Chapter 355: December 8, 2023

Today's featured article

White Horse (Taylor Swift song)

Article Talk

Language

Download PDF

Watch

View source

"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: a narrator is heartbroken on 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.

"White Horse"

Single by Taylor Swift

from the album Fearless

Released

December 8, 2008

Genre

Country pop

Length

3:54

Label

Big Machine

Songwriter(s)

Taylor Swift

Liz Rose

Producer(s)

Nathan Chapman

Taylor Swift

Taylor Swift singles chronology

"Love Story"

(2008)

"White Horse"

(2008)

"You Belong with Me"

(2009)

Music video

"White Horse" on YouTube

Music critics lauded "White Horse" for what they deemed a somber production and a portrayal of universal feelings arising from heartbreak, but some found the lyrics uncreative. At the 2010 Grammy Awards, the track won Best Country Song and Best Female Country Vocal Performance. In the United States, the single peaked at number 13 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number two on the Hot Country Songs chart, and the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) certified it double platinum. The song also charted in Australia, Canada, and the United Kingdom; it received certifications in the first two countries.

Trey Fanjoy directed the song's music video, which depicts Swift reliving memories with her ex-boyfriend and her discovery of his infidelity after having ended their relationship through a phone call. The video premiered on February 7, 2009, on CMT, and it became the first video to debut at number one on the network's countdown. Swift performed "White Horse" live at the 2008 American Music Awards, on her Fearless Tour (2009–2010), and on certain dates of her later tours. Following the 2019 dispute regarding the ownership of Swift's back catalog, she re-recorded the song as "White Horse (Taylor's Version)" for her 2021 re-recorded album Fearless (Taylor's Version).

Background and writing

Taylor Swift wrote songs for her second studio album, Fearless, while touring as an opening act for other country musicians to promote her self-titled debut studio album 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. She 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 producer Nathan Chapman recorded more than 50 songs for Fearless, and "White Horse" was one of the 13 tracks that made the final cut.[5][6] Recorded by audio engineer Chad Carlson, the track was produced by Swift and Chapman. Justin Niebank, assisted by Steve Blackmon, mixed it at Blackbird Studios in Nashville.[6]

According to a note published in the liner notes of Swift's 2019 album Lover, part of the lyrics to "White Horse" dated from December 2006.[7] She wrote the first verse by herself; co-writer Liz Rose helped her complete the song in 45 minutes.[8] Swift completed writing "White Horse" weeks after she finished the lead single "Love Story",[8] almost one year before the release of Fearless.[9] Swift said she was inspired to write "White Horse" by the moment she realized all the fantasies she had about a boy turned out completely false.[10] The subject was also the inspiration for "Love Story"[11]—Swift never dated him and, although initially infatuated with him, realized he was not an ideal Prince Charming like she thought.[9] She told The Daily Telegraph that she kept his identity anonymous so as to "not glorify his inspirational qualities".[12] Whereas both "Love Story" and "White Horse" feature prominent fairy-tale lyrical imagery, Swift said it was important to regard fairy tales with "both sides"; the former song represented her optimistic and idealistic viewpoint on romance, and the latter her disillusionment with the said notion.[13]

Release

Swift intended to leave "White Horse" off Fearless because she felt the album already had a fair share of sad songs.[10] She changed the decision when the producers of Grey's Anatomy wanted to feature the song in the series.[14] Swift recalled that at a meeting set up by her agency with the show's executive producers Shonda Rhimes and Betsy Beers, she played "White Horse" alone on guitar and they "freaked out".[15] The song appeared on the premiere of season five, broadcast on September 25, 2008.[16] Swift was elated by the feature and said it was her "life goal" to have her song on Grey's Anatomy, one of her favorite series.[17]

"White Horse" was released as an album cut on Fearless, on November 11, 2008, by Big Machine Records.[18] On December 8, Big Machine released the song to US country radio as the second single from the album.[19] In the United States, "White Horse" debuted and peaked at number 13 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart week ending November 29, 2008.[20] It gave Swift her sixth top-20 debut in 2008,[21] which broke the record for the most top-20 debuts in a calendar year by an artist.[22] On Hot Country Songs, the single peaked at number two on the chart week ending April 4, 2009.[23] It was certified double platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) in 2014[24] and had sold two million digital copies in the United States by 2017.[25] The single also charted in Australia (41),[26] Canada (43),[27] and the United Kingdom (60).[28] It was certified gold in the first two countries.[29][30]

"White Horse (Taylor's Version)"

