Hey Stephen: Difference between revisions

"Hey Stephen (Taylor's Version)"
"Hey Stephen (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	4:14
Label	Republic
Songwriter(s)	Taylor Swift
Producer(s)	Taylor Swift; Christopher Rowe;
Lyric video
	"Hey Stephen (Taylor's Version)" on YouTube

"Hey Stephen"
"Hey Stephen"
Song by Taylor Swift
from the album Fearless
Released	November 11, 2008
Genre	Country pop; folk-pop; teen pop;
Length	4:14
Label	Big Machine
Songwriter(s)	Taylor Swift
Producer(s)	Taylor Swift; Nathan Chapman;

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"Hey Stephen" is a song written and recorded by the American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift for her second studio album, Fearless (2008). It is a country pop, folk-pop, and teen pop song about an unrequited love, inspired by a real-life infatuation. Produced by Swift and Nathan Chapman, "Hey Stephen" features drums inspired by girl-group records, an upright bass that propels its groove, and a subdued Hammond B-3 organ. In reviews of Fearless, critics who picked "Hey Stephen" as an album highlight praised its catchy melody and earnest lyrics about adolescent feelings. The song peaked at number 94 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).

Swift included "Hey Stephen" in the set list of her first headlining tour, the Fearless Tour (2009–2010). Following the 2019 dispute regarding the ownership of Swift's back catalog, she re-recorded the song as "Hey Stephen (Taylor's Version)" for her re-recorded album Fearless (Taylor's Version) (2021). "Hey Stephen (Taylor's Version)" charted in Australia and Canada. In retrospective rankings, some reviewers remained positive but others regarded the track as generic.

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 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 "Hey Stephen" was one of the 13 tracks that made the final cut.^[5]^[6] They produced the track, and Justin Niebank mixed it at Blackbird Studio in Nashville.^[7] In the album liner notes, the secret message for the song is "Love and Theft", referencing the duo Love and Theft that opened shows for her in 2008.^[8]^[a]

When asked by Rolling Stone's Austin Scaggs if Stephen was a real person, Swift replied, "I have no issue with naming names. My personal goal is for my songs to be so detailed that the guy the song is written about knows it's about him."^[10] The song's inspiration was Love and Theft's member Stephen Barker Liles, with whom she had had a friendly relationship.^[11] After Fearless was released, Swift texted him about the song.^[12] She recalled it was "fun" to put a personal confession on the album, which she was "going to have to deal with",^[13] and it was "interesting" to know what Liles had to say about it.^[11] Liles spoke to The Boot (2009): "I was very relieved when it turned out to be a nice song, and it's actually one of the nicest things anybody's ever done for me."^[14] He wrote "Try to Make It Anyway" as an answer song to Swift when they were touring together and released it for download and streaming in 2011.^[15]

Releases

Swift wearing a blue dress and cowboy boots playing a guitar — Swift (*pictured in 2010*) on the Fearless Tour, whose set list included "Hey Stephen"

"Hey Stephen" was released as an album cut on Fearless, on November 11, 2008, by Big Machine Records.^[16] It entered and peaked at number 94 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart dated November 29, 2008.^[17] The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) certified the song gold, denoting 500,000 units based on sales and streaming.^[18] Swift performed the track live at her Australian concert debut at the Tivoli in Brisbane on March 5, 2009.^[19] "Hey Stephen" was part of the mid-show acoustic session on Swift's first headlining tour, the Fearless Tour (2009–2010).^[20] Midway through the performance, Swift would go down the aisle to greet and hug her fans.^[21]^[22] She performed "Hey Stephen" as a "surprise song" outside the regular setlist on the September 18, 2018, St. Louis show of the Reputation Stadium Tour,^[23] and the May 14, 2023, Philadelphia show and the May 11, 2024, Paris show of the Eras Tour.^[24]

After signing a new contract with Republic Records, Swift began re-recording her first six studio albums in November 2020.^[25] The decision followed a public 2019 dispute between Swift and the talent manager Scooter Braun, who acquired Big Machine Records, including the masters of Swift's albums which the label had released.^[26]^[27] 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.^[28] 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.^[29]

The re-recording of "Hey Stephen", subtitled "Taylor's Version", was released as part of Fearless's re-recording, Fearless (Taylor's Version).^[30] Swift released a snippet of "Hey Stephen (Taylor's Version)" on her Twitter account on April 8, 2021,^[31] one day before Republic Records released Fearless (Taylor's Version).^[32] "Hey Stephen (Taylor's Version)" charted in Australia (86)^[33] and Canada (68).^[34] It peaked at number 105 on the Billboard Global 200.^[35] In the United States, "Hey Stephen (Taylor's Version)" peaked at number one on Bubbling Under Hot 100^[36] and number 28 on Billboard's Hot Country Songs chart.^[37]

Music and lyrics

"Hey Stephen"

"Hey Stephen" is a country pop and teen pop song that features girl-group–influenced drums and vocals, an upright bass that propels its groove, and a subdued Hammond B-3. The lyrics are about an unrequited love for a popular boy.

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"Hey Stephen" is a country pop,^[38] folk-pop,^[39] and teen pop song.^[40] It features a production that critics described as "smooth" and "playful".^[b] Instruments on the song include a gut string guitar,^[42] an upright bass that propels its groove,^[6] and a subdued Hammond B-3.^[43] The track incorporates a drum beat that Rob Sheffield of Rolling Stone found reminiscent of the Ronettes' "Be My Baby" (1963),^[44] and Maria Sherman of NPR Music said it evoked classic Motown girl-group records.^[45] Swift uses ad-libs^[46] and chuckles before the final refrain.^[47] The track both starts and ends with Swift humming.^[44] In the original 2008 song, the finger snaps are credited to Martina McBride's children and their friends, who visited Swift one day when she was at the recording studio of McBride's husband, John.^[6]^[48] The re-recorded "Hey Stephen (Taylor's Version)" features the same arrangement, which led to The New York Times' Joe Coscarelli commenting it sounded "more remastered than rerecorded".^[49] Michael A. Lee, a professor in commercial music, identified some minor changes: Swift's voice is richer and less breathy, and the cymbals in the break are louder.^[50]

The lyrics are about an unrequited love for a seemingly out-of-reach boy.^[51]^[52] The title character is a boy in whom "all the girls" are interested, and although they toss stones at his window to get his attention, Swift's character tells Stephen that she is the only one "waiting there even when it's cold".^[53] She confesses to him that she wants to kiss him because of his angelic looks and lists several reasons why he should date her.^[39] In the bridge, Swift's character mentions the reason why Stephen should choose her over other girls: "All those other girls, well they're beautiful, but would they write a song for you?"^[13] Ken Tucker found this lyric to showcase Swift's "confident sense of humor",^[54] and the musicologist James E. Perone commented that it aligned Swift with the 1970s singer-songwriter tradition of mentioning their songwriting profession in their own works.^[55]

"Hey Stephen" incorporates some lyrical motifs that recur in many of Swift's other songs, such as rain ("Can't help it if I wanna kiss you in the rain so")^[c] and waiting for somebody by the window.^[d] At one point, Swift sings, "Hey Stephen, why are people always leaving/ I think you and I should stay the same." The biographer Liv Spencer attributed this lyric to the impact of Swift's touring that "sometimes means too many goodbyes".^[8] In a 2021 article for Gigwise, Kelsey Barnes said "Hey Stephen" was an example of Swift's early songwriting: the track reflected her desire to be "seen, understood, and loved by others", a recurring theme on many of her later songs. For Barnes, it offered a glimpse into Swift's personal life before it became sensationalized in the press.^[13] Annie Zaleski thought that although the lyrics portrayed longing, the song turned out "rather sanguine" thanks to the "swirling" Hammond organ and Swift's "conspiratorial" vocals.^[39]

Critical reception

In album reviews of Fearless, many critics picked "Hey Stephen" as a highlight.^[e] They positively remarked how "Hey Stephen" portrays universal teenage feelings towards love and infatuation^[f]—Craig S. Semon of the Telegram & Gazette said, "Swift's loose and playful confession is enough to make anybody blush."^[60] Others praised Swift's songwriting for creating what they deemed a catchy melody.^[g] Larry Rodgers in The Arizona Republic wrote the track was "hummable pop"^[41] and Chris Richards in The Washington Post praised its "irresistible smile" that could "permanently [lodge] itself in your hippocampus".^[38] Jody Rosen in a review for Rolling Stone selected the song as an example of Swift's songwriting that highlighted her "peculiar charm" on Fearless: "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."^[64] In Slant Magazine, Jonathan Keefe picked "Hey Stephen" as one of the album's most charming cuts and praised the emotional sentiments that resonated with Swift's main audience of teenagers, but he felt it lacked the sophistication that others credited her with.^[40]

In retrospective reviews of the song, Sheffield^[44] and Nate Jones from Vulture complimented its catchy melody. Jones wrote: "Swift is in the zone as a writer, performer, and producer on this winning deep cut."^[46] Jon Bream of the Star Tribune described "Hey Stephen" as "perfect high school pop" and picked it as a highlight on Fearless.^[65] Reviewing the re-recorded "Hey Stephen (Taylor's Version)", Exclaim!'s Heather Taylor-Singh said it retained the original's earnest emotion^[66] and The Line of Best Fit's Ross Horton wrote it remained "superb" as it was before.^[67] Some others were not as complimentary. Hazel Cills of Pitchfork said the track's "extreme specificity", which felt like "a copy of Swift’s yearbook we're somehow privy to", was too much for an already personal album.^[68] Mary Siroky in Consequence called "Hey Stephen" a catchy song but wrote its "repetitive melody" and "cliched" lyrical motifs make it the album's least compelling.^[69] For Perone, although the lyrics are conventional and generic, "Swift's performance and her melodic writing make the song enjoyable and engaging anyway".^[53]

Personnel

"Hey Stephen" (2008)^[7]

Taylor Swift – vocals, writer, producer
Nathan Chapman – producer
Drew Bollman – assistant mixer
Chad Carlson – recording engineer
Justin Niebank – mixer
Andrew Bowers – finger snaps
Burrus Cox – finger snaps
Carolyn Cooper – finger snaps
Lauren Elcan – finger snaps
Delaney McBride – finger snaps
Emma McBride – finger snaps
Nicholas Brown – instruments

"Hey Stephen (Taylor's Version)" (2021)^[29]

Taylor Swift – lead vocals, writer, producer
Christopher Rowe – vocal recording, producer
Max Bernstein – vibraphone
Matt Billingslea – drums, finger snaps
Caitlin Evanson – background vocals
Derek Garten – additional engineer
Serban Ghenea – mixing
John Hanes – engineer
Amos Heller – bass guitar
Mike Meadows – acoustic guitar, Hammond B3, finger snaps, background vocals
David Payne – recording
Lowell Reynolds – assistant recording engineer
Jonathan Yudkin – fiddle, fiddle recording

Charts

"Hey Stephen"

Chart performance for "Hey Stephen"
Chart (2008)	Peak position
US Billboard Hot 100^[17]	94

"Hey Stephen (Taylor's Version)"

Chart performance for "Hey Stephen (Taylor's Version)"
Chart (2021)	Peak position
Australia (ARIA)^[33]	86
Canada (Canadian Hot 100)^[34]	68
Global 200 (Billboard)^[35]	105
US Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles (Billboard)^[36]	1
US Hot Country Songs (Billboard)^[37]	28

Certification

Certification for "Hey Stephen"
Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
United States (RIAA)^[18]	Gold	500,000^‡
^‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Notes

^ The "secret messages" of Swift's songs are decoded by arranging certain capitalized letters in each song's lyrics, printed in the album booklet, in the order they appear to spell out a certain word or phrase.^[9]
^ Attributed respectively to Larry Rodgers for The Arizona Republic^[41] and Jonathan Keefe for Slant Magazine^[40]
^ This imagery features on songs such as "Fearless" ("There's something 'bout the way the street looks when it just rained"), "Forever & Always" ("It rains when you're here and it rains when you're gone"), and "Sparks Fly" ("Drop everything now/ Meet me in the pouring rain").^[56]
^ This imagery features on songs such as "Our Song", "Love Story", and "Come In with the Rain".^[8]
^ Attributed to reviews by Darryl Sterdan for The Edmonton Sun,^[57] Joe Breen for The Irish Times,^[58] and Rob Sheffield for Blender^[59]
^ Attributed to reviews by Craig S. Semon for the Telegram & Gazette,^[60] Katie Hubbard for The Charleston Gazette,^[61] and Thomas Kintner for the Hartford Courant^[62]
^ Attributed to reviews by Hubbard,^[61] Ash Amanda for the Edmonton Journal,^[63] and Chris Richards for The Washington Post^[38]

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.
^ Aswad, Jem (April 14, 2021). "Taylor Swift Reveals to Stephen Colbert Who 'Hey Stephen' Is Really About". Variety. Archived from the original on March 17, 2023. Retrieved December 6, 2021.
^ ^a ^b ^c 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.
^ ^a ^b Swift, Taylor (2008). Fearless (CD liner notes). Big Machine Records.
^ ^a ^b ^c Spencer 2010, p. 66.
^ Strecker, Erin (October 24, 2014). "Taylor Swift's 13 Best Liner Note Secret Messages – So Far". Billboard. Archived from the original on May 18, 2021. Retrieved May 18, 2021.
^ Scaggs, Austin (November 27, 2008). "Q&A: Taylor Swift". Rolling Stone. No. 1066. p. 38. ProQuest 220199620.
^ ^a ^b Oliveira, Michael (November 10, 2008). "Country Singer Taylor Swift, 18, Becoming a Tabloid Target, Top Star with New CD". The Canadian Press. ProQuest 359962569.
^ Hirschberg, Lynn (November 23, 2009). "Little Miss Sunshine". The New York Times. Archived from the original on March 17, 2023. Retrieved March 17, 2023.
^ ^a ^b ^c Barnes, Kelsey (April 15, 2021). "The Story of Us: 'Hey Stephen'". Gigwise. Archived from the original on March 17, 2023. Retrieved December 6, 2021.
^ Gilcrease, Grayson (May 5, 2011). "Taylor Swift's 'Hey Stephen' Inspiration Returns the Favor". The Boot. Archived from the original on April 10, 2023. Retrieved April 10, 2023.
^ Conaway, Alanna (April 28, 2011). "Love and Theft's Stephen Barker Liles Pens Song About Taylor Swift". Taste of Country. Archived from the original on April 26, 2023. Retrieved December 6, 2021.
^ Spencer 2010, p. 58.
^ ^a ^b "Taylor Swift Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved December 6, 2021.
^ ^a ^b "American single certifications – Taylor Swift – Hey Stephen". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved December 6, 2021.
^ Sennett, Sean (March 9, 2009). "Swift Mania Has Arrived". The Australian. p. 30. ProQuest 356693717.
^ Vena, Jocelyn (August 28, 2009). "Taylor Swift Brings Fearless Tour to Madison Square Garden". MTV News. Archived from the original on November 22, 2021. Retrieved November 22, 2021.
^ Trust, Molly (June 8, 2010). "Taylor Swift / June 5, 2010 / Foxboro, Mass". Billboard. Archived from the original on October 2, 2014. Retrieved October 2, 2014.
^ Semon, Craig S. (June 7, 2010). "Taylor Swift Proves Worthy as Queen of Country Music". Telegram & Gazette. Archived from the original on June 8, 2010. Retrieved June 8, 2010.
^ Iasimone, Ashley (November 20, 2018). "All the Surprise Songs Taylor Swift Has Performed on Her Reputation Stadium Tour B-Stage (So Far)". Billboard. Archived from the original on May 27, 2018. Retrieved November 24, 2018.
^ Iasimone, Ashley (May 13, 2024). "All the Surprise Songs Taylor Swift Has Performed on the Eras Tour (So Far)". Billboard. Archived from the original on May 13, 2024. Retrieved May 14, 2024.
^ 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.
^ ^a ^b Swift, Taylor (2021). Fearless (Taylor's Version) (CD liner notes). Republic Records, an imprint of Universal Music Group. 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 February 13, 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 April 18, 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.
^ ^a ^b "The ARIA Report: Week Commencing 19 April 2021". The ARIA Report (1624). Australian Recording Industry Association: 4. April 19, 2021.
^ ^a ^b "Taylor Swift Chart History (Canadian Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved December 6, 2021.
^ ^a ^b "Taylor Swift Chart History (Global 200)". Billboard. Retrieved December 6, 2021.
^ ^a ^b "Taylor Swift Chart History (Bubbling Under Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved December 6, 2021.
^ ^a ^b "Taylor Swift Chart History (Hot Country Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved December 6, 2021.
^ ^a ^b ^c Richards, Chris (November 11, 2008). "Taylor Swift, Fearless and Full of Charm". The Washington Post. p. C01. Archived from the original on November 12, 2012. Retrieved July 14, 2011.
^ ^a ^b ^c Zaleski 2024, p. 34.
^ ^a ^b ^c Keefe, Jonathan (November 16, 2008). "Taylor Swift: Fearless". Slant Magazine. Archived from the original on March 15, 2011. Retrieved March 8, 2011.
^ ^a ^b Rodgers, Larry (December 7, 2008). "Fearless". The Arizona Republic. p. E4. ProQuest 239095110.
^ Bonaguro, Alison (November 10, 2008). "Taylor Swift Shows Her Fearless Side". Chicago Tribune. Archived from the original on March 11, 2009. Retrieved March 11, 2009.
^ Gardner, Tom (November 11, 2008). "Taylor made: Swift's Writing Continues to Improve on New CD". Chicago Tribune. p. 27 – via Associated Press.
^ ^a ^b ^c Sheffield, Rob (October 26, 2021). "'Hey Stephen' (2008)". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on December 7, 2021. Retrieved December 6, 2021.
^ "Still Fearless: Re-Recording The Past On Taylor's Version". NPR. April 12, 2021. Archived from the original on April 18, 2023. Retrieved January 16, 2022.
^ ^a ^b Jones, Nate (January 11, 2021). "Taylor Swift Songs, Ranked From Worst to Best". Vulture. Archived from the original on September 13, 2019. Retrieved December 6, 2021.
^ Willman, Chris (April 9, 2021). "Review: Taylor Swift Turns On a Facsimile Machine for Fearless (Taylor's Version) and Its Ingenious Recreations". Variety. Archived from the original on July 26, 2021. Retrieved December 6, 2021.
^ Spencer 2010, p. 65.
^ "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 April 9, 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.
^ Perkins, Dennis (April 14, 2021). "Taylor Swift's 'Hey Stephen' Isn't About Stephen Colbert, No Matter What Her Vision Board Says". The A.V. Club. Archived from the original on March 17, 2023. Retrieved December 6, 2021.
^ Greenblatt, Leah (November 5, 2008). "Fearless (2008)". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on December 5, 2010. Retrieved March 12, 2010.
^ ^a ^b Perone 2017, p. 21.
^ Tucker, Ken (November 15, 2008). "Fearless". Billboard. Vol. 120, no. 46. p. 41. ProQuest 227228330.
^ Perone 2017, p. 22.
^ Thompson, Erin (November 25, 2011). "Taylor Swift's Speak Now Track 'If This Was A Movie' Is Better Than Her Upcoming New Single". Seattle Weekly. Archived from the original on November 30, 2011. Retrieved December 12, 2011.
^ Sterdan, Darryl (November 23, 2008). "CD Reviews". The Edmonton Sun. p. E13. ProQuest 2177680410.
^ Breen, Joe (March 9, 2009). "Roots". The Irish Times. Archived from the original on December 7, 2021. Retrieved December 6, 2021.
^ Sheffield, Rob. "Taylor Swift: Fearless". Blender. Archived from the original on December 16, 2008. Retrieved October 8, 2018.
^ ^a ^b Semon, Craig S. (November 30, 2008). "Teen Phenom Swift Sings with Fearless Sincerity". Telegram & Gazette. p. G4. ProQuest 269016248.
^ ^a ^b Hubbard, Katie (December 18, 2008). "Taylor Swift's Fearless Is Flawless". The Charleston Gazette. p. 12. ProQuest 331727067.
^ Kintner, Thomas (November 18, 2008). "CD Reviews: Fearless". Hartford Courant. p. C3. ProQuest 257197529.
^ Ash, Amanda (December 6, 2008). "Country Crossover Queen Tones Down Teenage Spite". Edmonton Journal. p. D3. ProQuest 250621343.
^ Rosen, Jody (November 13, 2008). "Fearless". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on August 15, 2012. Retrieved March 21, 2011.
^ Bream, Jon (June 20, 2023). "Our Music Critic Ranks Taylor Swift's Albums From Worst to Best". Star Tribune. Archived from the original on July 21, 2023. Retrieved July 21, 2023.
^ 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.
^ Cills, Hazel (August 19, 2019). "Taylor Swift: Fearless". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on August 19, 2019. Retrieved August 19, 2019.
^ Siroky, Mary (November 10, 2021). "Every Taylor Swift Album, Ranked From Worst to Best". Consequence. Archived from the original on March 28, 2022. Retrieved January 17, 2022.

Sources

Perone, James E. (2017). "Becoming Fearless". The Words and Music of Taylor Swift. The Praeger Singer-Songwriter Collection. ABC-Clio. pp. 5–25. ISBN 978-1-44-085294-7.
Spencer, Liv (2010). Taylor Swift: Every Day Is a Fairytale – The Unofficial Story. ECW Press. ISBN 978-1-55022-931-8.
Zaleski, Annie (2024). "The Fearless Era". Taylor Swift: The Stories Behind the Songs. Thunder Bay Press. pp. 27–52. ISBN 978-1-6672-0845-9.

[10] The "secret messages" of Swift's songs are decoded by arranging certain capitalized letters in each song's lyrics, printed in the album booklet, in the order they appear to spell out a certain word or phrase.^[9]

[43] Attributed respectively to Larry Rodgers for The Arizona Republic^[41] and Jonathan Keefe for Slant Magazine^[40]

[59] This imagery features on songs such as "Fearless" ("There's something 'bout the way the street looks when it just rained"), "Forever & Always" ("It rains when you're here and it rains when you're gone"), and "Sparks Fly" ("Drop everything now/ Meet me in the pouring rain").^[56]

[60] This imagery features on songs such as "Our Song", "Love Story", and "Come In with the Rain".^[8]

[64] Attributed to reviews by Darryl Sterdan for The Edmonton Sun,^[57] Joe Breen for The Irish Times,^[58] and Rob Sheffield for Blender^[59]

[68] Attributed to reviews by Craig S. Semon for the Telegram & Gazette,^[60] Katie Hubbard for The Charleston Gazette,^[61] and Thomas Kintner for the Hartford Courant^[62]

[70] Attributed to reviews by Hubbard,^[61] Ash Amanda for the Edmonton Journal,^[63] and Chris Richards for The Washington Post^[38]

[Kawashima-1] 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.

[billboardq&a-2] Tucker, Ken (March 26, 2008). "The Billboard Q&A: Taylor Swift". Billboard. Archived from the original on July 5, 2013. Retrieved June 21, 2011.

[theoaklandpress-3] 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.

[FOOTNOTEPerone201720-4] Perone 2017, p. 20.

[5] Aswad, Jem (April 14, 2021). "Taylor Swift Reveals to Stephen Colbert Who 'Hey Stephen' Is Really About". Variety. Archived from the original on March 17, 2023. Retrieved December 6, 2021.

[Ganz-6] 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.

[liner-7] Swift, Taylor (2008). Fearless (CD liner notes). Big Machine Records.

[FOOTNOTESpencer201066-8] Spencer 2010, p. 66.

[9] Strecker, Erin (October 24, 2014). "Taylor Swift's 13 Best Liner Note Secret Messages – So Far". Billboard. Archived from the original on May 18, 2021. Retrieved May 18, 2021.

[11] Scaggs, Austin (November 27, 2008). "Q&A: Taylor Swift". Rolling Stone. No. 1066. p. 38. ProQuest 220199620.

[Oliveira-12] Oliveira, Michael (November 10, 2008). "Country Singer Taylor Swift, 18, Becoming a Tabloid Target, Top Star with New CD". The Canadian Press. ProQuest 359962569.

[13] Hirschberg, Lynn (November 23, 2009). "Little Miss Sunshine". The New York Times. Archived from the original on March 17, 2023. Retrieved March 17, 2023.

[gigwise-14] Barnes, Kelsey (April 15, 2021). "The Story of Us: 'Hey Stephen'". Gigwise. Archived from the original on March 17, 2023. Retrieved December 6, 2021.

[15] Gilcrease, Grayson (May 5, 2011). "Taylor Swift's 'Hey Stephen' Inspiration Returns the Favor". The Boot. Archived from the original on April 10, 2023. Retrieved April 10, 2023.

[16] Conaway, Alanna (April 28, 2011). "Love and Theft's Stephen Barker Liles Pens Song About Taylor Swift". Taste of Country. Archived from the original on April 26, 2023. Retrieved December 6, 2021.

[FOOTNOTESpencer201058-17] Spencer 2010, p. 58.

[hot_100-18] "Taylor Swift Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved December 6, 2021.

[riaa-19] "American single certifications – Taylor Swift – Hey Stephen". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved December 6, 2021.

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

[mtv_tour-21] Vena, Jocelyn (August 28, 2009). "Taylor Swift Brings Fearless Tour to Madison Square Garden". MTV News. Archived from the original on November 22, 2021. Retrieved November 22, 2021.

[22] Trust, Molly (June 8, 2010). "Taylor Swift / June 5, 2010 / Foxboro, Mass". Billboard. Archived from the original on October 2, 2014. Retrieved October 2, 2014.

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@@ Line 9: / Line 9: @@
 | released      = {{start date|2008|11|11}}
 | genre         = * [[Country pop]]
+* [[folk-pop]]
 * [[teen pop]]
 | length        = {{duration|m=4|s=14}}
 | label         = [[Big Machine Records|Big Machine]]
 | writer        = Taylor Swift
-| producer      = * [[Nathan Chapman (record producer)|Nathan Chapman]]
+| producer      = * Taylor Swift
+* [[Nathan Chapman (record producer)|Nathan Chapman]]
-* Taylor Swift
 }}
 {{Infobox song
@@ Line 21: / Line 22: @@
 | album         = [[Fearless (Taylor's Version)]]
 | released      = {{start date|2021|4|9}}
 | recorded      =
-| studio        = {{hlist|Black Bird|Prime Recording}} (Nashville)
+| studio        = {{hlist|[[Blackbird Studio|Black Bird]]|Prime Recording}} ([[Nashville]])
 | length        = {{duration|m=4|s=14}}
 | label         = [[Republic Records|Republic]]
@@ Line 31: / Line 32: @@
 }}
-"'''Hey Stephen'''" is a song written and recorded by the American singer-songwriter [[Taylor Swift]] for her second studio album, ''[[Fearless (Taylor Swift album)|Fearless]]'' (2008). It is a [[country pop]] and [[teen pop]] song about an [[unrequited love]], inspired by a real-life infatuation. Produced by Swift and [[Nathan Chapman (record producer)|Nathan Chapman]], "Hey Stephen" features drums inspired by [[Girl group|girl-group]] records, an [[upright bass]] that propels its [[Groove (music)|groove]], and a subdued [[Hammond organ|Hammond B-3 organ]]. In reviews of ''Fearless'', critics who picked "Hey Stephen" as an album highlight praised what they deemed a catchy melody and earnest lyrics about adolescent feelings. The song peaked at number 94 on the US [[Billboard Hot 100|''Billboard'' Hot 100]] and was [[RIAA certification|certified gold]] by the [[Recording Industry Association of America]] (RIAA).
+"'''Hey Stephen'''" is a song written and recorded by the American singer-songwriter [[Taylor Swift]] for her second studio album, ''[[Fearless (Taylor Swift album)|Fearless]]'' (2008). It is a [[country pop]], [[folk-pop]], and [[teen pop]] song about an [[unrequited love]], inspired by a real-life infatuation. Produced by Swift and [[Nathan Chapman (record producer)|Nathan Chapman]], "Hey Stephen" features drums inspired by [[Girl group|girl-group]] records, an [[upright bass]] that propels its [[Groove (music)|groove]], and a subdued [[Hammond organ|Hammond B-3 organ]]. In reviews of ''Fearless'', critics who picked "Hey Stephen" as an album highlight praised its catchy melody and earnest lyrics about adolescent feelings. The song peaked at number 94 on the US [[Billboard Hot 100|''Billboard'' Hot 100]] and was [[RIAA certification|certified gold]] by the [[Recording Industry Association of America]] (RIAA).
 Swift included "Hey Stephen" in the set list of her first headlining tour, the [[Fearless Tour]] (2009–2010). Following the 2019 [[Taylor Swift masters dispute|dispute regarding the ownership]] of Swift's back catalog, she re-recorded the song as "'''Hey Stephen (Taylor's Version)'''" for her re-recorded album ''[[Fearless (Taylor's Version)]]'' (2021). "Hey Stephen (Taylor's Version)" charted in Australia and Canada. In retrospective rankings, some reviewers remained positive but others regarded the track as generic.
 == Background and writing ==
-[[Taylor Swift]] wrote songs for her second studio album, ''[[Fearless (Taylor Swift album)|Fearless]]'', while touring as an opening act for other [[Country music|country]] musicians to promote her [[Taylor Swift (album)|self-titled debut studio album]] during 2007–2008, when she was 17–18 years old.<ref name="Kawashima">{{cite web |last=Kawashima |first=Dale |date=February 16, 2007 |title=Special Interview (2007): Taylor Swift Discusses Her Debut Album, Early Hits, and How She Got Started |url=http://www.songwriteruniverse.com/taylorswift123.htm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160324060932/http://www.songwriteruniverse.com/taylorswift123.htm |archive-date=March 24, 2016 |access-date=December 17, 2010 |website=Songwriter Universe}}</ref><ref name="billboardq&a">{{cite magazine |last=Tucker |first=Ken |author-link=Ken Tucker |date=March 26, 2008 |title=The ''Billboard'' Q&A: Taylor Swift |url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/1046063/the-billboard-qa-taylor-swift |url-status=live |magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130705032846/http://www.billboard.com/articles/news/1046063/the-billboard-qa-taylor-swift |archive-date=July 5, 2013 |access-date=June 21, 2011}}</ref> 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.<ref name="theoaklandpress">{{cite web |last=Graff |first=Gary |date=March 26, 2010 |title=Living ''Fearless'' Taylor Swift Talks About Her Whirlwind Rise to the Top |url=http://www.theoaklandpress.com/articles/2010/03/26/entertainment/doc4baba3395e3ef490410773.txt?viewmode=default |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120716215636/http://www.theoaklandpress.com/articles/2010/03/26/entertainment/doc4baba3395e3ef490410773.txt?viewmode=default |archive-date=July 16, 2012 |access-date=July 1, 2011 |work=[[The Oakland Press]]}}</ref> The end product is a collection of songs about the challenges of love with prominent high-school and fairy-tale lyrical imagery.{{sfn|Perone|2017|p=20}} Swift and the producer [[Nathan Chapman (record producer)|Nathan Chapman]] recorded over 50 songs for ''Fearless'', and "Hey Stephen" was one of the 13 tracks that made the final cut.<ref>{{cite web |last=Aswad |first=Jem |date=April 14, 2021 |title=Taylor Swift Reveals to Stephen Colbert Who 'Hey Stephen' Is Really About |url=https://variety.com/2021/music/news/taylor-swift-hey-stephen-colbert-1234951185/ |access-date=December 6, 2021 |website=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]] |archive-date=March 17, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230317045253/https://variety.com/2021/music/news/taylor-swift-hey-stephen-colbert-1234951185/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="Ganz" /> They produced the track, and Justin Niebank [[Audio mixing (recorded music)|mixed]] it at Blackbird Studios in [[Nashville, Tennessee|Nashville]].<ref name="liner" /> In the album [[liner notes]], the secret message for the song is "Love and Theft", referencing the [[Love and Theft (duo)|eponymous group]] that opened shows for her in 2008.{{Sfn|Spencer|2010|p=66}}{{efn|The "secret messages" of Swift's songs are decoded by arranging certain capitalized letters in each song's lyrics, printed in the album booklet, in the order they appear to spell out a certain word or phrase.<ref>{{cite magazine |last1=Strecker |first1=Erin |title=Taylor Swift's 13 Best Liner Note Secret Messages&nbsp;– So Far |url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/6296379/taylor-swift-liner-note-secret-messages |access-date=May 18, 2021 |magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]] |date=October 24, 2014 |archive-date=May 18, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210518043558/https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/6296379/taylor-swift-liner-note-secret-messages |url-status=live }}</ref>}}
+[[Taylor Swift]] wrote songs for her second studio album, ''[[Fearless (Taylor Swift album)|Fearless]]'', while touring as an opening act for other [[Country music|country]] musicians to promote her first album [[Taylor Swift (album)|''Taylor Swift'']] during 2007–2008, when she was 17–18 years old.<ref name="Kawashima">{{cite web |last=Kawashima |first=Dale |date=February 16, 2007 |title=Special Interview (2007): Taylor Swift Discusses Her Debut Album, Early Hits, and How She Got Started |url=http://www.songwriteruniverse.com/taylorswift123.htm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160324060932/http://www.songwriteruniverse.com/taylorswift123.htm |archive-date=March 24, 2016 |access-date=December 17, 2010 |website=Songwriter Universe}}</ref><ref name="billboardq&a">{{cite magazine |last=Tucker |first=Ken |author-link=Ken Tucker |date=March 26, 2008 |title=The ''Billboard'' Q&A: Taylor Swift |url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/1046063/the-billboard-qa-taylor-swift |url-status=live |magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130705032846/http://www.billboard.com/articles/news/1046063/the-billboard-qa-taylor-swift |archive-date=July 5, 2013 |access-date=June 21, 2011}}</ref> 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.<ref name="theoaklandpress">{{cite web |last=Graff |first=Gary |date=March 26, 2010 |title=Living ''Fearless'' Taylor Swift Talks About Her Whirlwind Rise to the Top |url=http://www.theoaklandpress.com/articles/2010/03/26/entertainment/doc4baba3395e3ef490410773.txt?viewmode=default |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120716215636/http://www.theoaklandpress.com/articles/2010/03/26/entertainment/doc4baba3395e3ef490410773.txt?viewmode=default |archive-date=July 16, 2012 |access-date=July 1, 2011 |work=[[The Oakland Press]]}}</ref> The end product is a collection of songs about the challenges of love with prominent high-school and fairy-tale lyrical imagery.{{sfn|Perone|2017|p=20}} Swift and the producer [[Nathan Chapman (record producer)|Nathan Chapman]] recorded over 50 songs for ''Fearless'', and "Hey Stephen" was one of the 13 tracks that made the final cut.<ref>{{cite web |last=Aswad |first=Jem |date=April 14, 2021 |title=Taylor Swift Reveals to Stephen Colbert Who 'Hey Stephen' Is Really About |url=https://variety.com/2021/music/news/taylor-swift-hey-stephen-colbert-1234951185/ |access-date=December 6, 2021 |website=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]] |archive-date=March 17, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230317045253/https://variety.com/2021/music/news/taylor-swift-hey-stephen-colbert-1234951185/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="Ganz" /> They produced the track, and Justin Niebank [[Audio mixing (recorded music)|mixed]] it at [[Blackbird Studio]] in [[Nashville, Tennessee|Nashville]].<ref name="liner" /> In the album [[liner notes]], the secret message for the song is "Love and Theft", referencing the duo [[Love and Theft (duo)|Love and Theft]] that opened shows for her in 2008.{{Sfn|Spencer|2010|p=66}}{{efn|The "secret messages" of Swift's songs are decoded by arranging certain capitalized letters in each song's lyrics, printed in the album booklet, in the order they appear to spell out a certain word or phrase.<ref>{{cite magazine |last1=Strecker |first1=Erin |title=Taylor Swift's 13 Best Liner Note Secret Messages&nbsp;– So Far |url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/6296379/taylor-swift-liner-note-secret-messages |access-date=May 18, 2021 |magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]] |date=October 24, 2014 |archive-date=May 18, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210518043558/https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/6296379/taylor-swift-liner-note-secret-messages |url-status=live }}</ref>}}
 When asked by ''[[Rolling Stone]]''{{'}}s Austin Scaggs if Stephen was a real person, Swift replied, "I have no issue with naming names. My personal goal is for my songs to be so detailed that the guy the song is written about knows it's about him."<ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Scaggs |first=Austin |date=November 27, 2008 |title=Q&A: Taylor Swift |page=38| issue=1066 |magazine=[[Rolling Stone]] |id={{ProQuest|220199620}}}}</ref> The song's inspiration was Love and Theft's member Stephen Barker Liles, with whom she had had a friendly relationship.<ref name="Oliveira" >{{Cite news |last=Oliveira |first=Michael |date=November 10, 2008 |title=Country Singer Taylor Swift, 18, Becoming a Tabloid Target, Top Star with New CD |work=[[The Canadian Press]] |id={{ProQuest|359962569}}}}</ref> After ''Fearless'' was released, Swift texted him about the song.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Hirschberg |first=Lynn |date=November 23, 2009 |title=Little Miss Sunshine |work=[[The New York Times]] |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/06/t-magazine/womens-fashion/06well-swift.html |url-access=limited |access-date=March 17, 2023 |archive-date=March 17, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230317175237/https://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/06/t-magazine/womens-fashion/06well-swift.html |url-status=live }}</ref> She recalled it was "fun" to put a personal confession on the album, which she was "going to have to deal with",<ref name="gigwise">{{cite web |last=Barnes |first=Kelsey |date=April 15, 2021 |title=The Story of Us: 'Hey Stephen' |url=https://www.gigwise.com/features/3398114/the-story-of-us-hey-stephen |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230317045308/https://gigwise.com/features/3398114/the-story-of-us-hey-stephen |archive-date=March 17, 2023 |access-date=December 6, 2021 |website=[[Gigwise]]}}</ref> and it was "interesting" to know what Liles had to say about it.<ref name="Oliveira" /> Liles spoke to ''[[The Boot (website)|The Boot]]'' (2009): "I was very relieved when it turned out to be a nice song, and it's actually one of the nicest things anybody's ever done for me."<ref>{{cite web |last=Gilcrease |first=Grayson |date=May 5, 2011 |title=Taylor Swift's 'Hey Stephen' Inspiration Returns the Favor |url=https://theboot.com/stephen-barker-liles-taylor-swift-song/ |access-date=April 10, 2023 |website=[[The Boot (website)|The Boot]] |archive-date=April 10, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230410112030/https://theboot.com/stephen-barker-liles-taylor-swift-song/ |url-status=live }}</ref> He wrote "Try to Make It Anyway" as an [[answer song]] to Swift when they were touring together and released it for [[Music download|download]] and [[Streaming media|streaming]] in 2011.<ref>{{cite web |last=Conaway |first=Alanna |date=April 28, 2011 |title=Love and Theft's Stephen Barker Liles Pens Song About Taylor Swift |url=https://tasteofcountry.com/love-and-theft-stephen-barker-liles-taylor-swift-try-to-make-it-anyway/ |access-date=December 6, 2021 |website=[[Taste of Country]] |archive-date=April 26, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230426214357/https://tasteofcountry.com/love-and-theft-stephen-barker-liles-taylor-swift-try-to-make-it-anyway/ |url-status=live }}</ref>
