Kelsea Ballerini Extends Her ‘Rolling Up The Welcome Mat’ EP

Author Nancy Brooks // Country Writer, Beasley Media Group

August 3rd, 2023 2:48 PM

Kelsea Ballerini has announced that her recent EP, Rolling Up The Welcome Mat, will get an extended edition, and it will be released on August 11. Kelsea released the surprise EP in February and an accompanying short film she directed.

Ballerini said in a statement about the project when it came out, “I wasn’t worried about anything other than presenting the songs as honestly as possible. Most of them started with me and my guitar.”

She added, “I was writing by myself for most of the project, and it was nice to trust myself again. The only way I’ve been able to handle my life since I was 12 was to write about it. Ironically, I started writing music because my parents got divorced; that was my therapy. ‘Rolling Up The Welcome Mat’ was how I processed everything. It’s the way I got my feelings out of my body and heart and put them to music, which is the purest way I could’ve handled it.”

RELATED: Kelsea Ballerini Gets Hit On Stage, Walks Off To 'Calm Down'

Kelsea posted a lengthy post on Instagram about the new extended edition of the project. She wrote in part, “It’s kinda scary opening a wound that time has mended…but this unexplainably transformative welcome mat had one last bit of rolling up to do.”

She continued, “It’s most important that I articulate that this re-release is for you and you only. The added outro’s that we ended up scream-singing nightly on tour, the lyric changes along a healing journey, hearing you very loudly explain that the INTERLUDE NEEDS TO BE A FULL SONG KELSEA COME ON. Plus, a new song to bring the story up-to-date. With this comes a favor. From the deepest and purest part of my heart, I ask that you help this be ours and let the music simply be the music, not dig back into the experience that it was written about nearly a year ago. As a songwriter, producer, and artist, I’m proud and protective of this EP, and as a woman and human, also proud and protective of the new, happy season of life I’m in.”

Ballerini concluded, “My real hope is for us to continue growing, healing, and evolving together with acceptance and kindness (even when we unleash our inner fire-breathing dragon singing the new versions of these songs). Am I right?”

12 Kelsea Ballerini Songs That Made Her A Star

• 12. “Yeah Boy” (2016)

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  Described as an ode to the 1990s, in the song's video, Kelsea is shown performing the song in a colorful bodysuit in front of a neon backdrop and a brick wall spray-painted with graffiti, with female backup dancers.

• 11. “Legends” (2017)

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  This song is a bit legendary as it topped the Hot Country Songs chart on Billboard. Ballerini performed the song at the 2017 CMA Awards with country legend Reba McEntire.

• 10. “I Hate Love Songs” (2018)

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  The song was originally not going to be recorded for her second album. Still, after receiving a standing ovation for her performance of it at the Grand Ole Opry in August 2017, Ballerini decided to include it on the record. She said at the time, "I called my label, I was like, 'I think we need to cut this song.'"
• 9. “Miss Me More” (2018)

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  A critically acclaimed song for Kelsea, she performed it many times on TV, including at the 52nd Annual Country Music Association Awards. Thirteen days later, she performed it on Season 15 of 'The Voice,' and then in June of 2019; she performed the song at the 2019 CMT Music Awards.

• 8. “Homecoming Queen?” (2019)

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  The lead single from her third studio album 'Kelsea,' which was released in March of 2020. In an interview with The Tennessean, Ballerini revealed that "Homecoming Queen?" heralded "a new, more emotionally vulnerable phase of her career."

• 7. “Dibs” (2015)

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  The name of her dog, which she got as a puppy when this song first came out. The song's video consists of footage Kelsea took herself while on tour in York, Pennsylvania, Greenville, South Carolina, and St. Leonard, Maryland, performing in front of live crowds, celebrating her 22nd birthday, and spending time with her dog.
• 6. “Love Me Like You Mean It” (2014)

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  Her debut single and the song that brought her to the country music dance. "Love Me Like You Mean It" peaked at number one on the Billboard Country Airplay chart, making Ballerini the first solo female to top that chart with her debut single since Carrie Underwood's "Jesus, Take the Wheel" in 2006.

• 5. “The Other Girl” (with Halsey) (2020)

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  A solid collaboration. Ballerini and Halsey performed the song live on 'CMT Crossroads' on March 25, 2020. The song won a CMT Music Award for Performance of the Year, marking both artists' first CMT award.

• 4. “Peter Pan” (2016)

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  Another chart-topper for Kelsea, the song was certified Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) and has sold 672,000 copies in the US as of March 2017. Ballerini first performed the song live with Nick Jonas at the Academy of Country Music Awards.
• 3. “Heartfirst” (2022)

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  Her new single and already a hit with fans. Kelsea co-wrote the song with Alysa Vanderheym and Little Big Town member Karen Fairchild. She recently said it was the first song that she ever wrote where she did not come up with the title first; instead, the opening line "Met him at a party/ Accidentally brushed his body/ On the way to get a drink at the bar" was the first lyric she wrote for the song.

• 2. “Hole in the Bottle” (2020)

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  A catchy and fun drinking song. A remix of the song featuring Shania Twain was released on November 13, 2020. An alternate song recording is also included on Ballerini's fourth studio album, 'Ballerini.'

• 1. “Half of My Hometown” (featuring Kenny Chesney) (2021)

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  A classic sounding and much-loved country song with fellow native East Tennessean Kenny Chesney. The song won both Musical Event of the Year and Video of the Year at the 55th Annual Country Music Association Awards and is nominated for Single of the Year at the 56th CMA Awards.

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Author Nancy Brooks // Country Writer, Beasley Media Group

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• Country News
• Music
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Kelsea Ballerini