Songs from Kelsea Ballerini’s Debut Album: Themes, Production, and Stories Behind Each Track

With the 10th anniversary of its release fast approaching, it's the perfect time to look back at the legacy of Kelsea Ballerini's debut album, The First Time. With this 2015 release, Kelsea Ballerini became the first female country artist to top the Country Airplay charts with the first three singles from a debut album. In doing so, she quickly cemented herself as a major new voice in country music. We look back at those record-breaking singles and the other Kelsea Ballerini The First Time songs that contributed to the album's impressive success.

With the opening track "XO," Kelsea Ballerini quickly told listeners she wasn't your typical country artist. Its rapid-fire lyrics leave no doubt that she won't come second to a former flame. The title looks like a cute kiss and hug, but the lyrics "You're still in love with your ex, oh" make the real meaning apparent. Kelsea Ballerini penned this sassy country-pop song with Catt Gravitt and Gerald O'Brien.

"Peter Pan" was the third single released from The First Time and the album's biggest hit. Written by Kelsea Ballerini, Forest Glen Whitehead, and Jesse Lee, the song's comparison of immature partners who refuse to grow up to the famous literary character of Peter Pan struck a chord with listeners. It became the album's record-breaking third No. 1 on the Country Airplay charts. It also gave Kelsea Ballerini her only No. 1 on the Hot Country Songs chart to date. With a top position of No. 35 on the Billboard Hot 100, it's also Kelsea Ballerini's biggest crossover hit.

The first single and country radio No. 1 from The First Time, "Love Me Like You Mean It," made Kelsea Ballerini a star. A feel-good track calling for authenticity in relationships, she penned it with Forest Glen Whitehead, Josh Kerr, and Lance Carpenter. Its chart success made Kelsea Ballerini the first female artist to top the country charts on debut since Carrie Underwood's "Jesus, Take the Wheel" hit No. 1 in 2006. It was also the first solo song by a female artist to top the country charts since Carrie Underwood released "Blown Away" in 2012.

Kelsea Ballerini drew on her own experience of not fitting in with "Square Pegs," an anthem for accepting your uniqueness that she co-wrote with Josh Osborne and Scott Stepakoff. "Especially when I was younger, I struggled to find where I fit," Kelsea Ballerini told AXS.com, noting that this song is all about "Owning who you are and not worrying if you fit the mold."

Through this ballad's introspective lyrics about moving on from the wrong relationships, despite the temptation to fall back into old habits, Kelsea Ballerini showcases her songwriting talents. "The First Time" is the only song on her debut album that she wrote solo. After including it on this release, she promised herself that every album would feature a song she wrote alone.

Writing with Forest Glen Whitehead and Scott Stepakoff helped Kelsea Ballerini create this upbeat love song. The poetic lyrics of "Looking at Stars" bring a quiet night gazing at a star-filled rural sky with someone special to life. It exemplifies a shared stolen moment of peace, away from everyone and the pressures of daily life.

Kelsea Ballerini explores her dark side in "Sirens," which she co-wrote with Forest Glen Whitehead and Jennifer Denmark. She sings about ignoring the warning signs and plunging headfirst into the wrong relationship in this gritty track, which brings a little rock edge to her signature country-pop sound.

Co-writers Josh Kerr and Jordyn Shellhart helped Kelsea Ballerini channel her complex emotions surrounding her parents' divorce in "Secondhand Smoke." She told Rolling Stone she wrote this powerful ballad to bring comfort to children navigating the same circumstances and assure them they aren't alone.

The First Time's second single and second country radio No. 1, "Dibs," is a feel-good song that Kelsea Ballerini co-wrote with Josh Kerr, Ryan Griffin, and Jason Duke. She's calling dibs on her partner, effectively warning others off while showing her devotion. This song was so important to Kelsea Ballerini that she named her dog Dibs.

"Stilettos" flips the script on heartbreak songs, emphasizing how strong women can handle pain. Songwriters Kelsea Ballerini, Forest Glen Whitehead, and Kevin Savigar compare the emotional pain of a failed relationship to the physical pain of wearing high heels, assuring the ex that they're moving forward even though it hurts.

Kelsea Ballerini continues to stand tall in "Yeah Boy," which she co-wrote with Forest Glen Whitehead and Keesy Timmer. Rather than being coy and waiting for him to make the first move, she makes her romantic feelings towards a cute boy known. The prominent fiddle gives "Yeah Boy" a more traditional country sound than most of The First Time album's track list.

As Kelsea Ballerini was just 21 when she released The First Time, it's only fitting that she closed the album with "Underage." She penned this ode to the joys and challenges of youth with Josh Kerr and Scott Stepakoff. As one of the youngest stars on the country scene, she gives the lyrics about kissing strangers, racing cars, sampling wine, and using phony IDs a sense of realness.

With her debut album, The First Time, Kelsea Ballerini established herself as a mature artist beyond her 21 years. In writing and co-writing every track, she proved she was much more than a singer. She was a woman with something to say. These 12 songs provided a strong foundation that she's built on with every subsequent release. As the 10th anniversary of The First Time nears, it's the perfect time to get reacquainted with Kelsea Ballerini's debut album and reminisce about how her stellar career began.