About a month ago I was talking with a guy who stated that he could listen to all kinds of music, except Country music. Immediately I began to form in my mind the dozens of Country music artists who I really like. Yes, I like Country music. I like a long list of Country music artists. I also believe, like many music bloggers and critics, that there is a new wave of very good young artists within the Country music genre. I have featured many of them while writing for Weekly Music Commentary, and this week I chose to feature one more. This week I will feature sensational Country music singer/songwriter Kelsea Ballerini.
Before I start to discuss the music and career of Ballerini, it would be appropriate to introduce her to the many music fans who may not be familiar with her work. After all, many music fans might be of the same opinion as the guy I spoke with weeks ago. They might not be ready to give Country music a chance except by way of a post in Weekly Music Commentary. Therefore, I hope I can present a good feature that presents a picture of an artist that warrants a listen. We will see.
Ballerini grew up in Knoxville, Tennessee. Her father, Ed, a former sales manager for a country radio station, is of part Italian descent. Her mother, Carla, has worked in marketing for Thomas Nelson Bible publishing and a sponsorship company. She is an only child. She started taking dance lessons at Premiere Dance Studio in Seymour Tennessee when she was three and stopped ten years later. She sang in the church and school choirs. She wrote her first song at 12 for her mother and moved to Nashville, Tennessee, three years later. She attended Central High School in Knoxville, Tennessee; Centennial High School in Franklin, Tennessee; and then Lipscomb University for two years until she pursued a musical career.
The fast-rising professional musical career of Kelsea Ballerini started just five years ago. At 19, she signed a deal with Black River Entertainment. In late 2014, she released her début single “Love Me Like You Mean It”, which debuted on the Country Airplay chart in October 2014. She released a self-titled extended play for the label in November and was named one of CMT’s Next Women of Country in 2014.
What a whirlwind start for such a young artist, with more yet to come. On May 19, 2015, Ballerini’s début album The First Time was released through Black River. For the chart dated July 4, 2015, “Love Me Like You Mean It” , the album’s first single, reached number one on the Billboard Country Airplay chart, making Ballerini the first solo female country music artist to score a number one hit with her début single since Carrie Underwood did so with “Jesus, Take the Wheel” in 2006, and only the eleventh in history to achieve the feat. Ballerini also became only the fifth solo female country music artist to score back-to-back number one hits with her first two singles when “Dibs”, the second single from the album, reached the top of the Country Airplay chart. She became the first to do it since Jamie O’Neal in 2001.
Most fans of music really took notice of young Kelsea Ballerini around this time. The young singer started to appear everywhere it seems without disappointing her fans and growing fan base. However, her interviews were truly enlightening, giving us a good look at one more young artist who might be around for a long time.
Her début album continued to produce hit singles and Kelsea’s popularity grew more. The album’s third single, “Peter Pan”, was released to country radio on March 21, 2016. “Peter Pan” reached number one on both the Country Airplay and Hot Country Songs charts in September, making Ballerini the first solo female country music artist to top both country music charts simultaneously. This achievement also made her the first solo female to send her first three singles to number one since Wynonna Judd accomplished the same feat in 1992. The album’s fourth single, “Yeah Boy”, was released to country radio on October 10, 2016.
2017 rolled in and the career of Kelsea Ballerini never slowed. In fact, Ballerini received two Academy of Country Music Award nominations for Female Vocalist of the Year and Video of the Year for “Peter Pan.” Nevertheless, new music was on the horizon.
On November 3, she released her second album, titled Unapologetically. The album debuted at number three on the Billboard Top Country Album Chart and number seven on the Billboard 200 Album Chart, making it her highest charting album on both charts.
Unapologetically is a snapshot of Ballerini’s life since the release of The First Time, all told through songs that push Country’s boundaries and reveal just how personal the GRAMMY nominee’s writing can be. Though it could have been easy for Ballerini to just collect a loose selection of hits, she decided to make an “intentional album” instead, carefully curating tracks that unfolded within the record as her own musical documentary in three parts. It’s not the norm to write albums this way, nor is it easy, but Ballerini goes with what is in her heart.
I listened to the entire album upon its release, and of course listened again in preparation for this post. I must admit that I enjoyed listening to the album even more. In fact, I added the album to my personal library. Yes, the album has become one of my favorites. Why? Perhaps it is because of the way Ballerini worked to build the album that provides the formula for me, and millions of other fans to find enjoyment and listen repeatedly.
“I had to let myself be OK with being vulnerable,” says Ballerini. “My first album, I wanted it to be an introduction, just reaching out my hand. I had a song about my parent’s divorce, about being insecure – it was one song per emotion. In doing that, I wasn’t really able to articulate the depth of those emotions. Now, having gotten older, having gone through a big breakup and having fallen in love in a massive way, I had to say, ‘hey, let yourself feel that, let yourself write that.’ The end product was this record, which is a chronological story of my life these past few years.”
As I stated before, Kelsea Ballerini is one of the young, Country music stars who are exciting young fans and attracting many to the Country music genre. I call it the Taylor Swift effect. Not to say that Ballerini will follow the career path of Swift, but she seems ready to stay on top of the charts as well.
If you are not a big fan of Country music, I hope you will give Kelsea Ballerini a chance and listen to Unapologetically. You might finally be drawn to Country music, and one of its new stars.