audio licence necessary to play her music over the radio and other audio methods, including live performances. So Taylor, sick of the bullshit treatment from Scooter’s label, then got the Syncronisation licence and, from there, was permitted to use her music again.
The biggest issue for Taylor was being young and naive; she signed away the ownership to her masters when she was 15 and pretty much only just signed to Big Machine. How is that possible? Well, basically, by getting the other licence, she made the original masters redundant. She now had the autonomy to re-record those six albums and completely fuck over Scooter for trying to fuck her over. It didn’t help that Scooter is the manager of Kanye West, who we all remember from his storming the stage as she won an award. However, Taylor is now back in control of the masters through this intelligent move. However, they have been re-recorded to stop Scooter from profiting from the original masters through streaming apps, YouTube, airplay, et Cetera.
There’s not much to say about “Fearless” apart from Taylor’s Version, which is more fine-tuned with smoother vocals than when she originally recorded it. The teenager who went to the studio in 2007 cannot be recaptured on the re-recording, but it’s all the better because her vocals are much more robust 14 years on.
Of course, as you may remember from my last review of hers, I liked ‘Love Story’ off “Fearless”. However, although I listened to the whole album on Taylor’s Version, it mostly stayed the same for me, albeit with the richer vocals after years of honing her craft. The record started to get my interest from tracks 21 to 26, known as the “From the Vault” section. These are demos from the “Fearless” sessions finally recorded to the standard they were not all those years ago. My favourites are ‘You All Over Me’ featuring Maren Morris, ‘We Were Happy’ and ‘Don’t You’.
As for production, despite bringing in Jack Antonoff and Aaron Dessner, it is similar, except for where Taylor agreed with the producers that they could improve the sound quality. Apart from that and the additional six tracks, there is only a little to write about. It’s good to see artists fighting against the labels who think they own them.
Song recommendations: ‘We Were Happy’, ‘You All Over Me’, ‘Don’t You’
7/10
Honest Opinions 