Fearless 

is the second studio album by American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift. It was released

November 11, 2008, by Big Machine Records in the U.S. and Canada, and an international
edition was released on March 9, 2009. Written largely by Swift while she was promoting
her 2006 eponymous debut album in 2007–2008, Fearless features additional songwriting credits
from Liz Rose, Hillary Lindsey, Colbie Caillat, and John Rich. Swift wrote seven of the thirteen
songs on the standard edition by herself and, in her debut as a record producer, co-produced all
songs with Nathan Chapman.
Fearless is a country pop album featuring traditional country instruments such
as banjos, fiddles, mandolins and acoustic guitars, intertwined with electric guitars. Music
critics noted the album's crossover appeal brought by the influences of different styles
including pop, folk, and rock. Inspired by Swift's feelings as a teenager, the lyrics explore themes
of romance, heartache, and aspirations. The album's title refers to the overarching theme of all of
its tracks, as they altogether depict Swift's courage to embrace the challenges of love.
After the release of Fearless, Swift embarked on the Fearless Tour, which ran from April 2009 to
July 2010. Five songs were released as singles, including three US Billboard Hot 100 top-ten
entries: "Love Story", "You Belong with Me", and "Fearless". "Love Story" and "You Belong with
Me" were successful on both country and pop radio. The album spent eleven weeks atop the
U.S. Billboard 200 and was certified Diamond by the Recording Industry Association of America.
It peaked in the top five of albums charts and received multi-platinum certifications in Australia,
Canada, New Zealand, and the U.K., and has sold twelve million copies worldwide by April 2021.
Music critics complimented Swift's songwriting craftsmanship on Fearless for offering radio-
friendly tunes and engaging narratives, though some deemed the production
formulaic. Fearless won Album of the Year at both the Country Music Association Awards and
the Academy of Country Music Awards in 2009. At the 2010 Grammy Awards, it won Album of
the Year and Best Country Album. The album featured on Rolling Stone's 2022 list of the 100
Greatest Country Albums of All Time. Following the 2019 dispute regarding the ownership of
Swift's back catalog, she released a re-recording, Fearless (Taylor's Version), on April 9, 2021.

Background[edit]
Taylor Swift signed a publishing contract with Sony/ATV Tree Publishing in 2004 to become a
songwriter;[1] at fourteen years old, she became the youngest Sony/ATV signee in its history.
[2]
 After signing a recording contract with Nashville-based Big Machine Records in 2005 to
become a country music singer, Swift wrote songs with other Music Row songwriters and
recorded her eponymous debut album with producer Nathan Chapman for four months near the
end of 2005.[3][4] Released on October 24, 2006, it was the longest-charting album on the
U.S. Billboard 200 of the 2000s decade, and established Swift as one of country music's rising
stars.[5][6] Its third single, "Our Song", made Swift the youngest person to single-handedly write and
sing a number-one song on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart.[7] Her success was rare for a
female teenage artist, as country music had been dominated by mostly middle-aged male
musicians.[8][9]
To promote Taylor Swift, Swift toured as the opening act for other country musicians,
including Rascal Flatts and George Strait, during 2007–2008. While on tour, she continued writing
songs for her follow-up album mostly by herself on the road, "at the concert venue ... a quiet
place in some room at the venue, like the locker room".[10][11] In addition to self-penned material,
Swift had songwriting sessions with Liz Rose, with whom she had largely collaborated on her first
album.[12] She also wrote with musician John Rich and singer-songwriter Colbie Caillat.[13]