Delivers the Truth-Seeking “Blindsided” & an Intimate “Penthouse”
Photo credit: Will Heath
NEW YORK, NY (March 5, 2023) — Multiple GRAMMY® nominee and Country Music Association Award winner Kelsea Ballerini capped off the release of her deeply personal Rolling Up the Welcome Mat EP and self-directed short film with a tour de force, two song performance on Saturday Night Live.
Clad in a burnt-out black Versace catsuit, Ballerini and her band performed the questioning “Blindsided” at Rockefeller Center’s Studio 8H. Introduced by host Superbowl winner Travis Kelce, the lithe blonde not only sang the questioning song of a relationship dissolving, she performed in front of a backdrop that had a shadow figure meeting her querying self for added emotional impact.
“It was such a big moment,” Kelsea Ballerini explained. “We wanted to add an element that made the song and the performance more. When we talked about what the song was about, all the pieces of doubt and realizing what was going on, the shadow seemed to be the right thing.”
Clearly effective, Ballerini returned later in the show for a vulnerable reading of “Penthouse.” Wearing a silky white Valentino gown that plunged to a twist below her sternum and flowed to a pool on the floor, she stood alone in the curve of a white grand piano – and unpacked the last moments of leaving a failed relationship and the recognitions and realities of what happens next with an intimacy that was startling.
“The concept of a penthouse seems so glamorous,” Ballerini said upon Welcome Mat’s release, “but it stopped feeling that way. I lost track of what was good in how I got there… I realized what you thinks isn’t always what there actually is.”
Beyond the humorous promos, where Ballerini asserts herself and suggests that host Kelce change his last name to hers and participates in a pushing the host coaching sessions with cast member Heidi Gardner, her appearance caught the attention of media from Rolling Stone who called her performances “smashing” to Entertainment Weekly who declared them “powerful” with the Tennessean noting that she “shined.”
The emerging songwriting diva is finding a new power in her confessional writing and recording. With her six song Black River Entertainment EP – co-produced with longtime collaborator Alysa Vanderheym – offering a clear-eyed view of the complex, confusing and painful path to leaving what one thinks they want to emerge stronger and more aware of oneself, Ballerini not only reclaimed her power, her “Saturday Night Life” performance created proof that music serves as the ultimate healer.
With streams of over 40 million, Rolling Up the Welcome Mat has moved from a personal project, recorded to document the songs that arrived as she was closing a chapter of her life, to cri du coeur for an entire generation who’s finding out that life’s complications are part of owning their journey.
Kelsea is set to kick off the highly anticipated second leg on her HEARTFIRST Tour tomorrow at HISTORY in Toronto, ON. As part of this exclusive run, Kelsea will visit cities throughout the Midwest and East Coast, closing out on March 18th at Stage AE in Pittsburgh, PA. It picks up where she left off on the 2022 fan favorite HEARTFIRST tour last fall, which simultaneously launched her critically acclaimed album SUBJECT TO CHANGE (Black River) and saw her captivate audiences night after night. Kelsea also recently announced she will launch a third US leg of her HEARTFIRST tour in June. Kicking off June 16th at the Santa Barbara Bowl, the third leg will visit cities throughout the Western United States before closing out on July 1st at Arizona Financial Theatre in Phoenix, AZ. Tickets are on sale this Friday HERE.
Kelsea Ballerini has consistently made history. With the release of her debut album The First Time (Black River), she became the “only female country artist to hit #1 with the first three consecutive singles from a debut album.” This history-making feat helped earn the honeyed alto a Best New Artist GRAMMY nomination. She has logged five back-to-back Top 10 entries on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart, including the platinum-selling The First Time [2015], gold-selling Unapologetically [2017], gold-selling kelsea [2020], ballerini [2020], and SUBJECT TO CHANGE [2022]. With seven #1 singles and 31 certifications from the RIAA to date, her catalog boasts a string of essential smashes such as the double-platinum “Miss Me More” and “Peter Pan,” platinum-selling “half of my hometown” feat. Kenny Chesney and “hole in the bottle” with Shania Twain, and gold-selling “I Quit Drinking” with LANY. Among dozens of accolades thus far, she has garnered three GRAMMY® Award nominations, won two ACM Awards, picked up two CMA Awards, took home the iHeartRadio Music Awards honor for “Best New Artist,” and received multiple career nominations from the ACM Awards, American Music Awards, CMA Awards, CMT Awards, and People’s Choice Awards. She concluded 2021 as the “#3 most-played female artist on country radio” and CMT “Artist of the Year” in addition to picking up “Musical Event of the Year” and “Video of the Year” at the CMA Awards for “half of my hometown.” Kelsea scored a nomination in the category of “Single of the Year” at the 2022 CMA Awards for “half of my hometown,” and she notched a People’s Choice Awards nomination for “Country Artist of 2022.” Kelsea led the field for 2022 CMT Music Awards nominations with three nominations for “Video of The Year,” “Collaborative Video of The Year” and “CMT Performance of The Year.” Not to mention, she snagged a nomination for “Music Event of the Year” for the 2022 ACM Awards as both artist and producer of “half of my hometown.” This marked Kelsea’s first ACM nomination as a producer. Expanding her sphere of influence, she authored her first original book of poetry Feel Your Way Through, and Dolly Parton tapped her to star in the audiobook of Run, Rose, Run. In April 2022, Kelsea co-hosted the CMT Awards on CBS nationwide. On top of this, the multi-platinum country superstar was named the newest face of COVERGIRL. She has joined the brand in a multi-year partnership and is set to launch a cosmetic collaboration with the brand in 2023. She was inducted as a member of the famed Grand Ole Opry in 2019. At the time, she notably became the Opry’s youngest member in its nearly 100-year history since being founded in 1925. With these accolades, it is no wonder NPR proclaimed, “Kelsea Ballerini is definitely one of the most influential women in country right now… she’s defining the sound of the genre.” Kelsea’s fourth album, SUBJECT TO CHANGE, arrived on September 23, 2022. The first single “HEARTFIRST,” quickly took over airwaves as the “most added song at country radio” the week of its release and was recently certified gold by the RIAA. Most recently, Kelsea earned a GRAMMY® nomination for “Best Country Solo Performance” for “HEARTFIRST.” Kelsea surprised fans with the release of her intimate six-song EP Rolling Up the Welcome Mat (Black River) on February 14, 2023. The EP, along with an accompanying short film written and directed by Ballerini, marks the multi-platinum star’s most intimate and honest work to date. The project became an instant hit with fans and debuted to universal acclaim from everyone from The New York Times to Variety to Rolling Stone and more. Kelsea Ballerini is ready to continue making history in 2023 and beyond.