Fearless (Taylor Swift Album) - Singles

Singles

"Love Story" was released as the album's lead single on September 12, 2008 via digital distribution. The song was highly acclaimed by music critics who complimented Swift's writing style and the song's plot. The track was also a commercial success internationally. It is Swift's best-selling single to date, pushing over 6.5 million copies worldwide since January 2010, therefore establishing itself among of the best-selling singles of all time. In the United States, "Love Story" has sold over 5 million digital downloads as of May 2011 and became one of the best-selling singles in the United States. It is the best-selling country single of all time, and was later surpassed by Lady Antebellum's "Need You Now" (2009) in April 2011, but now returned at her record. Furthermore, "Love Story" peaked at number four on the Billboard Hot 100 and marked the highest peak by a country song on Mainstream Top 40 (Pop Songs) since Shania Twain's "You're Still the One" (1998). The track was also Swift's only number one single in Australia, where it was certified triple platinum by the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA). An accompanying music video for "Love Story" was directed by Trey Fanjoy and follows Swift and a love interest as they meet in a university campus and imagine themselves in a prior era.

"White Horse" became Fearless' second single on December 9, 2008. It garnered generally positive reception with critics commenting that Swift was able to make its message palpable and selecting it among the best tracks on Fearless. Although not able to duplicate the success of its predecessor, the ballad was able to perform well commercially. It peaked at number thirteen in the Billboard Hot 100 and number two on Hot Country Songs. It sold over 1.6 million copies in the United States as of February 2011 and managed to chart in Australia, Canada, and the United Kingdom. "White Horse"'s music video was also directed by Fanjoy and features Swift as she decides to end a relationship via phone call after recalling multiple memories with her love interest.

"You Belong with Me" was released as the third single from Fearless on April 26, 2009. Critical reception for the song was mixed, ranging from "every single Taylor Swift hit sounds the same" to naming one of her best songs. However, "You Belong with Me" enjoyed commercial internationally. In the United States, the song is tied for Swift's best-charting effort, with "Today Was a Fairytale" (2010), at number two. Driven mostly by non-country radio airplay, the song established the largest crossover radio audience since Faith Hill's "Breathe" (2000). Selling over 3.6 million copies as of February 2011, the track is the third best-selling country single of all time. Roman White directed the music video for "You Belong with Me", which plot centers on the protagonist secretively loving the male lead, although he has a girlfriend; both the protagonist and antagonist were portrayed by Swift. It won the MTV Video Music Award for Best Female Video in 2009, but during Swift's acceptance speech, rapper Kanye West interrupted, protesting in support of nominee Beyoncé Knowles. The incident caused tumult in the media, with many coming to Swift's defense.

"Fifteen" was released as the fourth single from the album on September 1, 2009. It was praised by numerous critics for its vulnerability and accurate portrayal of a real teenager. Commercially, "Fifteen" was mildly successful, peaking at number twenty-one on the Billboard Hot 100 and number nineteen on the Canadian Hot 100. In the United States, the song sold over 1.1 million digital downloads as of February 2011. The music video for the single was directed by White and is heavily accentuated with special effects. It features Swift walking through a garden, where she relives many memories with her friend.

"Fearless", the album's title track, became the fifth and final single released from Fearless on January 4, 2010. The song generally pleased contemporary critics, many who complimented it for appealing to different age groups. The song peaked at number nine on the Billboard Hot 100 after its release as a promotional single. During that time, it was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for the sales of over 500,000 digital downloads. It therefore became the first single released after being certified gold by the RIAA. Once released as a single, "Fearless" was only able to reach the position of number seventy-six. It also peaked at number thirty-two in Spain. The title track has an associated music video consisting of footage of the tour itself and backstage; it was directed by Todd Cassetty.