OlderKelsea Ballerini Talks About Living On That Line Between Country & Pop Music
Kelsea Ballerini isn’t a traditional country star, nor a pop star either — and she’s okay with that.
Speaking with Variety in support of her brand new album, Unapologetically, the musician opened up about what it truly means to be on that thin country-pop line.
“My first single to country radio was ‘Love Me Like You Mean It,’ and it was very, very pop-leaning, but it was still rooted in country,” Kelsea explains. “I tell everyone: I grew up on a farm in east Tennessee, and my first concert was Britney Spears. That’s my music, and that’s me.”
She adds, “I feel like country artists are known for being honest and truthful. And I just feel like it’s my job as a country artist now to be honest about the fact that I love pop music and I love rap music and I love rock music, and I think it’s okay if all that bleeds into my music as influences.”
“It’ll always be rooted in songwriting, and it’ll always be rooted in the Southern lifestyle that I grew up in. But, yes, this record is on that line, because I just don’t think there’s anything wrong with that.
Kelsea is pictured below at the 2017 Nickelodeon Halo Awards on Saturday (November 4) and at The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, where she performed “I Hate Love Songs”, both in New York City.
FYI: Kelsea wore a Victoria Hayes top and shorts, Aldo shoes and Graziela Gems on the orange carpet. For her performance, Kelsea switched it up to a David Koma top, Zhivago pants and Lana Jewelry ring. For The Late Show, Kelsea wore a Maria Lucia Hohan dress and Ruthie Davis shoes.
