"Fifteen" is a song written and recorded by the American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift for her second studio album, Fearless (2008). Inspired by Swift's high-school freshman year, the lyrics narrate how she and her friend Abigail Anderson, both at 15, experience teenage heartbreak and realize life aspirations. Swift included the track on the album after Anderson consented to the personal references. She and Nathan Chapman produced "Fifteen", a country pop song with a pop melody. Big Machine Records released "Fifteen" to American country radio on August 31, 2009, as the fourth single from Fearless.
Swift partnered with the electronics retailer Best Buy for "@15", a charity initiative for teenagers. "Fifteen" charted and received certifications in Australia, Canada, and the United States. Music critics lauded Swift's songwriting for creating a catchy sound and using storytelling with vivid details to earnestly portray teenage experiences; many picked it as an album and career highlight. The single won a Teen Choice Award for Choice Country Song. Some feminist authors criticized the lyrics mentioning Anderson's disappointment after she "gave everything she had to a boy who changed his mind" as sex-negative.
Taylor Swift wrote songs for her second studio album, Fearless, while touring as an opening act for other country musicians to promote her first album Taylor Swift during 2007–2008, when she was 17–18 years old.[1][2] Continuing the romantic themes of her first album, Swift wrote songs about love and personal experiences from the perspective of a teenage girl to ensure her fans could relate to Fearless. To this extent, Swift said that nearly every album track had a "face" that she associated with it.[3] The end product is a collection of songs about the challenges of love with prominent high-school and fairy-tale lyrical imagery.[4] Swift and the producer Nathan Chapman recorded over 50 songs for Fearless, and "Fifteen" was one of the 13 tracks that made the final cut.[5] They produced the track, and Justin Niebank mixed it at Blackbird Studios in Nashville.[6]
Swift was inspired to write "Fifteen" by her high-school freshman year experiences in Hendersonville, Tennessee.[7][8] She began with the lyric "And Abigail gave everything she had to a boy/ Who changed his mind/ We both cried",[7] which refers to her real-life best friend Abigail Anderson.[9] She wrote the rest of the song based on this line.[10] In a blog explaining the meaning behind all Fearless tracks published by Big Machine Records, Swift wrote about "Fifteen": "I just decided I really wanted to tell that story about our first year of high school because I felt in my freshman year, I grew up more than any year in my life so far."[10] She said that the song both reflected her and Abigail's experiences with first love and heartbreak[9] and offered a cautionary tale to her intended audience of teenage girls entering or already in their freshman year of high school.[11]
After finishing the song, Swift was unsure of how Anderson would respond because it "was a really personal song, especially from her angle of it".[11] Before including it on the album, she performed it for Anderson and asked whether she was comfortable with it. Anderson then consented to the personal references and said, "If one girl can kind of learn from it or connect to a song like that, it's totally worth it."[11] Swift told CMT that recording "Fifteen" was like witnessing a loved one of hers undergo pain, which made her cry.[12]
"Fifteen" is a country popballad driven by mandolin, inspired by Swift's high-school freshman year. Its lyrics narrate how she and her friend Abigail Anderson went through teenage love and heartbreak.
