Taylor Swift debuted 18 years ago today. Appreciate the growth don’t hate

June 19, 2006. Taylor Swift, then only 16 years old, released her debut single, Tim McGraw.

The song stayed on the Billboard Hot 100 for 20 weeks, peaking at #40, and also reached #6 on the Hot Country Song chart.

In 2021, Tim McGraw spoke to Apple Music Country about being the inspiration behind Taylor’s breakout hit.

After sharing that he was impressed with the song, he admitted that he was “a little apprehensive” about the track when he first heard it.

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“I thought, have I gotten to that age now to where they’re singing songs about me? Does that mean I’ve jumped the shark a bit? Is everything still cool?” he explained.

“And then I realized that somebody had told me that she was in her seventh-grade math class when she wrote the song, so it made me feel a little bit better about that because she was so young writing it. So I didn’t feel like I was that terribly old.”

In 2007, Taylor attended the 42nd Annual Academy of Country Music Awards and performed Tim McGraw in front of the country star and his wife, Faith Hill.

Taylor Swift performing Tim McGraw in 2007 at the 42nd Annual Academy of Country Music Awards:

11 years later, the superstar couple would join Taylor on her Reputation stadium tour to perform the 2006 hit.

Taylor Swift, Tim McGraw and Faith Hill performing Tim McGraw in 2018: