It's hard to believe that blonde and beautiful Taylor Swift could have enough boy drama to write another full-length album about her luckless love life, but somehow she pulled off another half-country, half-pop success in her second release, Fearless.
Swift rose to popularity in 2006 following the release of her eponymous debut and hasn't fallen off the charts since. Try as you might to hate her, Swift's honest lyrics and catchy melodies are enjoyable and impossible to get out of your head.
Fearless hits almost every topic of teenage life, from falling in love freshman year of high school to a girl's perspective on why nice guys finish last.
Highlights from the album include Love Story,"" which has already risen to 16 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, ""The Way I Loved You,"" ""Fearless"" and ""The Best Day.""
Eighteen-year-old Swift, who pens all of her own lyrics, gives Shakespeare a run for his money with her version of Romeo and Juliet in ""Love Story."" Well, maybe not. But the song still pulls on any romantic's heartstrings and is well deserving of its No. 14 spot on the Billboard Hot 100.
The ever boy-crazy Swift devotes half of the album's tracks to pining over the guys who are just friends (""You Belong With Me""), dumping the ones who take too long to fall for her (""White Horse""), and calling out to the ones she just can't get out of her mind (""Hey Stephen"").
Although she seems to care more about boys than just about anything else, to write Swift off as just another manufactured pop princess with the rest of the Disney channel floozies (see Miley Cyrus and Ashley Tisdale) is unwarranted. Her lyrics are often genuinely touching and never feel fake or overly precious.
Inspirational and uplifting, ""Change"" became one of several theme songs for Beijing 2008 - o - othe music video features clips of various medal winners from the U.S. And what would a country album be without some form of tribute to the great U.S. of A., tractors or whiskey?
""The Best Day"" is a meaningful ballad written to Swift's family in which the young singer recalls her favorite memories with her mother, father and younger brother. Simple, sweet and heartfelt, ""The Best Day"" is sure to resonate with fans.
Although Fearless will easily crank out numerous hits, the album suffers a low point in ""Fifteen,"" Swift's recollection of falling in love for the first time at, you guessed it, age 15. The song's message is sweet, but it's a little hard to take seriously the sage advice of someone who is still in her teens.
Despite Swift's failed attempt at showing great maturity, the album on the whole is great and completely deserving of all the hype it received from the country music world. Even if thoughts of cowboy boots and Garth Brooks trigger your gag reflexes, you still might find Fearless enjoyable for its simplicity, solid melodies and touching lyrics.
