In November 2008, Taylor Swift's second album Fearless debuted at the top of Billboard charts. By 2010, it'd go on to become the most awarded album in the history of country music — a record which entailed two GRAMMYs and hasn't been broken since. Now, over a decade later, Swift is releasing a re-recorded version of the album. And according to the Grammy's nomination rules, she's eligible to win a few more. But before we get into that, there are a few other questions which need answering.
Why is Taylor Swift re-recording Fearless?
Swift initially released Fearless while under contract with her label Big Machine Records. Which meant that the label owned the master recordings. In 2019, the label was acquired by her former manager Scooter Braun, who proceeded to sell Swift's catalogue — not just Fearless, but five other albums as well — to a private equity firm.
A year later, Swift's contract with Big Machine finally ended. Although she couldn't get ownership of her masters, she was now free to re-record them. And so, Fearless (Taylor's Version) is set to be the first reboot, with five more soon to follow.
When does Fearless (Taylor's Version) release?
The album's scheduled for release on April 9, 2021. Love Story, the lead single is out on streaming platforms now.
Are there any new songs on the album?
Yes, along with all nineteen tracks from the platinum edition of the original album, Fearless (Taylor's Version) will feature six additional songs which didn't make the cut back in 2008.
We're getting B-sides.
Yup, but they're Taylor Swift B-sides, which everyone knows, are equivalent to regular-artist A-sides.
Anything else?
Well, there's an easter egg hidden in the cover art. But I'll let Twitter take this one.
SHE’S WEARING THE ROMEO’S SHIRT. SHE NO LONGER NEEDS A KNIGHT IN SHINING ARMOUR, SHE’S HER OWN KNIGHT IN SHINING ARMOUR pic.twitter.com/7UzttnnRwh
— anki⁷ | hobi day ☀️ (@ksjincore) February 11, 2021
What's this about the GRAMMYs then?
Fearless (Taylor's Version) and any other re-recorded releases will be eligible for performance awards, but not songwriting awards. Logically, it adds up. The songs were written quite sometime back, but performed within the eligibility period.
However, when you think about it, it just feels wrong. In 2022, Fearless (Taylor's Version) could potentially be nominated for 'Best Country Album' or 'Album Of The Year' — both, awards which Fearless (the original one) already won in 2009.