The lyrics of "Fifteen" have Swift narrating about multiple events. In the first verse, Swift details first entering high school with intentions of merely staying out of her peers' way. The second verse bears Swift meeting Anderson and gossiping about the school's queen bees with her. Successively, Swift describes first dates[23] and falling in love for the first time.[24] However, Swift and Anderson become heartbroken, revealing that Anderson "gave everything she had" to someone who later changed his mind.[18] The song's refrains have Swift cautioning young girls to not fall in love easily and acknowledging that she came to the realization of being able to accomplish more than dating a football team member.[24] Terauds and Tom Gardner of The Daily Gleaner wrote that "Fifteen" was musically and thematically reminiscent of Janis Ian's "At Seventeen" (1975).[25]
Critical reception
In reviews of Fearless, critics lauded Swift's songwriting craftsmanship on "Fifteen". Grady Smith of Rolling Stone wrote that while "Love Story" and "You Belong with Me" brought Swift to mainstream fame, "Fifteen" consolidated her status as a songwriter because it is a "deftly worded tune" that deals with subject matters like "the perils of high school, young love and even the loss of virginity".[22] Many reviewers recommended "Fifteen" for download.[a] Elysa Gardner of USA Today and Chris Richards of The Washington Post opined that its adolescent sentiments are genuine and authentic, as opposed to the general music by other teenage artists,[29][30] a sentiment that was corroborated by Leah Greenbelt of Entertainment Weekly ("When she sings about sexuality, she sounds like a real teen, not some manufactured vixen-Lolita")[31] and Craig Mathieson of The Age ("[The song] is high-school angst that rings truer than most eruptions of mall-boy emo").[32] James Reed of The Boston Globe wrote, "You can practically see the lyrics ... scribbled in a diary."[33]
Elysa Gardner, the Telegram & Gazette's Craig S. Semon, and The Guardian's Alexis Petridis added that the track showcased a precociousness.[29][34][35]Stephen Thomas Erlewine of AllMusic found that Swift portrays "a big sister instead of a big star" in "Fifteen", which exemplified her "maturation" that was "deliberate and careful".[13]Ken Tucker of Billboard believed the song could appeal with teenagers looking for hope and adult women reminiscing the past,[36] and Rob Sheffield of Blender wrote that the track showcased an "adult restraint" while still letting the teenage sentiments shine.[37] In The Village Voice, Josh Love selected "Fifteen" as a standout for showcasing Swift's "sharp, unsparing" talent for portraying high-school romance as "neither as fairy tale nor tragedy, but instead as the mixed-up cycle of fun and frustration it really is", compared to other "ridiculously idealized" country songs.[24] Semon was impressed by Swift's ability at 18 years old to look back at her early teenage years with mature hindsight,[34] but Petridis thought that it was "a bit creepy" to see an 18-year-old reflecting through "wizened-but-wise eyes", writing: "You applaud her skill, while feeling slightly unsettled by the thought of a teenager pontificating away like Yoda."[35]
Other critics commented on the melody. Tucker wrote that "no one speaks with more authority and catchy precision than Taylor Swift".[38] Greenbalt said that "Fifteen" was a "beautifully crafted" song,[31] and the Belfast Telegraph hailed it as a "really great modern pop song".[19] Writing for the Philadelphia Daily News, Jonathan Takiff described the sound as "equally endearing, vulnerable and flirty".[15]Jody Rosen, in a review for Rolling Stone, selected "Fifteen" as a demonstration of Swift as "a songwriting savant with an intuitive gift for verse-chorus-bridge architecture". Rosen compared her songwriting to that of the producers Dr. Luke and Max Martin, whom he referred to as "Swedish pop gods".[39] He also thought the song contained Swift's "peculiar charm": "Her music mixes an almost impersonal professionalism—it's so rigorously crafted it sounds like it has been scientifically engineered in a hit factory—with confessions that are squirmingly intimate and true."[39] In a less enthusiastic review, Jonathon Keefe of Slant Magazine agreed that the lyrics, particularly those in the bridge, made it clear why Swift's music resonated "so strongly with her audience", but he criticized the vocals in the outro as "noticeably, consistently flat by anywhere from a quarter to a half pitch".[18]