Song by Taylor Swift

from the album Fearless (Taylor's Version)

Released

April 9, 2021

Studio

Black Bird

Prime Recording

(Nashville)

Length

3:54

Label

Republic

Songwriter(s)

Taylor Swift

Liz Rose

Producer(s)

Taylor Swift

Christopher Rowe

Lyric video

"White Horse (Taylor's Version)" on YouTube

After signing a new contract with Republic Records, Swift began re-recording her first six studio albums in November 2020.[31] The decision followed a public 2019 dispute between Swift and talent manager Scooter Braun, who acquired Big Machine Records, including the masters of Swift's albums which the label had released.[32][33] By re-recording the albums, Swift had full ownership of the new masters, which enabled her to control the licensing of her songs for commercial use and therefore substituted the Big Machine–owned masters.[34]

Swift and Christopher Rowe produced the re-recorded track, which was recorded by David Payne at Black Bird and Prime Recording Studios in Nashville. Rowe recorded Swift's lead vocals at her home studio in London, and Serban Ghenea mixed the track at MixStar Studios in Virginia Beach, Virginia. John Hanes engineered the track, and Derek Garten and Lowell Reynolds were credited as additional engineers. Instruments and their corresponding musicians on the re-recording include acoustic guitar (Mike Meadows), bass guitar (Amos Heller), drums (Matt Billingslea), piano (Paul Sidoti), and string (Jonathan Yudkin).[35]

The re-recording of "White Horse", subtitled "Taylor's Version", was released as part of Fearless's re-recording, Fearless (Taylor's Version).[36] Swift contacted singer-songwriters Olivia Rodrigo and Conan Gray to preview a snippet of "White Horse (Taylor's Version)" on their social media on April 8, 2021,[37] one day before Republic Records released Fearless (Taylor's Version).[38] "White Horse (Taylor's Version)" charted in Canada (72)[27] and Australia (99),[39] and it peaked at number 111 on the Billboard Global 200.[40] In the United States, the re-recorded song peaked at number two on Bubbling Under Hot 100[41] and number 29 on Hot Country Songs.[23]

Music and lyrics

"White Horse" (2008)

Duration: 20 seconds.0:20

"White Horse" is a country pop ballad driven by a finger-picked acoustic guitar, piano and cello accents. In the lyrics, a narrator is disillusioned with her notion of a fairy-tale romance.

Problems playing this file? See media help.

"White Horse" runs for 3 minutes and 54 seconds.[6] It is a country pop ballad;[42] Slant Magazine critic Jonathan Keefe wrote that it has a pop hook.[43] The song has an understated production driven by a finger-picked acoustic guitar alongside piano notes and cello accents.[44][45] The sparse production highlights Swift's vocals that some critics found tender[46] and breathy.[43] For certain critics, the track's sound is melancholy[45] and poignant[46]—Jim Abott from the Orlando Sentinel picked it as a track that represents the album's sad songs.[44] The Arizona Republic critic Ed Masley attributed this quality to the "haunting" piano and "dark, dramatic" cello.[45] Swift said the sparse production made "White Horse" a Fearless track she was very proud of.[10] The re-recorded "White Horse (Taylor's Version)" has the same arrangement,[47] but the cello in the introduction is more resonant and the outro is a little longer.[48]

Co-writer Liz Rose said the song is "every teenage girl's dream song of everything she ever wished from a boy".[49] In the lyrics, a narrator is heartbroken that the boyfriend whom she used to love turns out contrary to the ideal figure she had hoped for.[50][51] The narrator and the boyfriend reside in a small town.[52] In the refrain, she compares her romance to a fairy tale fallen apart: "I'm not a princess, this ain't a fairytale/ I'm not the one you'll sweep off her feet/ Lead her up the stairwell."[46] She then tells him that "it's too late for [him] and [his] white horse" to return to her and rekindle the relationship.[53] In the final refrain, the narrator says she will move on from him and escape her town for a bigger world outside, to find somebody else who is more worthy,[54][55] "This is a big world, that was a small town/ There in my rearview mirror disappearing now."[42][56]

Some lyrical motifs on "White Horse" reprise those on the preceding Fearless tracks: the narrator dreams of being a "princess" ("Love Story") and compares the subject to an "angel" ("Hey Stephen").[57] Some critics said "White Horse" is a Fearless track that explores the disconnect between fantasy and real life[56][58] and an antithesis of the optimist lead single "Love Story", which explores a fairy-tale–inspired romance that has a happy ending.[a] Josh Love in The Village Voice found the lyrics to be from the perspective of a "reborn realist".[60] According to Gigwise journalist Kelsey Barnes, Swift's vocals in the re-recording no longer display the naivete and shame of feeling sad and instead express the narrator's loss of innocence from a more reflective point-of-view.[49]

