Attention pop stars: Kelsea Ballerini will take your coat.
The “Cowboys Cry Too” singer is a ‘the more the merrier’ kind of gal, and she doesn’t understand why country music isn’t more welcoming to pop stars who want to try their hand at the genre.
“People who are pushing back really need to check themselves, because music is for everybody,” Ballerini insists in a new feature interview for Elle.
“And specifically country music, the marquee of it is it’s the people’s story.”
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The country star recognizes a double standard, too, noting that when a country star goes out of genre to collaborate, no one seems to bat an eye. Nelly’s “Over and Over” (2004), for example, was a big hit featuring Tim McGraw that was popular with all sorts of music fans.
“If we, as country artists, feel like we can have a collab on top 40 or have a collab with an R&B artist, why wouldn’t we give a welcome to someone else?” she asks.
Ballerini found a good collaborative partner for herself in pop-folk star Noah Kahan (“Cowboys Cry Too” is a duet), and in the past she’s found shared ground with artists like Lany and Fletcher (both pop).
Elsewhere in her Elle interview, she opens up about finally hitting her stride both in her personal and professional life — she’s in a place now where she’s making music for her fans rather than casting a wide net to see who lands in it.
“I never really was loud about anything for a really long time, because I just had to get my footing,” Ballerini admits, speaking of how she wants her shows to be a safe place for all people.
And now?
“It’s always been my goal to be a woman who headlines arenas. Especially in country music, you don’t see it a lot. I think that I, and my whole team collectively, had this ‘If not now, when?’ mentality,” she continues.
“Seeing the crowd is one thing, but feeling the crowd is another thing. We’re locked in. The show is structured as an emotional roller coaster. I get to feel it every night with people, and that’s the dream.”
Ballerini’s latest album is 2024’s Patterns. She’s currently a coach on The Voice.
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Gallery Credit: Carena Liptak