@@ Line 42: / Line 43: @@
 == Releases ==
 [[File:FearlessPrudentialCentMay2010.jpg|thumb|left|upright|Swift (''pictured in 2010'') on the [[Fearless Tour]], whose set list included "Hey Stephen"|alt=Swift wearing a blue dress and cowboy boots playing a guitar]]
-"Hey Stephen" was released as an album cut on ''Fearless'', on November 11, 2008, by [[Big Machine Records]].{{sfn|Spencer|2010|p=58}} It entered and peaked at number 94 on the US [[Billboard Hot 100|''Billboard'' Hot 100]] chart dated November 29, 2008.<ref name="hot 100"/> The [[Recording Industry Association of America]] (RIAA) [[RIAA certification|certified]] the song gold, denoting 500,000 units based on sales and streaming.<ref name="riaa"/> Swift performed the track live at her Australian concert debut at [[the Tivoli]] in Brisbane on March 5, 2009.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Sennett |first=Sean |date=March 9, 2009 |title=Swift Mania Has Arrived |page=30 |work=[[The Australian]] |id={{ProQuest|356693717}}}}</ref> "Hey Stephen" was part of the mid-show acoustic session on Swift's first headlining tour, the [[Fearless Tour]] (2009–2010).<ref name="mtv tour">{{cite web |last=Vena |first=Jocelyn |date=August 28, 2009 |title=Taylor Swift Brings Fearless Tour to Madison Square Garden |url=https://www.mtv.com/news/1619780/taylor-swift-brings-fearless-tour-to-madison-square-garden/ |access-date=November 22, 2021 |publisher=[[MTV News]] |archive-date=November 22, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211122140458/https://www.mtv.com/news/1619780/taylor-swift-brings-fearless-tour-to-madison-square-garden/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Midway through the performance, Swift would go down the aisle to greet and hug her fans.<ref>{{cite magazine |last=Trust |first=Molly |date=June 8, 2010 |title=Taylor Swift / June 5, 2010 / Foxboro, Mass. |url=http://www.billboard.com/articles/photos/live/957869/taylor-swift-june-5-2010-foxboro-mass |url-status=dead |magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141002032401/http://www.billboard.com/articles/photos/live/957869/taylor-swift-june-5-2010-foxboro-mass |archive-date=October 2, 2014 |access-date=October 2, 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Semon |first=Craig S. |date=June 7, 2010 |title=Taylor Swift Proves Worthy as Queen of Country Music |url=http://www.telegram.com/article/20100607/NEWS/6070358 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100608193427/http://www.telegram.com/article/20100607/NEWS/6070358 |archive-date=June 8, 2010 |access-date=June 8, 2010 |website=[[Telegram & Gazette]]}}</ref> She performed "Hey Stephen" as a "surprise song" outside the regular setlist on the September 18, 2018, [[St. Louis]] show of the [[Reputation Stadium Tour]],<ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Iasimone |first=Ashley |date=November 20, 2018 |title=All the Surprise Songs Taylor Swift Has Performed on Her Reputation Stadium Tour B-Stage (So Far) |url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/pop/8458025/taylor-swift-reputation-tour-b-stage-songs-list |magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]] |access-date=November 24, 2018 |archive-date=May 27, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180527060413/https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/pop/8458025/taylor-swift-reputation-tour-b-stage-songs-list |url-status=live }}</ref> and the May 14, 2023, [[Philadelphia]] show and the May 11, 2024, [[Paris]] show of [[the Eras Tour]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Iasimone |first=Ashley |date=May 13, 2024 |title=All the Surprise Songs Taylor Swift Has Performed on the Eras Tour (So Far) |url=https://www.billboard.com/lists/taylor-swift-eras-tour-surprise-songs/ |access-date=May 14, 2024 |website=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]] |archive-date=March 19, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230319011405/https://www.billboard.com/lists/taylor-swift-eras-tour-surprise-songs/ |url-status=live }}</ref>
+"Hey Stephen" was released as an album cut on ''Fearless'', on November 11, 2008, by [[Big Machine Records]].{{sfn|Spencer|2010|p=58}} It entered and peaked at number 94 on the US [[Billboard Hot 100|''Billboard'' Hot 100]] chart dated November 29, 2008.<ref name="hot 100"/> The [[Recording Industry Association of America]] (RIAA) [[RIAA certification|certified]] the song gold, denoting 500,000 units based on sales and streaming.<ref name="riaa"/> Swift performed the track live at her Australian concert debut at [[the Tivoli]] in Brisbane on March 5, 2009.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Sennett |first=Sean |date=March 9, 2009 |title=Swift Mania Has Arrived |page=30 |work=[[The Australian]] |id={{ProQuest|356693717}}}}</ref> "Hey Stephen" was part of the mid-show acoustic session on Swift's first headlining tour, the [[Fearless Tour]] (2009–2010).<ref name="mtv tour">{{cite web |last=Vena |first=Jocelyn |date=August 28, 2009 |title=Taylor Swift Brings Fearless Tour to Madison Square Garden |url=https://www.mtv.com/news/1619780/taylor-swift-brings-fearless-tour-to-madison-square-garden/ |access-date=November 22, 2021 |publisher=[[MTV News]] |archive-date=November 22, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211122140458/https://www.mtv.com/news/1619780/taylor-swift-brings-fearless-tour-to-madison-square-garden/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> Midway through the performance, Swift would go down the aisle to greet and hug her fans.<ref>{{cite magazine |last=Trust |first=Molly |date=June 8, 2010 |title=Taylor Swift / June 5, 2010 / Foxboro, Mass. |url=http://www.billboard.com/articles/photos/live/957869/taylor-swift-june-5-2010-foxboro-mass |url-status=dead |magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141002032401/http://www.billboard.com/articles/photos/live/957869/taylor-swift-june-5-2010-foxboro-mass |archive-date=October 2, 2014 |access-date=October 2, 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Semon |first=Craig S. |date=June 7, 2010 |title=Taylor Swift Proves Worthy as Queen of Country Music |url=http://www.telegram.com/article/20100607/NEWS/6070358 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100608193427/http://www.telegram.com/article/20100607/NEWS/6070358 |archive-date=June 8, 2010 |access-date=June 8, 2010 |website=[[Telegram & Gazette]]}}</ref> She performed "Hey Stephen" as a "surprise song" outside the regular setlist on the September 18, 2018, [[St. Louis]] show of the [[Reputation Stadium Tour]],<ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Iasimone |first=Ashley |date=November 20, 2018 |title=All the Surprise Songs Taylor Swift Has Performed on Her Reputation Stadium Tour B-Stage (So Far) |url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/pop/8458025/taylor-swift-reputation-tour-b-stage-songs-list |magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]] |access-date=November 24, 2018 |archive-date=May 27, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180527060413/https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/pop/8458025/taylor-swift-reputation-tour-b-stage-songs-list |url-status=live }}</ref> and the May 14, 2023, [[Philadelphia]] show and the May 11, 2024, [[Paris]] show of [[the Eras Tour]].<ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Iasimone |first=Ashley |date=May 13, 2024 |title=All the Surprise Songs Taylor Swift Has Performed on the Eras Tour (So Far) |url=https://www.billboard.com/lists/taylor-swift-eras-tour-surprise-songs/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240513185338/https://www.billboard.com/lists/taylor-swift-eras-tour-surprise-songs/ |archive-date=May 13, 2024 |access-date=May 14, 2024 |magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]}}</ref>
-After signing a new contract with [[Republic Records]], Swift began re-recording her first six studio albums in November 2020.<ref>{{cite web |last=Melas |first=Chloe |date=November 16, 2020 |title=Taylor Swift Speaks Out about Sale of Her Masters |url=https://edition.cnn.com/2020/11/16/entertainment/taylor-swift-masters/index.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201118064935/https://www.ctvnews.ca/entertainment/taylor-swift-speaks-out-about-sale-of-her-masters-1.5191925 |archive-date=November 18, 2020 |access-date=November 19, 2020 |publisher=[[CNN]]}}</ref> The decision followed a [[Taylor Swift masters dispute|public 2019 dispute]] between Swift and the talent manager [[Scooter Braun]], who acquired Big Machine Records, including the [[Mastering (audio)|masters]] of Swift's albums which the label had released.<ref>{{Cite news |date=August 22, 2019 |title=Taylor Swift Wants to Re-Record Her Old Hits |work=[[BBC News]] |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-49432817 |url-status=live |access-date=August 22, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190822202321/https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-49432817 |archive-date=August 22, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Finnis |first=Alex |date=November 17, 2020 |title=Taylor Swift Masters: The Controversy around Scooter Braun Selling the Rights to Her Old Music Explained |url=https://inews.co.uk/culture/music/taylor-swift-masters-scooter-braun-selling-rights-music-rerecording-row-explained-762411 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210212170953/https://inews.co.uk/culture/music/taylor-swift-masters-scooter-braun-selling-rights-music-rerecording-row-explained-762411 |archive-date=February 12, 2021 |access-date=February 13, 2021 |work=[[i (newspaper)|i]]}}</ref> By re-recording the albums, Swift had full ownership of the new masters, which enabled her to control the licensing of her songs for [[Synchronization rights|commercial use]] and therefore substituted the Big Machine–owned masters.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Shah |first=Neil |date=April 9, 2021 |title=Taylor Swift Releases New ''Fearless'' Album, Reclaiming Her Back Catalog |work=[[The Wall Street Journal]] |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/taylor-swift-releases-new-fearless-album-reclaiming-her-back-catalog-11617945524 |url-status=live |url-access=subscription |access-date=September 25, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211008111731/https://www.wsj.com/articles/taylor-swift-releases-new-fearless-album-reclaiming-her-back-catalog-11617945524 |archive-date=October 8, 2021 |issn=}}</ref> Swift and [[Christopher Rowe (record producer)|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]].<ref name="TVcreds">{{cite AV media notes|others=Taylor Swift|title=[[Fearless (Taylor's Version)]]|type=CD liner notes|year=2021|publisher=[[Republic Records]], an imprint of [[Universal Music Group]]|id=B0033578-02 (catalog no.)}}</ref>