Critical reception

When "White Horse" was first released, some critics praised the song for what they deemed a portrayal of heartbreak that, although told from a teenager's perspective, appeals to a broad audience and not just Swift's target audience of teenagers.[b] Love said its lyrics showcase "preternatural wisdom and inclusiveness",[60] and USA Today's Elysa Gardner complimented the "guileless urgency and unmannered precociousness".[64] Other critics praised the production. Reviewing the single for Billboard, Deborah Evan Price wrote it appeals to many people because its production highlights Swift's lyrics and "heart-on-the-sleeve" vocals that "[make] the pain and disillusionment palpable".[46] The Guardian's Alex Macpherson lauded the "breathtaking" final refrain,[65] and Keefe, who picked the track as Fearless's best, complimented how "strongly the hooks stand out".[43] Newsday's Glenn Gamboa ranked "White Horse" ninth on a list of the 10 best songs of 2008.[66] At the 2010 Grammy Awards, the single won Best Country Song and Best Female Country Vocal Performance.[67]

Reviewing the re-recorded "White Horse (Taylor's Version)", some critics positively remarked how it retained the original's earnest emotion.[68][69] In The New York Times, Joe Coscarelli found the re-recording's production fresh and refined, which elevated the original's songwriting.[47] Keefe, who initially criticized Swift's vocals as weak and restrained,[43] wrote that they improved on "White Horse (Taylor's Version)", which consolidated it as the album's best track.[70] Allison Stewart of The Washington Post felt the re-recorded song, though a compelling track, "drags a little".[71] "White Horse" featured highly on some retrospective rankings of Swift's songs, such as those by Masley, who highlighted the "aching" refrain,[45] and The Guardian's Alexis Petridis, who praised its "impressive subtlety".[72]

Some critics were not as complementary and said the lyrics were uncreative[73]—Roisin O'Connor of The Independent said the fairy-tale–indebted narrative was not as effective as that of the previous single, "Love Story".[74] Keefe deemed the lyrical imagery "well worn, clichéd",[43] and NME's Lucy Harbron said it "comes at the expense of emotional heft".[75] Musicologist James E. Perone deemed the lyrics familiar and generic, but contended that the track was effective because of Swift's performance and the "engaging music and musical arrangement".[53]

Music video

Swift chose Stephen Colletti (pictured in 2012) as the male lead: a character who is seemingly loyal but cheats in a relationship.

Trey Fanjoy, who had directed Swift's previous music videos, returned to film the "White Horse" music video for Swift.[9] On the video's plot, Swift said the theme was infidelity. Because this was also the theme for the music video of her past single "Picture to Burn" (2008), she wanted "White Horse" to convey a different aspect of it: whereas the former stars a girl to whom someone was unfaithful to, the latter depicts a girl whom someone was unfaithful with. Swift explained the concept: "This girl falls in love with this guy and he's perfect. [...] Then, she comes to realize that he's been leading a double life. He was already in a relationship years before he ever met her."[9]

Swift chose actor Stephen Colletti, whom she had watched on the series One Tree Hill, to portray the male lead because of his sweet and endearing demeanor.[76] According to her, Colletti was ideal to portray a character who seemed as though he would never lie in a relationship but ultimately did and brought "the worst heartbreak".[9] She and Fanjoy shot the video in one day in January 2009, in Germantown, Nashville.[77] It rained heavily that day, which Swift found appropriate for the gloomy and dark feel she wanted: it brought forth more muted tones and made the video less colorful lighting-wise.[9] The last scene, which involved crying, was challenging for Swift because she felt unaccustomed doing so in front of the crew. Fanjoy helped Swift feel more comfortable and guided her into thinking about what made her most solemn; they completed the scene within three hours.[9][76]

The video starts with Swift's and Colletti's characters talking on the phone. Colletti's character asks if Swift's still loves him and asks for another chance. Then, Swift's character is seen sitting on the living room floor, next to a fireplace, and reminiscing about her intimate moments with him. When she has lunch with a friend at a restaurant, her friend informs her of his infidelity. When Swift's character walks home on a street at night, she sees Colletti's character carrying groceries with another woman into a house. She runs away from the scene and the video transitions to the beginning's phone call, where Colletti's character repeats, "Will you give me another chance?" A rapid flashback of cut-scenes is played and, after its conclusion, Swift denies his request, hangs up, and cries.[9] The video premiered on February 7, 2009, on CMT.[78] It was the first video to debut at number one on CMT's weekly countdown.[79][80]

