"Love Story" is a song by American country singer Taylor Swift from her upcoming album Fearless. It was released on September 8, 2008, and is to date Swift's highest-charting single in her career. The song was written soley by Swift and is accompanied by guitar and banjo.

Critical reception

Jim Malec of The 9513 gave "Love Story" a thumbs-up rating. Although he felt that the song had a "wonderful, idealized ending" and that it seemed to comprise too much of a plot line for a four-minute song, he nonetheless commended the lyrics for showing that "the complications and difficulties surrounding her affair are just as grave as Juliet’s… [t]he fact that Swift, arguably the genre’s biggest star at the moment, has done so here is a breath of fresh air, even if the song does otherwise follow a disappointingly unoriginal pattern." He added, "None of these criticisms, however, will have a major impact on the song’s effectiveness, or on its ability to strike a resonant chord with its intended audience… what’s more, “Love Story” shows an artist willing to take chances by venturing from the format’s standard song structure, and to let her personality shine through–even if the lyric generally follows a well-worn path."

Music video

The music video premiered on Country Music Television on September 12, 2008.

The video begins with Swift approaching a guy, played by Justin Gaston, who is sitting under a tree in present day. Then, the video shifts to colonial times, with Swift representing the girl in the song, singing from her balcony. Scenes of her and the same boy that she is in love with in reality dancing together at a party are intertwined with the balcony scenes. At the end of the video, Swift returns from the fantasy "love story" to meet her prince.