+After signing a new contract with [[Republic Records]], Swift began re-recording her first six studio albums in November 2020.<ref>{{cite web |last=Melas |first=Chloe |date=November 16, 2020 |title=Taylor Swift Speaks Out about Sale of Her Masters |url=https://edition.cnn.com/2020/11/16/entertainment/taylor-swift-masters/index.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201118064935/https://www.ctvnews.ca/entertainment/taylor-swift-speaks-out-about-sale-of-her-masters-1.5191925 |archive-date=November 18, 2020 |access-date=November 19, 2020 |publisher=[[CNN]]}}</ref> The decision followed a [[Taylor Swift masters dispute|public 2019 dispute]] between Swift and the talent manager [[Scooter Braun]], who acquired Big Machine Records, including the [[Mastering (audio)|masters]] of Swift's albums which the label had released.<ref>{{Cite news |date=August 22, 2019 |title=Taylor Swift Wants to Re-Record Her Old Hits |work=[[BBC News]] |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-49432817 |url-status=live |access-date=August 22, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190822202321/https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-49432817 |archive-date=August 22, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Finnis |first=Alex |date=November 17, 2020 |title=Taylor Swift Masters: The Controversy around Scooter Braun Selling the Rights to Her Old Music Explained |url=https://inews.co.uk/culture/music/taylor-swift-masters-scooter-braun-selling-rights-music-rerecording-row-explained-762411 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210212170953/https://inews.co.uk/culture/music/taylor-swift-masters-scooter-braun-selling-rights-music-rerecording-row-explained-762411 |archive-date=February 12, 2021 |access-date=February 13, 2021 |work=[[i (newspaper)|i]]}}</ref> By re-recording the albums, Swift had full ownership of the new masters, which enabled her to control the licensing of her songs for [[Synchronization rights|commercial use]] and therefore substituted the Big Machine–owned masters.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Shah |first=Neil |date=April 9, 2021 |title=Taylor Swift Releases New ''Fearless'' Album, Reclaiming Her Back Catalog |work=[[The Wall Street Journal]] |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/taylor-swift-releases-new-fearless-album-reclaiming-her-back-catalog-11617945524 |url-status=live |url-access=subscription |access-date=September 25, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211008111731/https://www.wsj.com/articles/taylor-swift-releases-new-fearless-album-reclaiming-her-back-catalog-11617945524 |archive-date=October 8, 2021 |issn=}}</ref> Swift and [[Christopher Rowe (record producer)|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]].<ref name="TVcreds">{{cite AV media notes |others= |title=[[Fearless (Taylor's Version)]] |type=CD liner notes |year=2021 |publisher=[[Republic Records]], an imprint of [[Universal Music Group]] |id=B0033578-02 (catalog no.) |last=Swift |first=Taylor |author-link=Taylor Swift}}</ref>
 The re-recording of "Hey Stephen", subtitled "Taylor's Version", was released as part of ''Fearless''{{'s}} re-recording, ''[[Fearless (Taylor's Version)]]''.<ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Lipshutz |first=Jason |date=February 11, 2021 |title=Taylor Swift Announces Re-Recorded ''Fearless'' Album: Updated 'Love Story' Out Tonight |url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/9524797/taylor-swift-fearless-rerecorded-love-story-release/ |magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210213005253/https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/9524797/taylor-swift-fearless-rerecorded-love-story-release/ |archive-date=February 13, 2021 |access-date=March 7, 2021 |url-status=live }}</ref> Swift released a snippet of "Hey Stephen (Taylor's Version)" on her [[Twitter]] account on April 8, 2021,<ref>{{cite magazine |last=Ginsberg |first=Gab |date=April 8, 2021 |title=Taylor Swift Recruits Olivia Rodrigo & Conan Gray to Help Tease Re-Recorded ''Fearless'' Songs: Hear Multiple New Snippets |url=https://www.billboard.com/music/pop/taylor-swift-olivia-rodrigo-conan-gray-share-clips-fearless-9553262/ |magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]] |access-date=December 6, 2021 |archive-date=April 18, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210418044222/https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/pop/9553262/taylor-swift-olivia-rodrigo-conan-gray-share-clips-fearless/ |url-status=live }}</ref> one day before Republic Records released ''Fearless (Taylor's Version)''.<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/lists/taylor-swift-first-week-album-sales-streams-compare/|title=How Taylor Swift's Recent Album Releases Tell a Story of the ''Midnights'' Rollout|last=Caulfield|first=Keith|magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]|date=October 22, 2022|access-date=March 19, 2023|archive-date=November 7, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221107142607/https://www.billboard.com/lists/taylor-swift-first-week-album-sales-streams-compare/|url-status=live}}</ref> "Hey Stephen (Taylor's Version)" charted in Australia (86)<ref name="aus"/> and Canada (68).<ref name="canada"/> It peaked at number 105 on the [[Billboard Global 200|''Billboard'' Global 200]].<ref name="global"/> In the United States, "Hey Stephen (Taylor's Version)" peaked at number one on [[Bubbling Under Hot 100]]<ref name="bubbling"/> and number 28 on ''Billboard''{{'s}} [[Hot Country Songs]] chart.<ref name="country"/>
@@ Line 55: / Line 56: @@
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-"Hey Stephen" is a [[country pop]] and [[teen pop]] song.<ref name="WP">{{cite news |last=Richards |first=Chris |date=November 11, 2008 |title=Taylor Swift, ''Fearless'' and Full of Charm |page=C01 |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/story/2008/11/10/ST2008111002776.html |url-status=live |access-date=July 14, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121112185553/http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/story/2008/11/10/ST2008111002776.html |archive-date=November 12, 2012}}</ref><ref name="slant">{{cite web |last=Keefe |first=Jonathan |date=November 16, 2008 |title=Taylor Swift: ''Fearless'' |url=https://www.slantmagazine.com/music/review/taylor-swift-fearless/1574 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110315060524/http://www.slantmagazine.com/music/review/taylor-swift-fearless/1574 |archive-date=March 15, 2011 |access-date=March 8, 2011 |work=[[Slant Magazine]]}}</ref> It features a production that critics described as "smooth" and "playful".{{efn|Attributed respectively to Larry Rodgers for ''[[The Arizona Republic]]''<ref name="Rodgers" /> and Jonathan Keefe for ''[[Slant Magazine]]''<ref name="slant" />}} Instruments on the song include a [[gut string guitar]],<ref>{{cite web |last=Bonaguro |first=Alison |date=November 10, 2008 |title=Taylor Swift Shows Her Fearless Side |url=http://archives.chicagotribune.com/2008/nov/10/entertainment/chi-taylor-swift-1109nov09 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090311015440/http://archives.chicagotribune.com/2008/nov/10/entertainment/chi-taylor-swift-1109nov09 |archive-date=March 11, 2009 |access-date=March 11, 2009 |website=[[Chicago Tribune]]}}</ref> an [[upright bass]] that propels its [[Groove (music)|groove]],<ref name="Ganz">{{cite magazine |last=Ganz |first=Caryn |date=October 2, 2008 |title=Fall Music Preview: Taylor Swift's ''Fearless'' |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/fall-music-preview-taylor-swifts-fearless-242318/ |magazine=[[Rolling Stone]] |access-date=February 9, 2022 |url-access=limited |archive-date=February 9, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220209073750/https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/fall-music-preview-taylor-swifts-fearless-242318/ |url-status=live }}</ref> and a subdued [[Hammond organ|Hammond B-3]].<ref>{{cite news |last=Gardner |first=Tom |date=November 11, 2008 |title=Taylor made: Swift's Writing Continues to Improve on New CD |page=27 |newspaper=[[Chicago Tribune]] |via=[[Associated Press]]}}</ref> The track incorporates a drum beat that [[Rob Sheffield]] of ''Rolling Stone'' found reminiscent of [[the Ronettes]]' "[[Be My Baby]]" (1963),<ref name="sheffield best">{{cite magazine |last=Sheffield |first=Rob |author-link=Rob Sheffield |date=October 26, 2021 |title='Hey Stephen' (2008) |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-lists/taylor-swift-songs-ranked-rob-sheffield-201800/hey-stephen-2008-195616/ |magazine=[[Rolling Stone]] |access-date=December 6, 2021 |archive-date=December 7, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211207052001/https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-lists/taylor-swift-songs-ranked-rob-sheffield-201800/hey-stephen-2008-195616/ |url-status=live }}</ref> and Maria Sherman of [[NPR Music]] said it evoked classic [[Motown]] girl-group records.<ref>{{cite web |date=April 12, 2021 |title=Still ''Fearless'': Re-Recording The Past On Taylor's Version |url=https://www.npr.org/2021/04/12/985842675/still-fearless-re-recording-the-past-on-taylors-version |access-date=January 16, 2022 |publisher=[[NPR]] |archive-date=April 18, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230418045503/https://www.npr.org/2021/04/12/985842675/still-fearless-re-recording-the-past-on-taylors-version |url-status=live }}</ref> Swift uses [[Ad libitum|ad-libs]]<ref name="vulture">{{cite web |last=Jones |first=Nate |date=January 11, 2021 |title=Taylor Swift Songs, Ranked From Worst to Best |url=https://www.vulture.com/article/all-taylor-swift-songs-ranked-from-worst-to-best.html |url-access=limited |access-date=December 6, 2021 |website=[[Vulture (website)|Vulture]] |archive-date=September 13, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190913234630/https://www.vulture.com/article/all-taylor-swift-songs-ranked-from-worst-to-best.html |url-status=live }}</ref> and chuckles before the final [[refrain]].<ref>{{cite web |last=Willman |first=Chris |date=April 9, 2021 |title=Review: Taylor Swift Turns On a Facsimile Machine for ''Fearless (Taylor's Version)'' and Its Ingenious Recreations |url=https://variety.com/2021/music/reviews/taylor-swift-fearless-taylors-version-album-review-vault-1234947622/ |access-date=December 6, 2021 |website=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]] |archive-date=July 26, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210726170137/https://variety.com/2021/music/reviews/taylor-swift-fearless-taylors-version-album-review-vault-1234947622/ |url-status=live }}</ref> The track both starts and ends with Swift humming.<ref name="sheffield best" /> In the original 2008 song, the finger snaps are credited to country musician [[Martina McBride]]'s children and their friends, who visited Swift one day when she was at the recording studio of McBride's husband, John.<ref name="Ganz" />{{sfn|Spencer|2010|p=65}} The re-recorded "Hey Stephen (Taylor's Version)" features the same arrangement, which led to ''[[The New York Times]]''<nowiki/>' Joe Coscarelli commenting it sounded "more [[remaster]]ed than rerecorded".<ref name="The New York Times-2021">{{cite news |date=April 9, 2021 |title=Taylor Swift Remade ''Fearless'' as ''Taylor's Version.'' Let's Discuss. |newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2021/04/09/arts/music/taylor-swift-fearless-taylors-version.html |url-status=live |url-access=limited |access-date=April 9, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210409224903/https://www.nytimes.com/2021/04/09/arts/music/taylor-swift-fearless-taylors-version.html |archive-date=April 9, 2021}}</ref> Michael A. Lee, a professor in commercial music, identified some minor changes: Swift's voice is richer and less breathy, and the [[cymbal]]s in the [[Break (music)|break]] are louder.<ref>{{cite magazine |last=Huff |first=Lauren |date=April 13, 2021 |title=Taylor Swift's New ''Fearless'' Album Sounds Different—We Got An Expert to Tell Us Why |url=https://ew.com/music/taylor-swift-new-fearless-album-differences/ |magazine=[[Entertainment Weekly]] |access-date=December 6, 2021 |archive-date=December 7, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211207051047/https://ew.com/music/taylor-swift-new-fearless-album-differences/ |url-status=live }}</ref>
+"Hey Stephen" is a [[country pop]],<ref name="WP">{{cite news |last=Richards |first=Chris |date=November 11, 2008 |title=Taylor Swift, ''Fearless'' and Full of Charm |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/story/2008/11/10/ST2008111002776.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121112185553/http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/story/2008/11/10/ST2008111002776.html |archive-date=November 12, 2012 |access-date=July 14, 2011 |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |page=C01}}</ref> [[folk-pop]],{{Sfn|Zaleski|2024|p=34}} and [[teen pop]] song.<ref name="slant">{{cite web |last=Keefe |first=Jonathan |date=November 16, 2008 |title=Taylor Swift: ''Fearless'' |url=https://www.slantmagazine.com/music/review/taylor-swift-fearless/1574 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110315060524/http://www.slantmagazine.com/music/review/taylor-swift-fearless/1574 |archive-date=March 15, 2011 |access-date=March 8, 2011 |work=[[Slant Magazine]]}}</ref> It features a production that critics described as "smooth" and "playful".{{efn|Attributed respectively to Larry Rodgers for ''[[The Arizona Republic]]''<ref name="Rodgers" /> and Jonathan Keefe for ''[[Slant Magazine]]''<ref name="slant" />}} Instruments on the song include a [[gut string guitar]],<ref>{{cite web |last=Bonaguro |first=Alison |date=November 10, 2008 |title=Taylor Swift Shows Her Fearless Side |url=http://archives.chicagotribune.com/2008/nov/10/entertainment/chi-taylor-swift-1109nov09 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090311015440/http://archives.chicagotribune.com/2008/nov/10/entertainment/chi-taylor-swift-1109nov09 |archive-date=March 11, 2009 |access-date=March 11, 2009 |website=[[Chicago Tribune]]}}</ref> an [[upright bass]] that propels its [[Groove (music)|groove]],<ref name="Ganz">{{cite magazine |last=Ganz |first=Caryn |date=October 2, 2008 |title=Fall Music Preview: Taylor Swift's ''Fearless'' |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/fall-music-preview-taylor-swifts-fearless-242318/ |magazine=[[Rolling Stone]] |access-date=February 9, 2022 |url-access=limited |archive-date=February 9, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220209073750/https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/fall-music-preview-taylor-swifts-fearless-242318/ |url-status=live }}</ref> and a subdued [[Hammond organ|Hammond B-3]].