Live performances

Swift performing live in 2010

Swift first performed "White Horse" at the 2008 American Music Awards on November 23; she donned a white evening gown and sang the song sitting on a floral-patterned couch.[81] She again performed the song at a pre-awards concert for nominees of the 51st Annual Grammy Awards, which was held on December 3, 2008, at the Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles. At the concert, she was the only artist who performed her own song in addition to covering a song that had been inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame: she sang a portion of Brenda Lee's "I'm Sorry" (1960) before singing "White Horse".[82] In the Los Angeles Times, Ann Powers deemed Swift's rendition of "White Horse" the concert's best performance: "In that moment, Swift had it all: tabloid heat and a firm hold on her brand, along with songcraft and the well-contained charisma of a career artist."[83]

"White Horse" was part of the set lists for Swift's 2009 headline festival performances including Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo,[84] the Florida Strawberry Festival,[85] and Craven Country Jamboree.[86] She also performed "White Horse" live at her Australian concert debut at the Tivoli in Brisbane on March 5, 2009,[87] and on a November 2010 episode of Dancing with the Stars.[88] Swift included "White Horse" in the set list of her first headlining concert tour, the Fearless Tour (2009–2010), where she performed the song by herself on an acoustic guitar.[89] At the Los Angeles concert on May 22, 2009, she sang "White Horse" in a duet with singer-songwriter John Mayer.[90]

On her later tours, Swift performed the song as a surprise number not part of the regular setlist on select dates. She sang it at the Red Tour concert in Edmonton, June 2013,[91] the 1989 World Tour concert in Los Angeles, August 2015,[92] the Reputation Stadium Tour concert in Arlington, October 2018,[93] and the Eras Tour concert in Las Vegas, March 2023.[94]

Personnel

"White Horse" (2008)[6]

Chad Carlson – recording engineer

Nathan Chapman – producer

Taylor Swift – producer

Steve Blackmon – assistant mixer

Justin Niebank – mixer

"White Horse (Taylor's Version)" (2021)[35]

Christopher Rowe – vocals engineer, producer

Taylor Swift – producer, lead vocals

David Payne – recording engineer

Derek Garten – additional engineer

John Hanes – engineer

Lowell Reynolds – assistant recording engineer, additional engineer

Serban Ghenea – mixing

Mike Meadows – acoustic guitar, background vocals

Amos Heller – bass guitar

Matt Billingslea – drums

Paul Sidoti – piano

Jonathan Yudkin – strings

Charts

Weekly charts

Weekly chart performance for "White Horse"

Chart (2008–2009)

Peak

position

Australia (ARIA)[26]

Canada (Canadian Hot 100)[27]

Canada Country (Billboard)[95]

UK Singles (OCC)[28]

US Billboard Hot 100[96]

US Hot Country Songs (Billboard)[23]

US Pop 100 (Billboard)[97]

Weekly chart performance for "White Horse (Taylor's Version)"

Chart (2021)

Peak

position

Australia (ARIA)[39]

Canada (Canadian Hot 100)[27]

Global 200 (Billboard)[40]

111

US Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles (Billboard)[41]

US Hot Country Songs (Billboard)[23]

Year-end charts

Year-end chart performance for "White Horse"

Chart (2009)

Position

US Billboard Hot 100[98]

US Hot Country Songs (Billboard)[99]

Certifications

Certifications for "White Horse"

Region

Certification

Certified units/sales

Australia (ARIA)[29]

Gold

35,000^

Canada (Music Canada)[30]

Gold

40,000*

United States (RIAA)[24]

2× Platinum

2,000,000‡

* Sales figures based on certification alone.

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Notes

^ Attributed to reviews by Billboard's Deborah Evans Price,[46] NME's Hannah Mylrea,[59] and the Reading Eagle[55]

^ Attributed to reviews by Billboard's Ken Tucker,[61] The Korea Times' Cathy Rose A. Garcia,[62] and The Observer's Alice Fisher[63]

References

^ Kawashima, Dale (February 16, 2007). "Special Interview (2007): Taylor Swift Discusses Her Debut Album, Early Hits, and How She Got Started". Songwriter Universe. Archived from the original on March 24, 2016. Retrieved December 17, 2010.