Jon Caramanica of The New York Times said "Fifteen" was one of Swift's best-written songs.[40] Prior to its single release, Kate Kiefer of Paste magazine suggested for the song be released as a single from Fearless, adding that she loved it.[23] Aidan Vaziri of San Francisco Chronicle ranked it twelfth on his top 12 singles of 2009 list, commenting, "Damn it if this song isn't too sweet, too vulnerable and just too real to ignore."[41] On a negative side, some critics took issue with the alleged themes of idealized femininity and virginity, interpreting the lyrics mentioning Anderson's disappointment after she "gave everything she had to a boy who changed his mind" as sex-negative and encouraging the idea of submissive femininity.[42][43]
Release and commercial performance
Following the release of Fearless, on the week ending November 29, 2008, "Fifteen" debuted at number 79 on the Billboard Hot 100[44] Its appearance, along with six other songs, on the chart tied Swift with Hannah Montana (Miley Cyrus) for the female act to have the most songs charting on the Billboard Hot 100 in the same week,[45] a record later surpassed by Swift herself when she charted 16 songs at once in 2020.[46] It re-entered at number 94 on the week ending October 3, 2009, after its single release.[47]
"Fifteen" was released to US country radio on August 31, 2009, by Big Machine Records.[48] On the week ending December 19, 2009, "Fifteen" reached its peak at number 23 on the Billboard Hot 100,[49] and, on the week ending February 6, 2010, spent its last week at number 40,[50] after 21 weeks on the chart.[49] The song is one of 13 songs from Fearless charted within the top 40 of the Billboard Hot 100, breaking the record for the most top 40 entries from a single album.[51] The single was certified double platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America.[52] As of November 2017, "Fifteen" has sold over 1.5 million copies in the United States.[53]
"Fifteen" debuted at number 41 on Hot Country Songs.[54] It jumped to number 31 in its second week and on the week ending November 7, 2009, it entered the top 10 at number 10.[54][55] Six weeks later, it reached its peak at number seven on the week ending December 12, 2009.[56] The single became her second single that did not reach the top three of Hot Country Songs since her debut single "Tim McGraw". "Fifteen" also peaked at number 10 on Pop Songs, number 12 on Adult Contemporary, and number 14 on Adult Pop Songs.[49]
On the week ending January 23, 2010, the song peaked at number 19 in Canada.[49] It was certified gold by Music Canada for sales of 40,000 digital downloads.[57] "Fifteen" peaked at number 48 in Australia on the week ending December 13, 2009.[58]
Music video
The music video for "Fifteen" was directed by Roman White, who previously directed Swift's music video "You Belong with Me". White began with the intention of creating a video different than others Swift did in the past. To do so, he believed he needed to set the video outside of high school. White explained, "Well, I think I really wanted this video to kind of be an evolution for Taylor [...] I actually said to her, 'I don't think we should shoot in a high school.' And I don't think she wanted to either."[59] White conceptualized the video's setting by taking into account the literal meaning of the song and transforming into something new.[59] He conceptualized the setting to be a new world where Swift could revisit her memories, as they manifest around her.[60] "Let's take the literal meaning of this song and watch it evolve in front of us ... almost as a memory in your head. And create this world, somewhere you walk in on this desolate desert and you start to sing about all these great memories you have... of everything you love blooming around you, and so we literally grew this garden around her", White said.[59] The world moved from one situation to the next.[61] White decided to annex surreal elements to create a cross between a garden and the heart of the memories.[59] He intertwined Swift's emotions with the growth of the garden. The garden grew when Swift felt happy, but at the sight of pain and negative emotions, clouds appear and the garden dies, which also symbolized Swift's best friend Abigail Anderson's broken heart.[61]
Swift and her best friend Abigail Anderson reliving memories in the music video for "Fifteen"
