Fans are feeling very old as one of the biggest artists in the world’s eponymous debut album has just turned 18.
The record was released on October 24, 2006, across the US and Canada, waiting two years before it would cross the pond to create international fans.
At just 14, the artist signed to label Big Machine Records and wrote over 40 songs in two years, 11 of which would become her debut.
18 years later, she has just embarked on a record-breaking world tour, selling out stadiums across the globe as the biggest pop star on the planet.
That artist is, of course, none other than Taylor Swift.
Now aged 34, Taylor is thought to be preparing to re-release her debut self-titled album to huge anticipation from fans.
Fans couldn’t believe it has been 18 years since the star first emerged with singles like Tim McGraw, Our Song, and Teardrops on My Guitar.
‘The self titled album can vote in the 2024 election that’s crazy,’ joked X user Jessica as Annie added: ‘Omg she’s a full grown adult now that’s insane.’
‘Oh my god I’ve been a fan for 18 years,’ realised Tahra Jirari while Ash said: ‘I can’t cope with this info.’
Some were a little less calm as Lucy shared: ‘It literally feels like yesterday we were celebrating #10YearsofTaylor and now we are coming up on TWENTY ??? STOP THE CLOCK !!!’
Naneyidupakka said: ’18 years since Taylor Swift’s debut album? Feels like we’ve grown up with her music, from country roots to global superstar. What a journey it’s been—so many memories tied to her songs… 🥹’
The album’s age has still come as a shock to many, despite the fact Taylor asks fans to go on a ‘journey spanning 17 years’ at the start of every Eras Tour.
Taylor Swift, widely known as Debut, is represented by a light green in the Picture to Burn hitmaker’s eras (which for the uninitiated all have individual colours).
Debut was not released in the UK until Taylor’s popularity began to rise in 2008, months before the release of her breakthrough album Fearless.
On the international bonus track version of Fearless, three songs from Debut were included; Our Song, Should’ve Said No, and Teardrops on My Guitar.
Those first two tracks serve as the Grammy winner’s first-ever solo songwriting credits, along with The Outside, something which would become crucial to her identity as an artist.
She is credited as a co-writer on all other Debut songs along with Liz Rose, Robert Ellis Orrall, Angelo Petraglia, and Brian Maher.
Debut, a country pop fusion, landed at number 19 on the Billboard 200 with Taylor famously stating she would be ‘incredibly lucky to see this album certified Gold.’
Instead, her popularity continued to grow and after a month it had sold over a million copies and climbed to number eight in the charts.
As of last year, Debut has spent 280 weeks on the Billboard Top 200 and holds the record for the longest stay in the charts by any album released in the 2000s.
It has been certified seven times Platinum with over 5million copies sold in the US alone, all of which bodes well for the anticipated Taylor’s Version.
Debut also landed Taylor nominations for the Grammy Award’s Best New Artist, as well as Album of the Year and New Female Vocalist of the Year at the Academy of Country Music Awards.
Unlike many other iconic artists’ debut albums, which are heralded as the best ones, Debut is often overlooked in Taylor’s now gigantic body of work.
Fans of the album joke that the Cruel Summer icon herself has forgotten it as there is no permanent set for Debut on the Eras Tour, relegating tracks to surprise songs only.
However, it marks the birth of a superstar and hints at the songwriting reputation Taylor has carefully curated for herself over these 18 years.
Hopefully, two decades on (and when Taylor finally re-records the album), Taylor Swift will get the recognition it deserves as a landmark debut record from a pop legend.
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