^ Tucker, Ken (March 26, 2008). "The Billboard Q&A: Taylor Swift". Billboard. Archived from the original on July 5, 2013. Retrieved June 21, 2011.

^ Graff, Gary (March 26, 2010). "Living Fearless Taylor Swift Talks About Her Whirlwind Rise to the Top". The Oakland Press. Archived from the original on July 16, 2012. Retrieved July 1, 2011.

^ Perone 2017, p. 20.

^ Ganz, Caryn (October 2, 2008). "Fall Music Preview: Taylor Swift's Fearless". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on February 9, 2022. Retrieved February 9, 2022.

^ Jump up to:a b c d Fearless (CD liner notes). Taylor Swift. Big Machine Records. 2008.

^ Swift, Taylor (August 23, 2019). Lover Deluxe (Media notes) (2nd ed.).

^ Jump up to:a b Conaway, Alanna (June 1, 2009). "Story Behind the Song: 'Love Story'—Chapter 2". Country Weekly. 16 (16): 21.

^ Jump up to:a b c d e f g h "On the Set Behind the Scenes 'White Horse'". Taylor Swift: On the Set. 22:00 minutes in. Great American Country.

^ Jump up to:a b c Spencer 2010, p. 66.

^ Grigoriadis, Vanessa (March 5, 2009). "The Very Pink, Very Perfect Life of Taylor Swift". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on January 28, 2021. Retrieved February 21, 2021.

^ Wasley, Alice (March 6, 2009). "Country Girl Remains Close to Her Roots". The Daily Telegraph. p. 36. ProQuest 360001683.

^ Roznovsky, Lindsey (November 10, 2008). "Taylor Swift's Fascination with Fairy Tales Comes Through on New Album". CMT News. Archived from the original on October 20, 2012. Retrieved February 13, 2011.

^ Spencer 2010, p. 67.

^ Swift, Taylor. "Cut By But". Big Machine Records. Archived from the original on July 25, 2010. Retrieved March 12, 2010.

^ Tucker, Ken (September 22, 2008). "Swift Lands New Song on Grey's Anatomy". Billboard. Archived from the original on April 17, 2023. Retrieved April 12, 2023.

^ Tucker, Ken (October 25, 2008). "Taylor Swift Goes Global". Billboard. Vol. 120, no. 43. pp. 22–25. ProQuest 227230140.

^ Spencer 2010, p. 58.

^ "Country Aircheck Chart Info" (PDF). Country Aircheck. No. 117. November 24, 2008. p. 11. Archived (PDF) from the original on August 28, 2021. Retrieved August 27, 2021.

^ Cohen, Jonathan (November 20, 2008). "Taylor Swift Notches Six Hot 100 Debuts". Billboard. Archived from the original on September 12, 2014. Retrieved July 28, 2010.

^ "Swift and Archuleta Lead Pop Chart for Album Sales". Windsor Star. November 20, 2008. p. B6.

^ Keel, Beverly (November 20, 2008). "Swift's Album Joins All-Genre Chart at No. 1". The Tennessean. ProQuest 239922867.

^ Jump up to:a b c d "Taylor Swift Chart History (Hot Country Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved January 12, 2012.

^ Jump up to:a b "American single certifications – Taylor Swift – White Horse". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved November 11, 2014.

^ Trust, Gary (November 26, 2017). "Ask Billboard: Taylor Swift's Career Album & Song Sales". Billboard. Archived from the original on November 25, 2018. Retrieved November 26, 2017.

^ Jump up to:a b "Taylor Swift – White Horse". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved January 12, 2012.

^ Jump up to:a b c d "Taylor Swift Chart History (Canadian Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved January 12, 2012.

^ Jump up to:a b "Taylor Swift: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved January 12, 2012.

^ Jump up to:a b "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2014 Singles" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved September 13, 2014.

^ Jump up to:a b "Canadian single certifications – Taylor Swift – White Horse". Music Canada. Retrieved August 10, 2014.

^ Melas, Chloe (November 16, 2020). "Taylor Swift Speaks Out about Sale of Her Masters". CNN. Archived from the original on November 18, 2020. Retrieved November 19, 2020.

^ "Taylor Swift Wants to Re-Record Her Old Hits". BBC News. August 22, 2019. Archived from the original on August 22, 2019. Retrieved August 22, 2019.

^ Finnis, Alex (November 17, 2020). "Taylor Swift Masters: The Controversy around Scooter Braun Selling the Rights to Her Old Music Explained". i. Archived from the original on February 12, 2021. Retrieved February 13, 2021.

