The First Time

by Kelsea Ballerini

Overview

There's an innocence to the title of The First Time that suits Kelsea Ballerini. Twenty-one years old at the time of The First Time's 2015 release, Ballerini sometimes skews herself even younger, singing of new loves and teenage dreams, and she shows a facility with modern R&B rhythms that marks her as young country singer. Beneath this guise, she's savvier than she initially seems, a strong songwriter with an assured grasp on her persona. At times, she may resemble a pre-pop Taylor Swift -- this is especially true of her ballads, a place where she reveals a vulnerability along with some narrative flair -- but Ballerini, despite bearing writing credits on every one of the album's 12 songs, is more a part of the Nashville machine than Swift ever was. Ballerini happily slides into bright, chipper tunes -- the sweet defiance of the lead single "Love Me Like You Mean It," the near-novelty of "Dibs" -- and the overall record bears a crisp, clean sheen that makes it ideal for radio. Despite such clear commercial intentions, the charming thing about The First Time is that it doesn't pander, never relying on either its shiny sound or cloying hooks. The songs and the overall feel are expert extensions of Ballerini's personality, one that's innocent but not naive, one that's bright and hopeful but never cutesy. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Product Details

Release Date:	05/18/2015
Label:	Black River Entertainment
UPC:	0851491003120
Rank:	7238

Tracks

1. XO
2. Peter Pan
3. Love Me Like You Mean It
4. Square Pegs
5. The First Time
6. Looking at Stars
7. Sirens
8. Secondhand Smoke
9. Dibs
10. Stilettos
11. Yeah Boy
12. Underage

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Kelsea Ballerini   Primary Artist
Adam Haynes   Fiddle
Shannon Forrest   Drums
Jason Massey   Bass,Banjo,Drums,Organ,Piano,Mandolin,Percussion,Slide Guitar,Guitar (Acoustic),Guitar (Electric),Vocals (Background)
Josh Kerr   Guitar,Vocals (Background)
Jesse Lee   Vocals (Background)
Kevin Savigar   Piano
Kenneth Coca   Cello
Forest Glen Whitehead   Bass,Banjo,Piano,Mandolin,Slide Guitar,Guitar (Acoustic),Guitar (Electric),Vocals (Background)
Jennifer Denmark   Vocals (Background)

Technical Credits

Scott Stepakoff   Composer
Adam Ayan   Mastering
Gerald O'Brien   Composer
Josh Osborne   Composer
Jason Massey   Producer,Tracking,Programming
Jeremy Ryan   Photography
Lance Carpenter   Composer
Jordyn Shellhart   Composer
Keesy Timmer   Composer
Robert Chavers   Package Design,Art Direction
Josh Kerr   Composer
Jesse Lee   Composer
Shani Gandhi   Mixing
Jason Duke   Composer
Ryan Griffin   Composer
Jonathan Roye   Mixing
Kelsea Ballerini   Composer
F. Reid Shippen   Mixing
Kevin Savigar   Composer
Forest Glen Whitehead   Composer,Producer,Tracking,Programming
Jennifer Denmark   Composer