When Taylor Swift speaks, the world listens – especially her fans, but also the industry, the press, the critics (her critics) and more. And today, when she announced that Fearless has been re-recorded and will be re-released as Fearless (Taylor’s Version), it got everyone’s attention.

“It’s all happening.” is Penny Lane’s line from Almost Famous is used often in excitement – and in my humble opinion, this is a good time and a good reason to use it – because for Taylor Swift fans, it really is all happening.

We know the reasons why Taylor Swift is working on this project (and the subsequent ones), and that’s all fine and good for her, we’re behind her on this one. And it would have been easy for her to simply record new versions or even just vocals over the exact same songs that were on the original or Platinum versions of Fearless and call it a day. But that’s not what she’s doing.

One of T.Swift’s calling cards has always been fan service. Through Tumblr replies and tweets and donations to fans and listening parties and easter eggs everywhere (including the new album announcement), she’s given fans a little extra at almost every turn. And while we don’t know everything about Fearless (Taylor’s Version), we do know that the album will include all of the tracks from the 2008 Platinum edition, plus Today Was A Fairytale from the Valentine’s Day soundtrack, and six new songs from the vault that didn’t make the original album.

In her statement Thursday, Taylor said that these are “songs i absolutely adored, but were held back for different reasons (don’t want too many breakup songs, don’t want too maNy down tempo songs, can’t fit that many songs on a physical cd).” And this is where Taylor Swift is going above and beyond. Her true diehard fans would have streamed and bought these new versions A. to hear what they sound like and B. to support her – but the addition of six songs they don’t know from Fearless-era Taylor Swift is the bonus they didn’t know they were ever going to get. And yes, it’s also an added incentive to check out the re-recordings, aside from curiosity or general unwavering support. And they are six new songs that nobody else owns any rights over. She’s really good at this!

She adds, “those reasons seem unnecessary now. i’ve decIded i want you to have the whole story, see the entire vivid picture, and let you into the entire dreamscape that is my fearless album. that’s why i’ve chosen to include 6 never before released songs on my version of this album. written when i was betweeN the ages of 16 and 18, these were the ones it killed me to leave behind.”

You’ll notice in those quotes the random capitalized letters. Her fans did, that’s for sure. And just like everything else Taylor Swift does, it was very intentional and gave us the easter eggs we love so much from her. When you find all of the capital letters in her five paragraph statement, they spell: APRIL NINTH.

This doesn’t seem like a misdirect, it feels like a statement. I fully and completely expect Fearless (Taylor’s Version) to be released on April 9, 2021.

But first, we get Love Story (Taylor’s Version) on Friday, February 12, 2021. And I’m here for it and all of it. Bring it on!

Without having heard a single note of the new recordings, I’m telling you that I hope they still feel like they are country songs. Yes, there has always been pop in Taylor Swift’s country – but at it’s core, this was a country album and I hope it’s still a country album, especially the songs from the vault, when we hear it all in April.

Now, check out the tracklist comparisons for the Platinum Edition of Fearless and Fearless (Taylor’s Version), get ready for love story (taylor’s version) and keep your eyes open for more easter eggs between now and April 9, 2021!

Fearless Platinum Edition tracklist vs. Fearless (Taylor’s Version) tracklist

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Joshua Murray

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