^ Shah, Neil (April 9, 2021). "Taylor Swift Releases New Fearless Album, Reclaiming Her Back Catalog". The Wall Street Journal. Archived from the original on October 8, 2021. Retrieved September 25, 2022.

^ Jump up to:a b Fearless (Taylor's Version) (CD liner notes). Taylor Swift. Republic Records, an imprint of Universal Music Group. 2021. B0033578-02 (catalog no.).

^ Lipshutz, Jason (February 11, 2021). "Taylor Swift Announces Re-Recorded Fearless Album: Updated 'Love Story' Out Tonight". Billboard. Archived from the original on March 14, 2021. Retrieved March 7, 2021.

^ Ginsberg, Gab (April 8, 2021). "Taylor Swift Recruits Olivia Rodrigo & Conan Gray to Help Tease Re-Recorded Fearless Songs: Hear Multiple New Snippets". Billboard. Archived from the original on December 7, 2021. Retrieved December 6, 2021.

^ Caulfield, Keith (October 22, 2022). "How Taylor Swift's Recent Album Releases Tell a Story of the Midnights Rollout". Billboard. Archived from the original on November 7, 2022. Retrieved March 19, 2023.

^ Jump up to:a b "The ARIA Report: Week Commencing 19 April 2021". The ARIA Report. No. 1624. Australian Recording Industry Association. April 19, 2021. p. 4.

^ Jump up to:a b "Taylor Swift Chart History (Global 200)". Billboard. Retrieved April 20, 2021.

^ Jump up to:a b "Taylor Swift Chart History (Bubbling Under Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved April 20, 2021.

^ Jump up to:a b "The 100 Best Taylor Swift Songs: Staff Picks". Billboard. March 16, 2023. Archived from the original on April 11, 2023. Retrieved April 11, 2023.

^ Jump up to:a b c d e Keefe, Jonathan (November 16, 2008). "Taylor Swift: Fearless". Slant Magazine. Archived from the original on October 29, 2013. Retrieved March 8, 2011.

^ Jump up to:a b Abbott, Jim (December 5, 2008). "Album Review: Taylor Swift". Orlando Sentinel. p. 33. ProQuest 284212169.

^ Jump up to:a b c d Masley, Ed (August 12, 2015). "30 Best Taylor Swift Singles Ever (So Far)". The Arizona Republic. Archived from the original on October 25, 2021. Retrieved March 23, 2023.

^ Jump up to:a b c d e Price, Deborah Evans (December 13, 2008). "Taylor Swift: 'White Horse'". Billboard. Vol. 120, no. 50. p. 46. ProQuest 227226515.

^ Jump up to:a b "Taylor Swift Remade Fearless as Taylor's Version. Let's Discuss". The New York Times. April 9, 2021. Archived from the original on April 9, 2021. Retrieved August 27, 2021.

^ Huff, Lauren (April 13, 2021). "Taylor Swift's New Fearless Album Sounds Different—We Got An Expert to Tell Us Why". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on December 7, 2021. Retrieved December 6, 2021.

^ Jump up to:a b Barnes, Kelsey (April 22, 2021). "The Story Of Us: 'White Horse'". Gigwise. Archived from the original on April 13, 2023. Retrieved April 13, 2023.

^ Ash, Amanda (December 6, 2008). "Swift's More Mature, But Stays Fearless". Edmonton Journal. p. D3. ProQuest 250621343.

^ Powers, Ann (December 14, 2008). "It's Not Their Grandma's Type of Feminism". Los Angeles Times. p. F12. ProQuest 422265687.

^ Guerra, Joey (November 30, 2008). "Taylor Swift Takes a Step Up". Houston Chronicle. p. Z4. ProQuest 396484216.

^ Jump up to:a b Perone 2017, p. 21.

^ Lee, Taila (January 26, 2023). "The Taylor Swift Essentials: 13 Songs That Display Her Storytelling Prowess And Genre-Bouncing Genius". The Recording Academy. Archived from the original on April 14, 2023. Retrieved April 14, 2023.

^ Jump up to:a b "Taylor Swift's New CD Takes a Big Look at Love". Reading Eagle. December 2, 2008. p. V18. ProQuest 265130090.

^ Jump up to:a b Heaton, Dave (May 10, 2010). "So, Taylor Swift, How Far Do You Wanna Go?". PopMatters. Archived from the original on January 23, 2013. Retrieved March 25, 2011.

