The First Time is the debut studio album by American country pop singer Kelsea Ballerini.

[3] "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.

[7] 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.

[12] The First Time was compared to the early works of Taylor Swift in a review by the British publication, Evening Standard, who also described the album as "country with a small c" and stated that due to its "strong melodies" has potential for "appeal across genres."

[19] All tracks are written by Kelsea Ballerini, with additional co-writers as noted ‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.