<ref>{{cite news |last=Gardner |first=Tom |date=November 11, 2008 |title=Taylor made: Swift's Writing Continues to Improve on New CD |page=27 |newspaper=[[Chicago Tribune]] |via=[[Associated Press]]}}</ref> The track incorporates a drum beat that [[Rob Sheffield]] of ''Rolling Stone'' found reminiscent of [[the Ronettes]]' "[[Be My Baby]]" (1963),<ref name="sheffield best">{{cite magazine |last=Sheffield |first=Rob |author-link=Rob Sheffield |date=October 26, 2021 |title='Hey Stephen' (2008) |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-lists/taylor-swift-songs-ranked-rob-sheffield-201800/hey-stephen-2008-195616/ |magazine=[[Rolling Stone]] |access-date=December 6, 2021 |archive-date=December 7, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211207052001/https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-lists/taylor-swift-songs-ranked-rob-sheffield-201800/hey-stephen-2008-195616/ |url-status=live }}</ref> and Maria Sherman of [[NPR Music]] said it evoked classic [[Motown]] girl-group records.<ref>{{cite web |date=April 12, 2021 |title=Still ''Fearless'': Re-Recording The Past On Taylor's Version |url=https://www.npr.org/2021/04/12/985842675/still-fearless-re-recording-the-past-on-taylors-version |access-date=January 16, 2022 |publisher=[[NPR]] |archive-date=April 18, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230418045503/https://www.npr.org/2021/04/12/985842675/still-fearless-re-recording-the-past-on-taylors-version |url-status=live }}</ref> Swift uses [[Ad libitum|ad-libs]]<ref name="vulture">{{cite web |last=Jones |first=Nate |date=January 11, 2021 |title=Taylor Swift Songs, Ranked From Worst to Best |url=https://www.vulture.com/article/all-taylor-swift-songs-ranked-from-worst-to-best.html |url-access=limited |access-date=December 6, 2021 |website=[[Vulture (website)|Vulture]] |archive-date=September 13, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190913234630/https://www.vulture.com/article/all-taylor-swift-songs-ranked-from-worst-to-best.html |url-status=live }}</ref> and chuckles before the final [[refrain]].<ref>{{cite web |last=Willman |first=Chris |date=April 9, 2021 |title=Review: Taylor Swift Turns On a Facsimile Machine for ''Fearless (Taylor's Version)'' and Its Ingenious Recreations |url=https://variety.com/2021/music/reviews/taylor-swift-fearless-taylors-version-album-review-vault-1234947622/ |access-date=December 6, 2021 |website=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]] |archive-date=July 26, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210726170137/https://variety.com/2021/music/reviews/taylor-swift-fearless-taylors-version-album-review-vault-1234947622/ |url-status=live }}</ref> The track both starts and ends with Swift humming.<ref name="sheffield best" /> In the original 2008 song, the finger snaps are credited to [[Martina McBride]]'s children and their friends, who visited Swift one day when she was at the recording studio of McBride's husband, John.<ref name="Ganz" />{{sfn|Spencer|2010|p=65}} The re-recorded "Hey Stephen (Taylor's Version)" features the same arrangement, which led to ''[[The New York Times]]''<nowiki/>' Joe Coscarelli commenting it sounded "more [[remaster]]ed than rerecorded".<ref name="The New York Times-2021">{{cite news |date=April 9, 2021 |title=Taylor Swift Remade ''Fearless'' as ''Taylor's Version.'' Let's Discuss. |newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2021/04/09/arts/music/taylor-swift-fearless-taylors-version.html |url-status=live |url-access=limited |access-date=April 9, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210409224903/https://www.nytimes.com/2021/04/09/arts/music/taylor-swift-fearless-taylors-version.html |archive-date=April 9, 2021}}</ref> Michael A. Lee, a professor in commercial music, identified some minor changes: Swift's voice is richer and less breathy, and the [[cymbal]]s in the [[Break (music)|break]] are louder.<ref>{{cite magazine |last=Huff |first=Lauren |date=April 13, 2021 |title=Taylor Swift's New ''Fearless'' Album Sounds Different—We Got An Expert to Tell Us Why |url=https://ew.com/music/taylor-swift-new-fearless-album-differences/ |magazine=[[Entertainment Weekly]] |access-date=December 6, 2021 |archive-date=December 7, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211207051047/https://ew.com/music/taylor-swift-new-fearless-album-differences/ |url-status=live }}</ref>
+The lyrics are about an [[unrequited love]] for a seemingly out-of-reach boy.<ref>{{cite web |last=Perkins |first=Dennis |date=April 14, 2021 |title=Taylor Swift's 'Hey Stephen' Isn't About Stephen Colbert, No Matter What Her Vision Board Says |url=https://www.avclub.com/taylor-swifts-hey-stephen-isnt-about-stephen-colbert-1846680157 |access-date=December 6, 2021 |website=[[The A.V. Club]] |archive-date=March 17, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230317045301/https://www.avclub.com/taylor-swifts-hey-stephen-isnt-about-stephen-colbert-1846680157 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="ew">{{cite magazine |last=Greenblatt |first=Leah |date=November 5, 2008 |title=''Fearless'' (2008) |url=https://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20237814,00.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101205035408/http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20237814,00.html |archive-date=December 5, 2010 |access-date=March 12, 2010 |magazine=[[Entertainment Weekly]]}}</ref> The title character is a boy in whom "all the girls" are interested, and although they toss stones at his window to get his attention, Swift's character tells Stephen that she is the only one "waiting there even when it's cold".{{Sfn|Perone|2017|p=21}} She confesses to him that she wants to kiss him because of his angelic looks and lists several reasons why he should date her.{{Sfn|Zaleski|2024|p=34}} In the [[Bridge (music)|bridge]], Swift's character mentions the reason why Stephen should choose her over other girls: "All those other girls, well they're beautiful, but would they write a song for you?"<ref name="gigwise" /> [[Ken Tucker]] found this lyric to showcase Swift's "confident sense of humor",<ref>{{cite magazine|last=Tucker|first=Ken|author-link=Ken Tucker|title=''Fearless''|magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]|date=November 15, 2008|page=41|volume=120|issue=46|id={{ProQuest|227228330}}}}</ref> and the [[musicologist]] James E. Perone commented that it aligned Swift with the 1970s singer-songwriter tradition of mentioning their songwriting profession in their own works.{{sfn|Perone|2017|p=22}}
-The lyrics are about an [[unrequited love]] for a seemingly out-of-reach boy.<ref>{{cite web |last=Perkins |first=Dennis |date=April 14, 2021 |title=Taylor Swift's 'Hey Stephen' Isn't About Stephen Colbert, No Matter What Her Vision Board Says |url=https://www.avclub.com/taylor-swifts-hey-stephen-isnt-about-stephen-colbert-1846680157 |access-date=December 6, 2021 |website=[[The A.V. Club]] |archive-date=March 17, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230317045301/https://www.avclub.com/taylor-swifts-hey-stephen-isnt-about-stephen-colbert-1846680157 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="ew">{{cite magazine |last=Greenblatt |first=Leah |date=November 5, 2008 |title=''Fearless'' (2008) |url=https://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20237814,00.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101205035408/http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20237814,00.html |archive-date=December 5, 2010 |access-date=March 12, 2010 |magazine=[[Entertainment Weekly]]}}</ref> The title character is a boy in whom "all the girls" are interested, and although they toss stones at his window to get his attention, Swift's character tells Stephen that she is the only one "waiting there even when it's cold".{{Sfn|Perone|2017|p=21}} "Hey Stephen" incorporates some lyrical motifs that recur in many of Swift's other songs, such as rain ("Can't help it if I wanna kiss you in the rain so"){{efn|This imagery features on songs such as "[[Fearless (Taylor Swift song)|Fearless]]" ("There's something 'bout the way the street looks when it just rained"), "[[Forever & Always]]" ("It rains when you're here and it rains when you're gone"), and "[[Sparks Fly (song)|Sparks Fly]]" ("Drop everything now/ Meet me in the pouring rain").<ref name="seattle">{{cite web |last=Thompson |first=Erin |date=November 25, 2011 |title=Taylor Swift's ''Speak Now'' Track 'If This Was A Movie' Is Better Than Her Upcoming New Single |url=http://blogs.seattleweekly.com/reverb/2011/11/taylor_swifts_speak_now_track.php |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111130224247/http://blogs.seattleweekly.com/reverb/2011/11/taylor_swifts_speak_now_track.php |archive-date=November 30, 2011 |access-date=December 12, 2011 |website=[[Seattle Weekly]]}}</ref>}} and waiting for somebody by the window.{{Efn|This imagery features on songs such as "[[Our Song (Taylor Swift song)|Our Song]]", "[[Love Story (Taylor Swift song)|Love Story]]", and "Come In with the Rain".{{sfn|Spencer|2010|p=66}}}} At one point, Swift sings, "Hey Stephen, why are people always leaving/ I think you and I should stay the same". Biographer Liv Spencer attributed this lyric to the impact of Swift's touring that "sometimes means too many goodbyes".{{sfn|Spencer|2010|p=66}} In the [[Bridge (music)|bridge]], Swift's character mentions the reason why Stephen should date her: "All those other girls, well they're beautiful, but would they write a song for you?"<ref name="gigwise" /> The critic [[Ken Tucker]] found this lyric to showcase Swift's "confident sense of humor",<ref>{{cite magazine|last=Tucker|first=Ken|author-link=Ken Tucker|title=''Fearless''|magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]|date=November 15, 2008|page=41|volume=120|issue=46|id={{ProQuest|227228330}}}}</ref> and the [[musicologist]] James E. Perone commented that it aligned Swift with the 1970s singer-songwriter tradition of mentioning their songwriting profession in their own works.{{sfn|Perone|2017|p=22}} In a 2021 article for ''[[Gigwise]]'', Kelsey Barnes said "Hey Stephen" was an example of Swift's songwriting tropes: the track reflected her desire to be "seen, understood, and loved by others", a recurring theme on many of her later songs. For Barnes, it offered a glimpse into Swift's personal life before it became sensationalized in the press.<ref name="gigwise" />
+"Hey Stephen" incorporates some lyrical motifs that recur in many of Swift's other songs, such as rain ("Can't help it if I wanna kiss you in the rain so"){{efn|This imagery features on songs such as "[[Fearless (Taylor Swift song)|Fearless]]" ("There's something 'bout the way the street looks when it just rained"), "[[Forever & Always]]" ("It rains when you're here and it rains when you're gone"), and "[[Sparks Fly (song)|Sparks Fly]]" ("Drop everything now/ Meet me in the pouring rain").<ref name="seattle">{{cite web |last=Thompson |first=Erin |date=November 25, 2011 |title=Taylor Swift's ''Speak Now'' Track 'If This Was A Movie' Is Better Than Her Upcoming New Single |url=http://blogs.seattleweekly.com/reverb/2011/11/taylor_swifts_speak_now_track.php |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111130224247/http://blogs.seattleweekly.com/reverb/2011/11/taylor_swifts_speak_now_track.php |archive-date=November 30, 2011 |access-date=December 12, 2011 |website=[[Seattle Weekly]]}}</ref>}} and waiting for somebody by the window.{{Efn|This imagery features on songs such as "[[Our Song (Taylor Swift song)|Our Song]]", "[[Love Story (Taylor Swift song)|Love Story]]", and "Come In with the Rain".{{sfn|Spencer|2010|p=66}}}} At one point, Swift sings, "Hey Stephen, why are people always leaving/ I think you and I should stay the same." The biographer Liv Spencer attributed this lyric to the impact of Swift's touring that "sometimes means too many goodbyes".{{sfn|Spencer|2010|p=66}} In a 2021 article for ''[[Gigwise]]'', Kelsey Barnes said "Hey Stephen" was an example of Swift's early songwriting: the track reflected her desire to be "seen, understood, and loved by others", a recurring theme on many of her later songs. For Barnes, it offered a glimpse into Swift's personal life before it became sensationalized in the press.<ref name="gigwise" /> [[Annie Zaleski]] thought that although the lyrics portrayed longing, the song turned out "rather sanguine" thanks to the "swirling" Hammond organ and Swift's "conspiratorial" vocals.{{Sfn|Zaleski|2024|p=34}}
 == Critical reception ==