^ Perone 2017, p. 21; Spencer 2010, p. 66.

^ Lewis, Randy (October 26, 2008). "She's Writing Her Future". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on August 22, 2021. Retrieved April 13, 2023.

^ Mylrea, Hannah (September 8, 2020). "Every Taylor Swift Song Ranked In Order of Greatness". NME. Archived from the original on September 17, 2020. Retrieved April 13, 2023.

^ Jump up to:a b Love, Josh (November 19, 2008). "Taylor Swift's Teenage Country-Star Tales, Spiked With Actual Wisdom". The Village Voice. Archived from the original on January 17, 2013. Retrieved March 12, 2011.

^ Tucker, Ken (November 15, 2008). "Fearless". Billboard. Vol. 120, no. 46. p. 41. ProQuest 227228330.

^ Garcia, Cathy Rose A. (March 17, 2009). "Album Reviews". The Korea Times. Archived from the original on April 13, 2023. Retrieved April 13, 2023.

^ Fisher, Alice (May 9, 2009). "Enough to Make You Scream". The Observer. p. 17. Archived from the original on October 16, 2013. Retrieved April 14, 2023.

^ Gardner, Elysa (November 11, 2008). "Taylor Swift Hits All the Right Words". USA Today. Archived from the original on April 28, 2016. Retrieved April 17, 2016.

^ Macpherson, Alex (March 6, 2009). "Film & Music: Up Front: The F&M Playlist". The Guardian. p. 2. ProQuest 244370688.

^ Gamboa, Glenn (December 30, 2008). "Top 10 Songs of 2008". Newsday. p. B6. ProQuest 280303612.

^ "2009 – 52nd Annual Grammy Awards: Country". The Recording Academy. Archived from the original on February 18, 2012. Retrieved March 16, 2011.

^ Taylor-Singh, Heather (April 12, 2021). "Taylor Swift Reclaims Her Past on Fearless (Taylor's Version)". Exclaim!. Archived from the original on April 12, 2021. Retrieved March 31, 2023.

^ Horton, Ross (April 9, 2021). "Taylor Swift Reclaims Her Pivotal Moment by Breathing New Life into Fearless". The Line of Best Fit. Archived from the original on April 9, 2021. Retrieved March 31, 2023.

^ Keefe, Jonathan (April 13, 2021). "Taylor Swift Fearless (Taylor's Version) Review: Recontexualized Teen Musings". Slant Magazine. Archived from the original on March 15, 2023. Retrieved April 17, 2023.

^ Stewart, Allison (April 12, 2021). "Taylor Swift's New Take on Fearless Piles on the Nostalgia, Along with Some Revenge". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on August 27, 2021. Retrieved April 17, 2023.

^ Petridis, Alexis (April 26, 2019). "Taylor Swift's Singles – Ranked". The Guardian. Archived from the original on April 27, 2019. Retrieved April 26, 2019.

^ Davies, Lucy (March 9, 2009). "Fearless Is Now Triple Platinum. But Will it Fare Similarly in the UK?". BBC. Archived from the original on September 26, 2009. Retrieved March 12, 2010.

^ O'Connor, Roisin (August 23, 2019). "Taylor Swift: Her 100 Album Tracks – Ranked". The Independent. Archived from the original on December 3, 2019. Retrieved December 3, 2019.

^ Harbron, Lucy (December 1, 2020). "Taylor Swift's Infamous 'Track Fives' – Ranked In Order of Greatness". NME. Archived from the original on April 14, 2023. Retrieved April 14, 2023.

^ Jump up to:a b Vena, Jocelyn (January 14, 2009). "Taylor Swift Talks About 'Emotional' New Video For 'White Horse'". MTV News. Archived from the original on November 6, 2012. Retrieved March 15, 2011.

^ Keel, Beverly (January 7, 2009). "Swift Says Her Recent Success Is Unbelievable". The Tennessean. ProQuest 239905441.

^ "Taylor Swift's 'White Horse' Video to Premiere Exclusively on CMT". CMT News. February 5, 2009. Archived from the original on June 29, 2013. Retrieved March 15, 2011.

^ Duckett, Jodi (February 20, 2009). "Taylor Swift on the Cover of New Rolling Stone". The Morning Call. Archived from the original on April 14, 2023. Retrieved April 14, 2023.

^ "Taylor Swift's Video Is First to Debut at No. 1 on CMT's Top 20 Countdown". CMT News. February 20, 2009. Archived from the original on April 14, 2023. Retrieved April 14, 2023.

