Kelsea Ballerini

Kelsea Nicole Ballerini was born on September 12, 1993, in Mascot, Tennessee. Her early exposure to music included singing in church and school choirs, and she began songwriting at age 12, moving to Nashville three years later to pursue a musical career. She attended Central High School and Centennial High School before studying at Lipscomb University for two years. In 2014, at 19, Ballerini signed with Black River Entertainment, marking the official start of her professional music journey. That same year, she released her debut single, “Love Me Like You Mean It,” and a self-titled extended play, quickly gaining recognition as one of CMT’s Next Women of Country.

Ballerini’s debut album, “The First Time,” was released in May 2015. The album’s lead single, “Love Me Like You Mean It,” reached number one on the Billboard Country Airplay chart in July 2015, making her the first solo female country music artist since Carrie Underwood in 2006 to achieve a number one hit with a debut single. She followed this success with back-to-back number one singles “Dibs” and “Peter Pan,” becoming the first solo female artist since Wynonna Judd in 1992 to send her first three singles to the top of the Country Airplay chart. Her second album, “Unapologetically,” released in 2017, debuted at number three on the Billboard Top Country Album Chart and number seven on the Billboard 200, its singles including “Legends” and “Miss Me More.” In 2018, she joined The Chainsmokers on their song “This Feeling” and performed at the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show.

Her career continued to advance with her induction into the Grand Ole Opry in April 2019 by Carrie Underwood. The same year, she embarked on The Miss Me More Tour, which included multiple sold-out dates. Her third studio album, “Kelsea,” was released in March 2020, followed by an acoustic counterpart, “Ballerini,” in September 2020, which presented stripped-down versions of the tracks. These albums notably featured collaborations with Kenny Chesney on “Half of My Hometown” and Halsey on “The Other Girl.” “Half of My Hometown” earned her two Country Music Association Awards in 2021. Her fourth studio album, “Subject to Change,” was released in 2022, and featured collaborations with Kelly Clarkson and Carly Pearce. In 2023, she released the EP “Rolling Up the Welcome Mat,” and in 2024, she released her fifth album, “Patterns.” Ballerini is scheduled to make her acting debut in “Doctor Odyssey” in 2024 and will serve as a coach on “The Voice” in 2025.