Kelsea Ballerini Is Slated To Make Her MTV VMA Debut
Kelsea Ballerini is slated to make her debut VMA performance, treating fans to a world premiere performance from the expanded version of her EP Rolling Up The Welcome Mat (For…
Kelsea Ballerini is slated to make her debut VMA performance, treating fans to a world premiere performance from the expanded version of her EP Rolling Up The Welcome Mat (For Good). Kelsea's first appearance on the storied MTV stage comes on the same day as her 30th birthday (September 12).
Ballerini posted the news to Instagram. The announcement was captioned, "Boots: On Welcome Mats: Rolled OUT @kelseaballerini is making her #VMA DEBUT!! Watch her perform LIVE on Tuesday, September 12 on @mtv!"
Many of her die-hard fans reacted to the post, including one who said, "Yay, can't wait to watch." Another fan requested, "If you go down, I'm going down too, please." One more fan wrote, "So ready for this!"
The 2023 VMAs will air live from New Jersey's Prudential Center on Tuesday, September 12, at 8 PM ET/PT.
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Ballerini gathered with fans and the music industry in Nashville last month (8/10) at the Country Music Hall of Fame to celebrate the release of her extended Rolling Up The Welcome Mat EP. The project became a fan favorite that took on a life of its own, so she recognized the importance of finishing the story.
Rolling Up The Welcome Mat (For Good) featured a number of bonus tracks, including "Interlude (Full Length)," a live version of "Penthouse (Healed Version)," an updated "Blindsided (Yeah, Sure, Okay)," that included the lyrics added during her Saturday Night Live performance and a new song, "How Do I Do This."
Kelsea said, "Even when we were recording Rolling Up The Welcome Mat, I knew it wasn't the end of the story. We couldn't know what was to come, so Alysa [her collaborator Alysa Vanderheym] and I left the project exactly as it was when it was written and recorded... and because of the open dialogue I have with my fans, it only felt right to finish this story before starting on the next chapter of my life."
Kelsea Ballerini celebrates her 29th birthday today (9/12). While she is currently going through some challenging life changes (she recently filed for divorce from her husband of five years, Morgan Evans), she is also going through an exciting time in her career. She recently made headlines wearing Shania Twain's Grammy dress at the ACM Honors, where she paid tribute to Twain by singing her biggest song, "Man, I Feel Like A Woman."
Also, this month (9/23), she will be releasing a new album called 'Subject To Change' featuring her current hit single, "Heartfirst."
As we celebrate all things, Kelsea today, we look at 12 of her biggest songs that made her the budding country superstar she is today.
12. "Yeah Boy" (2016)
Black RiverDescribed 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)
Black RiverThis 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)
Black RiverThe 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)
Black RiverA 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)
Black RiverThe 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)
Black RiverThe 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)
Black RiverHer 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)
Black RiverA 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)
Black RiverAnother 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)
Black RiverHer 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)
Black RiverA 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)
Black RiverA 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.
