Because I Was in Love is the debut studio album by American singer–songwriter Sharon Van Etten, released on May 26, 2009 by Language of Stone Records.

[4] With a 7.7 rating Matthew Murphy of Pitchfork wrote "Van Etten keeps the album's arrangements minimal and direct, augmenting her voice and guitar with only the occasional splash of organ, brushed cymbals, or multi-tracked vocal harmonies.

"[2] Stephen Thomason of NPR claimed "Van Etten's 2009 debut, because i was in love, doesn't actually sound tentative or insecure.

Instead, it functions as a sort of concept album about tentativeness and insecurity — about examining tiny interpersonal details until they become all-encompassing...It captures a sound Sharon Van Etten has since left behind, but it remains radiant, universal and utterly timeless.

Leahey declared "Intimacy reigns supreme on Sharon Van Etten’s debut, which finds the folksinger crooning her melodies over beds of acoustic guitar, keyboard, and overdubbed harmonies...Because I Was in Love isn’t a bare-boned folk album; rather, it’s the sort of record that unfolds its layers with repeated listens, and the arrangements are often gorgeously lush without threatening to overpower Van Etten’s alto.