Kelsea Ballerini

Who is Kelsea Ballerini?

Kelsea Ballerini (born Kelsea Nicole Ballerini on 12 September 1993 in Mascot, Tennessee) is an American country-pop singer-songwriter, one of the defining voices of modern Nashville's pop-leaning country wave. Bright, confessional and radio-savvy, she broke through in her early twenties and has remained a fixture on the country charts ever since.

A record-setting debut

Her 2015 debut album The First Time made history: she became the first female country artist to send her first three singles — "Love Me Like You Mean It", "Dibs" and "Peter Pan" — to number one on the Country Airplay chart, a feat that immediately marked her as a major new talent.

Hits and acclaimed albums

She followed her debut with a steady run of hits and well-reviewed records, including:

• "Miss Me More" — a defiant empowerment anthem
• "Half of My Hometown" with Kenny Chesney
• "Hole in the Bottle"
• Albums such as Unapologetically, kelsea, Subject to Change, the candid EP Rolling Up the Welcome Mat and Patterns

Recognition and television

Ballerini has earned multiple ACM, CMA and Grammy nominations and is respected as a songwriter as much as a performer. She has broadened her profile through television too, including a stint as a coach on a major singing competition and high-profile awards-show and late-night appearances.

Recent work

In 2026 she moved into dance-country territory with Another Drink, her first collaboration with producer Marshmello — a breezy summer single pairing her country-pop instincts with his festival-ready production.