Swift's friend, Anderson, portrayed herself in the video. The love interests of both Swift and Anderson were cast by Swift after she received images of them via e-mail.[11] The video was filmed in two days. The first day consisted of actors, including Swift and Anderson, filming before a green screen.[11] On the set, White presented Swift with caricature drawings depicting the music video, in order to guide herself.[11] Swift was impressed by Anderson's acting skills, considering her lack of experience, and called it "prolific".[11] On the second day, scenes at a high school were filmed; artificial rain was made.[11] Afterward, White and a team of visual effect artists created the setting. "If you watch just the offline edit of this video, it's just green. It's just Taylor walking around a giant green screen. And to think that every single thing in that video was created is amazing, 'cause a lot of people worked really hard on it", White said.[62] The visual effects team were at work for the video for some time, sometimes staying overnight in the office to produce the video.[62] The direction was to make the video seem "magical".[61] Some of the props used when filming were recreated using digital animation, such as the door and the desks.[59][61] Because extras were filmed separately, White was meticulous to find the right shots to make the scene more cohesive.[61] White believed the finished product had a sense of innocence.[60]
The video begins with Swift, barefoot and clad in a white sundress, approaching a tall, arched doorway which materializes in the middle of a barren landscape. Swift looks at a photograph of herself and her friend tucked into the arch and, then, passes through the doors. On the other side of the arch, animated flowers and vines grow across the scenes. People and objects from a high school fade in and out of view. Swift walks through the memories and begins to play an acoustic guitar beneath a tree. Afterward, Anderson appears, sitting at a desk before a chalkboard in the field of flowers. Swift sits down beside her and the two begin to whisper and laugh to each other. In the next scene, Swift plays a namesake Taylor brand guitar while Anderson goes on her first date; she kisses her date, but pushes him away when he tries to go further. Her love interest and all surroundings dissolve to show Anderson sitting alone on a stone bench. Swift approaches her and hugs her tightly as the field around them turns dark and stormy. The video then alternates between Swift singing in the rain and hugging her friend. After the landscape deteriorates, the video transitions to reality, where Swift, wearing a black trench coat, stands in the rain, across the street from a high school. Swift then sees a student at the entrance; the two make eye contact and the video concludes. To date, the video has over 150 million views on YouTube.
The music video premiered on October 9, 2009 on CMT.[63] Peter Gicas of E! thought the video was "sweet" and said, "And while the visuals here—Taylor walking in and out of various animated scenes—are certainly nice to look at, they nevertheless take a back seat to the country star's cuteness."[64] Leah Greenblatt of Entertainment Weekly graded the video a B. Greenblatt believed the video was reverential and painterly, but criticized it by saying "Fifteen"'s most powerful lyrics were outdone by the dreamy design.[65] Jocelyn Vena of MTV wrote, "Taylor Swift is 'Fifteen' all over again in the new music video for her song of the same name."[66] At the 2010 MTV Video Music Awards, the video was nominated for the MTV Video Music Award for Best Female Video, but lost to Lady Gaga's video for "Bad Romance" (2009).[67] Annelot Prins, a lecturer in American cultural studies, opined that "Fifteen" is one of Swift's early-career music videos that embodied her "white femininity" persona as "virtuous fairytale princess, who wears elaborate gowns and pristine white dresses". Prins argued that this persona was "built on a highly marketable gendered, raced and classed identity" that typified "post-racial white nostalgia and post-feminist irony".[68]
Swift first performed "Fifteen", as a duet with singer Miley Cyrus, at the 51st Annual Grammy Awards.[40] The duo sat on wooden stools for the acoustic performance, with Swift wearing a baggy beige dress layered over a tight black outfit and playing an acoustic guitar.[72][73] Kate Galloway, an academic in popular music, opined that Swift performed "Fifteen" live with "imperfect" vocals. Galloway wrote that whereas some reviewers had criticized Swift's weak live vocals, her Grammy performance was "beautifully flawed, raw, vulnerable, dissolving the illusionary gauze between the professional musician and the amateur out in the audience", which made her accessible to her audience and invalidated the technical criticisms of her singing.[74] Swift also performed the song at We're All for the Hall, a benefit concert organized by Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum,[75] the 2009 CMA Music Festival,[76] the 2009 V Festival,[77] the Australian charity concert Sydney Sound Relief,[78] and the Country Music Association Awards.[79] In the United Kingdom, Swift performed "Fifteen" on Later... with Jools Holland[80] and The Paul O'Grady Show.[81]
Swift performing "Fifteen" during the Fearless Tour in 2009.
