On Friday, Taylor Swift gave the world a glimpse of what is to come from her back catalogue reproductions, through the release of ‘You All Over Me.’
This track is the first of six ‘new’ tracks to be included on her upcoming album. These songs have existed for years, but have never been released to the public until now. They will be featured on ‘Fearless (Taylor’s Version)’, due to be released on April 9th. Listening to this single is like being transported directly back to 2008, with the country-tinged guitar and harmonica backing a rich vocal track. The maturity of Swift’s vocals over her youthful imagery is a true treat.
“The best and worst day of June / Was the one that I met you”
The six unreleased tracks were written when Swift was between the ages of 16 and 18, and they continue to underscore her immense songwriting talent that has only matured with age. In folklore and evermore, Swift flexes her fictional storytelling, but ‘You All Over Me’ takes us directly back to the beginning. It is these honest and semi-autobiographical tracks that resulted in her immense, and still growing fanbase.
The nostalgia of the track draws listeners back to the era of Fearless, the 2008 album that resulted in Swift’s first Album of the Year Grammy win. This track echoes the sound of Fearless, with a collaboration with Aaron Dessner. You’ll recognise his name if you’re a fan of Swift’s work, a producer who is heavily featured in folklore and evermore. There is a synergy between ‘You All Over Me’ and her more recent works, particularly in ‘betty‘ from folklore. This throwback to 2008 Taylor is not completely out of sync with her current production, smoothly following on from her double album release last year.
A particular treat for Swift fans is how this track ties into imagery and themes that are present throughout Swift’s discography. In ‘You All Over Me’, 2008 Swift writes about how “No amount of freedom gets you clean“. The most obvious thematic comparison here is in her 1989 track ‘Clean‘, where she writes “You’re still all over me / Like a wine-stained dress I can’t wear anymore”. The track ends “I think I am finally clean again“, suggesting that she has undergone a deep and personal progression, and the story has finally come full circle.
Swift continues to lift up her peers who inspire her, with the feature of Maren Morris as a backing vocalist in this release. Supporting her peers has been a trait that permeates Swift’s career, including surprise guests on her global tours, and frequent name drops of women who inspire her. She has hinted on her Instagram that re-recording has given her the opportunity to collaborate with her friends and peers, causing much speculation on what else she might have hidden up her sleeve.