^ "Swift Debuts 'White Horse'". CMT. Archived from the original on June 29, 2013. Retrieved March 17, 2011.

^ Cooper, Peter (February 1, 2009). "Nashville Acts Get Their Due in Grammy Nominations". The Tennessean. ProQuest 239910097.

^ Powers, Ann (December 5, 2008). "The Grammy Nominations; Critic's Notebook". Los Angeles Times. p. E1. ProQuest 422260484.

^ Goodspeed, John (February 27, 2009). "Night After Night". San Antonio Express-News. p. H13. ProQuest 262431114.

^ Daly, Sean (February 26, 2009). "Let's 'Do It Up Right". Tampa Bay Times. p. W20. ProQuest 264272329.

^ DeDekker, Jeff (July 9, 2009). "Golden Girl". Regina Leader-Post. p. B1. ProQuest 350041926.

^ Sennett, Sean (March 9, 2009). "Swift Mania Has Arrived". The Australian. p. 30. ProQuest 356693717.

^ Vick, Megan (November 3, 2010). "Taylor Swift Performs on Dancing With The Stars". Billboard. Archived from the original on July 30, 2013. Retrieved March 17, 2011.

^ Daly, Sean (March 5, 2010). "Taylor Swift Wows". Tampa Bay Times. p. B1. ProQuest 264357732.

^ Marttens, Todd (May 25, 2009). "Taylor Swift and John Mayer: Yay or nay?". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on October 26, 2012. Retrieved March 17, 2011.

^ Griwkowsky, Fish (June 26, 2013). "Taylor Swift Conquers 'Redmonton'". Edmonton Journal. p. D1. Archived from the original on May 10, 2023. Retrieved May 12, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.

^ Peters, Mitchell (August 23, 2015). "Watch: Taylor Swift Joined by Mary J. Blige, Uzo Aduba, Chris Rock & Matt LeBlanc at L.A. Concert". Billboard. Archived from the original on November 29, 2020. Retrieved August 23, 2015.

^ Iasimone, Ashley (November 21, 2018). "All the Surprise Songs Taylor Swift Has Performed on Her Reputation Stadium Tour B-Stage (So Far)". Billboard. Archived from the original on October 8, 2019. Retrieved October 31, 2018.

^ Iasimone, Ashley (March 25, 2023). "All the Surprise Songs Taylor Swift Has Performed on The Eras Tour (So Far)". Billboard. Archived from the original on March 19, 2023. Retrieved March 25, 2023.

^ "Taylor Swift Chart History (Canada Country)". Billboard. Retrieved November 7, 2017.

^ "Taylor Swift Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved January 12, 2012.

^ "Taylor Swift – Billboard Singles". AllMusic. Archived from the original on December 28, 2010. Retrieved December 28, 2010.

^ "Best of 2009 – Hot 100 Songs". Billboard. Archived from the original on April 14, 2013. Retrieved March 6, 2011.

^ "Year End Charts – Hot Country Songs". Billboard. Archived from the original on July 2, 2011. Retrieved August 15, 2011.

Sources

Perone, James E. (2017). The Words and Music of Taylor Swift. The Praeger Singer-Songwriter Collection. ABC-Clio. ISBN 978-1440852947.

Spencer, Liv (2010). Taylor Swift: Every Day Is a Fairytale – The Unofficial Story. ECW Press. ISBN 978-1550229318.

Last edited 1 hour ago by Tbhotch

...

Did you know ...

Fred J. Wiseman

... that Fred J. Wiseman (pictured) delivered the world's first unofficial airmail flight by airplane?

... that a TV station in North Carolina changed its call letters in memory of its general sales manager, who was shot dead in an incident at its studios?

... that little has been known of the exact whereabouts of Iranian communist leader Ashraf Dehghani since she escaped prison in 1973?

... that the contestants on Jet Lag: The Game played a game of capture the flag that spanned the entirety of Japan?

... that Daniel McCaffery campaigned on protecting abortion rights in the 2023 Pennsylvania Supreme Court election, even though judicial candidates typically avoid commenting on specific issues?

... that the Chinese government began compiling an official history of the Qing dynasty in 2002, but as of 2023 a protracted political review is forestalling its publication?

... that a Nebraska radio station chartered an aircraft to search for motorists stranded after a blizzard?

... that the wrestler Brillante Jr. is the younger cousin of the wrestler Brillante Jr.?

Chapter 355: December 8, 2023

Batch unlock chapters

Table of Contents

Display Options

Chapter comments

Paragraph comments