Swift performed the song on all venues in 2009 and 2010 of her first headlining concert tour, the Fearless Tour. The performances of "Fifteen" set on a small platform located at the opposite end, parallel to the stage in the arena.[16] Swift, dressed in a pastel sundress, sat on a wooden stool while performing with wooden 12-string acoustic guitar strapped to her shoulder.[16][82] Nicole Frehsee of Rolling Stone favored Swift's performance of "Tim McGraw" at the August 27, 2009 concert at Madison Square Garden in New York City. Frehsee described the entire concert as an "elaborate spectacle that doesn't slow down, even when the singer hauls her acoustic guitar into the audience to play a sweet, stripped down set of tunes including 'Fifteen'."[82] "Fifteen" served as a performance on the setlist of Swift's second concert tour, the Speak Now World Tour (2011); the performances featured Swift sitting and playing an acoustic guitar, wearing a blue cocktail dress.[83]
Swift performed the song during her 1989 World Tour in place of "You Are in Love" on selected dates, such as the shows in Indianapolis and Atlanta. She also performed the acoustic version of the song on Formula 1 Grand Prix on October 22, 2016 at Austin, Texas.[84] The song was performed on her Reputation Stadium Tour at the second show in London in honor of the concert being the fifteenth show of the tour.[85] On the May 6, 2023, Nashville show of the Eras Tour, Swift sang "Fifteen" in dedication to Anderson who was in attendance.[86] She performed it again as part of a mashup with her song "You're on Your Own, Kid" (2022) on the tour's June 2, 2024, Lyon show.[87]
@15
Swift partnered with electronics retailer Best Buy for @15, a program that allowed teens to help decide how Best Buy's "@15 Fund" would be distributed among various charities. Swift taped a Public Service Announcement (PSA), called a "Teen Service Announcement" by Best Buy, for @15. Within the PSA, which was released on February 9, 2009, scenes of Swift reminiscing on high school and encouraging originality and uniqueness were inter-cut with scenes of her singing "Fifteen".[88] In June 2009, @15 became a partner for Swift's Fearless Tour. The announcement was shown at each stop during the North American leg of the tour. In fifteen tour stops, @15 donated forty concert tickets and a guitar autographed by Swift to local teen-oriented charity groups, such as chapters of Boys & Girls Clubs of America and Big Brothers Big Sisters.[89]
"Fifteen (Taylor's Version)" is the re-recorded version of "Fifteen" by American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift. The track is written by Swift and produced by Swift and Christopher Rowe. It was released on April 9, 2021, through Republic Records, as the second track on Fearless (Taylor's Version), the re-recording of Fearless. An official lyric video of the re-recording was released to YouTube.
"Fifteen (Taylor's Version)" was well received by critics, who praised Swift's more mature vocals as adding depth to the song. Upon the release of the album, the song charted in Australia, Canada, and the United States, and also appeared in the top 20 of the Hot Country Songs chart.
Background
On February 11, 2021, Swift announced a re-recording of "Fifteen", titled "Fifteen (Taylor's Version)", as part of Fearless (Taylor's Version), the re-recorded version of Fearless. The album was released on April 9, 2021.[105]
Critical reception
Critics generally praised "Fifteen (Taylor's Version)". NME's Hannah Mylrea called it one of Swift's most moving songs, while also remarking that lines such as "Back then I swore I was gonna marry him someday / But I realised some bigger dreams of mine" cut deeper 10 years later.[106] Alexandra Pollard of The Independent expressed similar sentiments, saying that there was "an added layer" to "Fifteen (Taylor's Version)" and songs like it on the album.[107] Writing for Gigwise, Kelsey Barnes wrote that "the small vocal changes in 'Fifteen (Taylor's Version)' which means so much more when you think about her now, at 31, and all of the fans that have grown up alongside her since then", saying that Swift's age could be heard and felt "in the best way".[108]
Charts
Chart performance for "Fifteen (Taylor's Version)"
"Favorite Girl" is a song by Canadian singer Justin Bieber. The song was written and produced by D'Mile, and Antea Birchett, Anesha Birchett, and Delisha Thomas also receive writing credits. Bieber debuted the acoustic version of his song in his official YouTube account after American singer Taylor Swift used Bieber's single "One Time" as background music in one of her video tour diaries. The song was later released exclusively to iTunes as the second promotional single from his debut studio release, My World on November 2, 2009.
