Fearless - Taylor Swift (Music CD)

* Bibliographic information
Swift, T. Fearless [Music CD]. Big Machine Records, 2008.

- Nominated for eight Grammy Awards (52nd Grammy Awards Show)


* Plot Summary
19-year-old Swift sings songs that teens can relate to because she is a teen. Her songs are about high school, boys, love, being cheated on and romantic fairy tales; things most female teens think about. The title track, on Swift’s second album, “Fearless” is about a girl so in love with a boy she will “dance in the rain in her best dress”. The track “Fifteen” covers what it is like to start high school and the innocence that allows you to believe an older boy when he tells you he loves you. “Love Story” and “White Horse” are songs of love told through Romeo and Juliet and the fairy tale of a princess and a white horse. Taylor Swift captures the essence of what it is like to be young, in love, and in high school.


* Critical Evaluation
A truly fun album to listen to; Taylor Swift has made another great album. For teens, it will give them the feeling there is someone out there who has gone through the same events as them. For adults, this CD will take them back to high school and young love. The songs are catchy and suck people in; before they know it they are singing along. Swift is a healthy role model for teen girls because she dresses appropriate for her age and is always nice to her fans. She has made it this far because she knows how to make music people want to hear and because she is a genuine person who does not get wrapped up in her own hype. I recommend this CD to all teen girls; even those who do not like country will enjoy these melodic songs.


* Reader’s Annotation
Taylor Swift’s take on high school, love and boys who cheat. A great listen for anyone in high school or for those who want to go back and remember what it was like.


* Information about the singer-songwriter
Taylor Swift has really made a name for herself in the past two years; she is a country-pop singer-songwriter, guitarist and actress. It was announced last week that she is nominated in eight different Grammy categories; she is definitely living the dream. She is nineteen but was signed to a record label at the age of sixteen. She has two albums out and says “she likes to “put something on the album that’s personal” because she knows she will have to deal with it later. On this album she proved she was fearless as the title of the album says, by putting a song called “Stephen” on it in which she talks about a crush she has on him. She says he is a real person and no, he never knew she had a crush on him; not until the album was released. To find out more about Taylor Swift, go to her website, http://www.taylorswift.com/.


* Genre
Country-Pop; Teen Issues


* Curriculum Ties, if any
N/A


* Booktalking Ideas
1) Talk about the title of the album, Fearless; in what ways is Taylor Swift fearless?
2) In the song “Fifteen,” Swift talks about her first year of high school. What parts can you relate to?
3) Swift writes about specific people in some of her songs. How would you feel if someone you know included you in one of their songs?


* Interest Age
13 and Up


* Challenge Issues and Defense
N/A


* Why did you include this book in your titles you selected?
I included this selection in my collection because I honestly believe that teens will both enjoy and benefit from this album. Many teens listen to music that represent negative aspects of life or music they cannot relate to on a personal level. Swifts words come from her feelings and real experiences and she sings about them in a healthy, positive way. I also like that she is so honest in her music and in interviews. She appears to be the same girl from her songs; a hopeless romantic.