Recorded 2014–15 Artist Kelsea Ballerini Label Black River Entertainment | Length 40:18 Release date 19 May 2015 Genres Country pop, Pop music | |
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Released May 19, 2015 (2015-05-19) Producer Jason Massey
Forest Glen Whitehead Similar They Don't Know, Meat and Candy, Rambling Boy, Storyteller, Start Here | ||
Kelsea ballerini xo official audio
The First Time is the debut studio album by American country pop artist Kelsea Ballerini. It was released on May 19, 2015 by Black River Entertainment. The album's track listing and cover art was released on April 1, 2015. With the album's first three singles all reaching number one on the Billboard Country Airplay chart, Ballerini became the first new female artist to send her first three releases to the top of the charts.
Contents
Singles
"Love Me Like You Mean It", the album's lead single, was released to digital retailers on July 8, 2014 and to country radio on September 22, 2014. The single received good reviews from critics, who praised its pop-country blend production, but criticized its flirty lyrics. The song reached a peak of number 5 on U.S. Billboard Hot Country Songs chart and number one on the Country Airplay chart. It is the first song by a solo female to top the country music charts since "Blown Away" in 2012, and makes Ballerini the first female artist to take her debut single to the top spot since Carrie Underwood's first officially-promoted country music single, "Jesus, Take the Wheel", in 2006. The official music video premiered in March 2015, and has over one million views. "Peter Pan" was released as a promotional single on May 5, 2015.
"Dibs" was released on July 20, 2015 as the album's second single. It became her second number one hit in March 2016, making her the first solo female country music artist to start her career with back-to-back number one hits since Jamie O'Neal in 2001 with "There Is No Arizona" and "When I Think About Angels".
"Peter Pan" was released as the album's third single in March 2016. She performed the song on the Academy of Country Music Awards with Nick Jonas. The song topped the Billboard Country Airplay and Hot Country Songs the same week, making Ballerini the first female artist to accomplish this feat.
"Yeah Boy" was announced as the album's fourth and final single on August 26, 2016. It will impact country radio on October 10, 2016.
Commercial performance
The First Time debuted at number 31 on the Billboard 200 chart and number 4 on the Top Country Albums chart with first week sales of 13,500. The album was certified Gold by the RIAA on October 4, 2016. It has sold 261,600 copies in the U.S. as of March 2017.
Personnel
Singles
Songs
1Xo2:54
2Peter Pan3:20
3Love Me Like You Mean It3:20