"Teardrops on My Guitar" is a song by the American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift, who wrote it with Liz Rose. In the United States, the song was the second single from Swift's 2006 self-titled debut album; Big Machine Records released it to country radio on February 20, 2007, and to pop radio as a crossover single on November 9, 2007. An international mix was included on the international edition of Swift's second studio album, Fearless, and released as a single in Europe in May 2009.
"Picture to Burn" is a song by the American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift and the fourth single from her 2006 self-titled debut studio album. Big Machine Records released it to US country radio on February 4, 2008. Written by Swift and Liz Rose, the lyrics were inspired by a narcissistic classmate of Swift and depict a protagonist's vengeance against an ex-lover. Nathan Chapman produced the track, which is an incorporation of country rock and alternative rock that features plunking banjo and distorted electric guitars.
"Our Song" is a song written and recorded by the American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift and the third single from her self-titled debut studio album (2006). Swift wrote "Our Song" for a high school talent show during ninth grade; the lyrics are about a young couple using the regular events in their lives to create their own song. She included the song on the track list because it was popular among her classmates. Big Machine Records released the song to US country radio on September 10, 2007. Produced by Nathan Chapman, "Our Song" is an uptempo banjo–driven country track incorporating fiddles and drums.
"Should've Said No" is a song written and recorded by the American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift for her debut studio album Taylor Swift (2006). The song was released to US country radio as the album's fifth and final single on May 19, 2008, by Big Machine Records. Produced by Nathan Chapman, "Should've Said No" combines country rock, pop rock, and post-grunge with banjo and distorted guitars. The lyrics are about Swift's contempt for a cheating ex-lover.
Fearless is the second studio album by the American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift. She wrote the majority of the album while touring in 2007–2008 and produced it with Nathan Chapman.
"Change" is a song by the American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift, released on August 8, 2008, to promote the AT&T Team USA Soundtrack for the United States team at the 2008 Olympics. "Change" was included in Swift's second studio album, Fearless (2008). Swift wrote the track after winning the Horizon Award at the 2007 Country Music Association Awards; its lyrics are about overcoming obstacles to achieve victory.
"Love Story" is a song by the American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift. It was released as the lead single from her second studio album, Fearless, on September 15, 2008, by Big Machine Records. Inspired by a boy who was unpopular with her family and friends, Swift wrote the song using William Shakespeare's tragedy Romeo and Juliet as a reference point. The lyrics narrate a troubled romance that ends with a marriage proposal, contrary to Shakespeare's tragic conclusion. Produced by Swift and Nathan Chapman, the midtempo country pop song includes a key change after the bridge and uses acoustic instruments including banjo, fiddle, mandolin, and guitar.
"Fearless" is a song by the American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift. She wrote it with Liz Rose and Hillary Lindsey while touring to promote her first album Taylor Swift (2006), and she produced the track with Nathan Chapman. Lyrically, "Fearless" sees Swift's character embracing the romantic drive of a thrilling first date, allowing herself to live true to her heart. She picked it as the title track for her 2008 studio album Fearless because she thought it encapsulates the album's overarching theme of being fearlessly oneself.
"You're Not Sorry" is a song written and recorded by the American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift for her second studio album, Fearless (2008). Inspired by a hurtful relationship, the lyrics see Swift calling out an ex-boyfriend for his betrayal. Produced by Swift and Nathan Chapman, "You're Not Sorry" is a rock power ballad with a sound that critics describe as mournful or dramatic: its verses are driven by piano and fiddle, while its refrains incorporate dynamic, crescendoing electric guitars.
