In October, Taylor Swift’s self-titled debut album will turn 20 years old. While it is difficult to regard any of her albums as underrated, Swift’s first studio album, more commonly known as Debut, has been overlooked in her discography, especially given the international breakthrough of her follow-up, Fearless, in Swift’s career.

As a fan, I have seen time and time again that Debut is listed last in album rankings, almost by default, which is a sentiment I have shared previously. For her first albums, it is easy to put her oldest, one without a hugely successful pop song like “Love Story” on Fearless or a fan favorite like “Enchanted” on Speak Now, as a weaker effort and not fully consider the record.

While learning more about the album, with an open mind, particularly on its creation, I learned that it is the longest Swift has worked on a record, nearly three years. While it has the longest runtime, its original tracklist is only 11 songs, 14 on the deluxe version, but it is time well spent, as it is one of the most consistent projects in her discography.

The opening track and the album’s lead single, “Tim McGraw,” while it might not seem like the most obvious single choice, is a well-written song that’s not necessarily about country musician Tim McGraw but about all the things that Swift knows will remind her ex of her. From her little black dress to her blue jeans, it is descriptive and emotional, and a strong way to start the record. 

A song that showcases another moment of vulnerability is “Teardrops On My Guitar,” built on longing for someone who is unavailable. The song starts as Swift sings “Drew looks at me,” immediately naming the person she is talking about. The opening line feels so familiar in its honesty and boldness, something that Swift has become known for, and the sentiment can be traced back to this song. 

I believe this decision makes all the difference. It could easily have been changed to “You” instead of “Drew” to make it more universal. The decision makes the song resonate with listeners who can envision who Swift is singing about, making it feel more personal to their own experiences.

Another aspect that Swift’s first record touches on is unfiltered anger. While this may be an exaggeration on my end, “Picture to Burn” is one of the most snarky songs on Swift’s discography. The song, which focuses on a cocky ex that Swift describes as a redneck and how much she detests his truck, is a refreshing depiction of angst that jumps out on the album.

“Should’ve Said No,” another song that shares a similar frustration, was a last-minute addition to the album, and listeners can feel the inherent messiness as Swift describes how the guy she is singing about should’ve never cheated on her. The song is a nicely stated example of Swift tackling a more mature topic on her first album with self-assuredness.

As the songs on Debut are from thirteen- to sixteen-year-old Swift, the songs explore belonging, including her life before and after moving to Nashville. A song like “The Outside” works well because of how earnest it is and how it is directly stated, from her own perspective and from a place of pain.

This type of introspection also works best in “A Place In This World,” which focuses on Swift moving to Nashville to pursue a music career (I’m slightly biased because this was my surprise song at the Eras Tour). I would consider the two aforementioned songs to be sister songs; however, the latter is more hopeful. 

There is something special about these two songs, even if they’re not the most beloved on the album, because they feel appropriate in context. Not necessarily because of the naivety in the two songs, but because of how representative they are of her experiences, almost working as a time capsule.

After many listening sessions with Debut, I’ve developed a new appreciation for how well it serves as a foundation for Swift’s career. The album explores her descriptive, honest songwriting, intense emotions, and inclination to write about other people’s lives. I hope that, as Debut celebrates its 20th anniversary, it will experience a resurgence, receive its flowers, and also realize that “Our Song” is an all-time career highlight. More importantly, I hope people will appreciate Debut for its role in launching Swift’s career.