-In album reviews of ''Fearless'', many critics picked "Hey Stephen" as a highlight.{{efn|Attributed to reviews by Darryl Sterdan for ''[[The Edmonton Sun]]'',<ref>{{Cite news |last=Sterdan |first=Darryl |date=November 23, 2008 |title=CD Reviews |page=E13 |work=[[The Edmonton Sun]] |id={{ProQuest|2177680410}}}}</ref> Joe Breen for ''[[The Irish Times]]'',<ref name="irish times">{{cite news |last=Breen |first=Joe |date=March 9, 2009 |title=Roots |newspaper=[[The Irish Times]] |url=https://www.irishtimes.com/culture/roots-1.726955 |access-date=December 6, 2021 |archive-date=December 7, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211207032356/https://www.irishtimes.com/culture/roots-1.726955 |url-status=live }}</ref> and Rob Sheffield for ''[[Blender (magazine)|Blender]]''<ref name="blender">{{cite journal |last=Sheffield |first=Rob |author-link=Rob Sheffield |title=Taylor Swift: ''Fearless'' |url=http://www.blender.com/guide/reviews.aspx?id=5374 |url-status=dead |journal=[[Blender (magazine)|Blender]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081216051131/http://www.blender.com/guide/reviews.aspx?id=5374 |archive-date=December 16, 2008 |access-date=October 8, 2018}}</ref>}} They positively remarked how "Hey Stephen" portrays universal teenage feelings towards love and infatuation{{efn|Attributed to reviews by Craig S. Semon for the ''[[Telegram & Gazette]]'',<ref name="Gazette"/> Katie Hubbard for ''[[The Charleston Gazette]]'',<ref name="Hubbard">{{Cite news |last=Hubbard |first=Katie |date=December 18, 2008 |title=Taylor Swift's ''Fearless'' Is Flawless |page=12 |work=[[The Charleston Gazette]] |id={{ProQuest|331727067}}}}</ref> and Thomas Kintner for the ''[[Hartford Courant]]''<ref>{{Cite news |last=Kintner |first=Thomas |date=November 18, 2008 |title=CD Reviews: ''Fearless'' |page=C3 |work=[[Hartford Courant]] |id={{ProQuest|257197529}}}}</ref>}}—Craig S. Semon of the ''[[Telegram & Gazette]]'' said, "Swift's loose and playful confession is enough to make anybody blush."<ref name="Gazette">{{Cite news |last=Semon |first=Craig S. |date=November 30, 2008 |title=Teen Phenom Swift Sings with ''Fearless'' Sincerity |work=[[Telegram & Gazette]] |page=G4 |id={{ProQuest|269016248}}}}</ref> Others praised Swift's songwriting for creating what they deemed a catchy melody.{{efn|Attributed to reviews by Hubbard,<ref name="Hubbard"/> Ash Amanda for the ''[[Edmonton Journal]]'',<ref>{{Cite news |last=Ash |first=Amanda |date=December 6, 2008 |title=Country Crossover Queen Tones Down Teenage Spite |page=D3 |work=[[Edmonton Journal]] |id={{ProQuest|250621343}}}}</ref> and Chris Richards for ''[[The Washington Post]]''<ref name="WP"/>}} Larry Rodgers in ''[[The Arizona Republic]]'' wrote the track was "hummable pop"<ref name="Rodgers">{{Cite news |last=Rodgers |first=Larry |date=December 7, 2008 |title=''Fearless'' |page=E4 |work=[[The Arizona Republic]] |id={{ProQuest|239095110}}}}</ref> and Chris Richards in ''[[The Washington Post]]'' praised its "irresistible smile" that could "permanently [lodge] itself in your [[hippocampus]]".<ref name="WP"/> [[Jody Rosen]] in a review for ''Rolling Stone'' selected the song as an example of Swift's songwriting that highlighted her "peculiar charm" on ''Fearless'': "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."<ref>{{cite magazine |last=Rosen |first=Jody |author-link=Jody Rosen |date=November 13, 2008 |title=''Fearless'' |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/albumreviews/fearless-20081113 |url-status=live |magazine=[[Rolling Stone]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120815082027/http://www.rollingstone.com/music/albumreviews/fearless-20081113 |archive-date=August 15, 2012 |access-date=March 21, 2011 |url-access=limited}}</ref> In ''[[Slant Magazine]]'', Jonathan Keefe picked "Hey Stephen" as one of the album's most charming cuts and praised the emotional sentiments that resonated with Swift's main audience of teenagers, but he felt it lacked the sophistication that others credited her with.<ref name="slant" />F
+In album reviews of ''Fearless'', many critics picked "Hey Stephen" as a highlight.{{efn|Attributed to reviews by Darryl Sterdan for ''[[The Edmonton Sun]]'',<ref>{{Cite news |last=Sterdan |first=Darryl |date=November 23, 2008 |title=CD Reviews |page=E13 |work=[[The Edmonton Sun]] |id={{ProQuest|2177680410}}}}</ref> Joe Breen for ''[[The Irish Times]]'',<ref name="irish times">{{cite news |last=Breen |first=Joe |date=March 9, 2009 |title=Roots |newspaper=[[The Irish Times]] |url=https://www.irishtimes.com/culture/roots-1.726955 |access-date=December 6, 2021 |archive-date=December 7, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211207032356/https://www.irishtimes.com/culture/roots-1.726955 |url-status=live }}</ref> and Rob Sheffield for ''[[Blender (magazine)|Blender]]''<ref name="blender">{{cite journal |last=Sheffield |first=Rob |author-link=Rob Sheffield |title=Taylor Swift: ''Fearless'' |url=http://www.blender.com/guide/reviews.aspx?id=5374 |url-status=dead |journal=[[Blender (magazine)|Blender]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081216051131/http://www.blender.com/guide/reviews.aspx?id=5374 |archive-date=December 16, 2008 |access-date=October 8, 2018}}</ref>}} They positively remarked how "Hey Stephen" portrays universal teenage feelings towards love and infatuation{{efn|Attributed to reviews by Craig S. Semon for the ''[[Telegram & Gazette]]'',<ref name="Gazette"/> Katie Hubbard for ''[[The Charleston Gazette]]'',<ref name="Hubbard">{{Cite news |last=Hubbard |first=Katie |date=December 18, 2008 |title=Taylor Swift's ''Fearless'' Is Flawless |page=12 |work=[[The Charleston Gazette]] |id={{ProQuest|331727067}}}}</ref> and Thomas Kintner for the ''[[Hartford Courant]]''<ref>{{Cite news |last=Kintner |first=Thomas |date=November 18, 2008 |title=CD Reviews: ''Fearless'' |page=C3 |work=[[Hartford Courant]] |id={{ProQuest|257197529}}}}</ref>}}—Craig S. Semon of the ''[[Telegram & Gazette]]'' said, "Swift's loose and playful confession is enough to make anybody blush."<ref name="Gazette">{{Cite news |last=Semon |first=Craig S. |date=November 30, 2008 |title=Teen Phenom Swift Sings with ''Fearless'' Sincerity |work=[[Telegram & Gazette]] |page=G4 |id={{ProQuest|269016248}}}}</ref> Others praised Swift's songwriting for creating what they deemed a catchy melody.{{efn|Attributed to reviews by Hubbard,<ref name="Hubbard"/> Ash Amanda for the ''[[Edmonton Journal]]'',<ref>{{Cite news |last=Ash |first=Amanda |date=December 6, 2008 |title=Country Crossover Queen Tones Down Teenage Spite |page=D3 |work=[[Edmonton Journal]] |id={{ProQuest|250621343}}}}</ref> and Chris Richards for ''[[The Washington Post]]''<ref name="WP"/>}} Larry Rodgers in ''[[The Arizona Republic]]'' wrote the track was "hummable pop"<ref name="Rodgers">{{Cite news |last=Rodgers |first=Larry |date=December 7, 2008 |title=''Fearless'' |page=E4 |work=[[The Arizona Republic]] |id={{ProQuest|239095110}}}}</ref> and Chris Richards in ''[[The Washington Post]]'' praised its "irresistible smile" that could "permanently [lodge] itself in your [[hippocampus]]".<ref name="WP"/> [[Jody Rosen]] in a review for ''Rolling Stone'' selected the song as an example of Swift's songwriting that highlighted her "peculiar charm" on ''Fearless'': "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."<ref>{{cite magazine |last=Rosen |first=Jody |author-link=Jody Rosen |date=November 13, 2008 |title=''Fearless'' |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/albumreviews/fearless-20081113 |url-status=live |magazine=[[Rolling Stone]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120815082027/http://www.rollingstone.com/music/albumreviews/fearless-20081113 |archive-date=August 15, 2012 |access-date=March 21, 2011 |url-access=limited}}</ref> In ''[[Slant Magazine]]'', Jonathan Keefe picked "Hey Stephen" as one of the album's most charming cuts and praised the emotional sentiments that resonated with Swift's main audience of teenagers, but he felt it lacked the sophistication that others credited her with.<ref name="slant" />
 In retrospective reviews of the song, Sheffield<ref name="sheffield best" /> and Nate Jones from ''[[Vulture (website)|Vulture]]'' complimented its catchy melody. Jones wrote: "Swift is in the zone as a writer, performer, and producer on this winning deep cut."<ref name="vulture" /> Jon Bream of the ''[[Star Tribune]]'' described "Hey Stephen" as "perfect high school pop" and picked it as a highlight on ''Fearless''.<ref name="Bream-2023">{{Cite web |last=Bream |first=Jon |date=June 20, 2023 |title=Our Music Critic Ranks Taylor Swift's Albums From Worst to Best |url=https://www.startribune.com/taylor-swift-jack-antonoff-aaron-dessner-grammy-folklore-1989-red-speak-now-kanye-west-harry-styles/600283837/ |url-access=subscription |access-date=2023-07-21 |website=[[Star Tribune]] |archive-date=July 21, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230721103804/https://www.startribune.com/taylor-swift-jack-antonoff-aaron-dessner-grammy-folklore-1989-red-speak-now-kanye-west-harry-styles/600283837/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Reviewing the re-recorded "Hey Stephen (Taylor's Version)", ''[[Exclaim!]]''<nowiki/>'s Heather Taylor-Singh said it retained the original's earnest emotion<ref>{{Cite web |last=Taylor-Singh |first=Heather |date=April 12, 2021 |title=Taylor Swift Reclaims Her Past on ''Fearless (Taylor's Version)'' |url=https://exclaim.ca/music/article/taylor_swift_fearless_taylors_version_album_review |access-date=March 31, 2023 |website=[[Exclaim!]] |archive-date=April 12, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210412145641/https://exclaim.ca/music/article/taylor_swift_fearless_taylors_version_album_review |url-status=live }}</ref> and ''[[The Line of Best Fit]]'''s Ross Horton wrote it remained "superb" as it was before.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Horton |first=Ross |date=April 9, 2021 |title=Taylor Swift Reclaims Her Pivotal Moment by Breathing New Life into ''Fearless'' |url=https://www.thelineofbestfit.com/reviews/albums/taylor-swift-fearless-taylors-version-album-review |access-date=2023-03-31 |website=[[The Line of Best Fit]] |archive-date=April 9, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210409093114/https://www.thelineofbestfit.com/reviews/albums/taylor-swift-fearless-taylors-version-album-review |url-status=live }}</ref> Some others were not as complimentary. Hazel Cills of ''[[Pitchfork (website)|Pitchfork]]'' said the track's "extreme specificity", which felt like "a copy of Swift’s yearbook we're somehow privy to", was too much for an already personal album.<ref name="Pitchfork">{{cite web |last=Cills |first=Hazel |date=August 19, 2019 |title=Taylor Swift: ''Fearless'' |url=https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/taylor-swift-fearless/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190819073504/https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/taylor-swift-fearless/ |archive-date=August 19, 2019 |access-date=August 19, 2019 |work=[[Pitchfork (website)|Pitchfork]]}}</ref> Mary Siroky in ''[[Consequence (publication)|Consequence]]'' called "Hey Stephen" a catchy song but wrote its "repetitive melody" and "cliched" lyrical motifs make it the album's least compelling.<ref>{{cite web |last=Siroky |first=Mary |date=November 10, 2021 |title=Every Taylor Swift Album, Ranked From Worst to Best |url=https://consequence.net/2021/11/taylor-swift-albums-ranked-list/ |access-date=January 17, 2022 |website=[[Consequence (publication)|Consequence]] |archive-date=March 28, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220328011127/https://consequence.net/2021/11/taylor-swift-albums-ranked-list/ |url-status=live }}</ref> For Perone, although the lyrics are conventional and generic, "Swift's performance and her melodic writing make the song enjoyable and engaging anyway".{{sfn|Perone|2017|p=21}}
 == Personnel ==
-'''"Hey Stephen" (2008)'''<ref name="liner">{{cite AV media notes |title=[[Fearless (Taylor Swift album)|Fearless]] |others=[[Taylor Swift]] |year=2008 |publisher=[[Big Machine Records]] |type=CD liner notes}}</ref>
+'''"Hey Stephen" (2008)'''<ref name="liner">{{cite AV media notes |title=[[Fearless (Taylor Swift album)|Fearless]] |others= |year=2008 |publisher=[[Big Machine Records]] |type=CD liner notes |last=Swift |first=Taylor |author-link=Taylor Swift}}</ref>
 {{div col begin}}
-* Taylor Swift&nbsp;– writer, [[record producer|producer]]
+* Taylor Swift&nbsp;– vocals, writer, [[record producer|producer]]
 * Nathan Chapman&nbsp;– producer
 * Drew Bollman&nbsp;– assistant [[audio mixing (recorded music)|mixer]]
@@ Line 84: / Line 87: @@
 '''"Hey Stephen (Taylor's Version)" (2021)'''<ref name="TVcreds"/>
 {{div col begin}}
-* Taylor Swift&nbsp;– writer, producer, lead vocals
+* Taylor Swift&nbsp;– lead vocals, writer, producer
 * [[Christopher Rowe (record producer)|Christopher Rowe]]&nbsp;– vocal recording, producer
 * Max Bernstein&nbsp;– [[vibraphone]]
@@ Line 145: / Line 148: @@
 === Sources ===
-* {{cite book |last=Perone |first=James E. |title=The Words and Music of Taylor Swift |publisher=[[ABC-Clio]] |year=2017 |isbn=978-1440852947 |series=The Praeger Singer-Songwriter Collection}}
+* {{cite book |last=Perone |first=James E. |title=The Words and Music of Taylor Swift |publisher=[[ABC-Clio]] |year=2017 |isbn=978-1-44-085294-7 |series=The Praeger Singer-Songwriter Collection |pages=5–25 |chapter=Becoming ''Fearless''}}
-* {{cite book |last=Spencer |first=Liv |title=Taylor Swift: Every Day Is a Fairytale&nbsp;– The Unofficial Story |publisher=[[ECW Press]] |year=2010 |isbn=978-1550229318}}
+* {{cite book |last=Spencer |first=Liv |title=Taylor Swift: Every Day Is a Fairytale&nbsp;– The Unofficial Story |publisher=[[ECW Press]] |year=2010 |isbn=978-1-55022-931-8}}
+* {{Cite book |last=Zaleski |first=Annie |author-link=Annie Zaleski |title=Taylor Swift: The Stories Behind the Songs |publisher=[[Thunder Bay Press]] |year=2024 |isbn=978-1-6672-0845-9 |pages=27–52 |chapter=The ''Fearless'' Era}}
 {{Taylor Swift songs}}
@@ Line 157: / Line 161: @@
 [[Category:Song recordings produced by Chris Rowe]]
 [[Category:Country pop songs]]
+[[Category:Folk-pop songs]]