"You Belong with Me" is a song by the American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift and the third single from her second studio album Fearless (2008). Big Machine Records released the song to radio on April 20, 2009. Swift was inspired to write "You Belong with Me" after overhearing a telephone call between a touring band member and his girlfriend; she and Liz Rose wrote the lyrics, which discuss an unrequited love. Swift and Nathan Chapman produced the track, which has a banjo-led country pop production and incorporates fiddle, mandolin, and rock-influenced bass and electric guitars. Although the single was promoted on country radio, some critics categorized it into 1980s pop subgenres such as pop rock and power pop.
"White Horse" is a song by the American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift and the second single from her second studio album, Fearless (2008). Big Machine Records released the track to US country radio on December 8, 2008. Swift wrote "White Horse" with Liz Rose and produced it with Nathan Chapman. An understated country pop ballad, the song is driven by a finger-picked guitar and includes piano and cello accents. The lyrics incorporate fairy-tale imagery of princesses and white horses: the narrator is heartbroken upon realizing that her boyfriend is not an ideal figure like she thought, and in the end she leaves her town with hopes of finding somebody more worthy.
"The Best Day" is a song written and recorded by the American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift for her second studio album, Fearless (2008). Produced by Swift and Nathan Chapman, "The Best Day" is an understated folk rock song with a country rock arrangement, with lyrics dedicated to Swift's parents, most of the verses being to her mother. A music video containing home footage edited by Swift was released on May 1, 2009, as part of a special Mother's Day promotion through Big Machine Records.
The Fearless Tour was the debut concert tour by the American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift, who embarked on it to support her second studio album, Fearless (2008). It was her first headlining concert tour after she had opened shows for other musicians to support her 2006 album Taylor Swift.
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"Mine" is a song written and recorded by the American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift and the lead single from her third studio album, Speak Now (2010). Big Machine Records released the song for download and to radio on August 4, 2010. Produced by Swift and Nathan Chapman, "Mine" is a country pop and pop rock song. In its lyrics, it discusses the ups and downs of young love, inspired by Swift's tendency to run away from love for fears of heartbreak.
"Back to December" is a song written and recorded by the American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift for her third studio album, Speak Now (2010). Big Machine Records released it as the album's second single on November 15, 2010. Produced by Swift and Nathan Chapman, "Back to December" is a country pop power ballad that incorporates a string section. Inspired by Swift's relationship with the actor Taylor Lautner, the lyrics are about a remorseful plea for forgiveness from a former lover.
"Mean" is a song written and recorded by the American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift for her third studio album, Speak Now (2010). Big Machine Records released the song to US country radio as the album's third single on March 13, 2011. Produced by Swift and Nathan Chapman, "Mean" is a six-string banjo-led country pop and bluegrass track that incorporates hand claps, fiddles, and multitracked vocals. Inspired by critics of Swift, the lyrics narrate a protagonist's self-awareness of her own shortcomings, efforts to overcome the criticism, and ridicule of a "mean" antagonist.
"Forever & Always" is a song written and recorded by the American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift for her second studio album, Fearless (2008). Inspired by her breakup with Joe Jonas in 2008, the lyrics are about an abrupt breakup that leaves the narrator angered and confused. Produced by Swift and Nathan Chapman, "Forever & Always" is a country pop and pop rock song instrumented by guitars and fiddles. It was the last track recorded for Fearless, being added to the album shortly before it was mastered and published.
↑ "Country Aircheck Chart Info"(PDF). Country Aircheck. No.155. August 24, 2009. p.15. Archived(PDF) from the original on August 28, 2021. Retrieved August 27, 2021.
Galloway, Kate (2020). "Musicking Fan Culture and Circulating the Materiality of Taylor Swift Musical Greeting Cards on YouTube". American Music. 38 (2): 240–261. doi:10.5406/americanmusic.38.2.0240.
Perone, James E. (2017). The Words and Music of Taylor Swift. The Praeger Singer-Songwriter Collection. ABC-Clio. ISBN978-1440852947.
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