Kelsea Ballerini. Photo: Catherine Powell
Last week, multi-Platinum songwriter and entertainer Kelsea Ballerini took the stage at the recently opened First Bank Amphitheater on the outskirts of Franklin, Tennessee as support on the Jonas Brothers‘ “Remember This” Tour.
The new boutique venue located at the Graystone Quarry in Thompson’s Station hosted its first event on Aug. 5 with Together: Feeding Nashville where a big topic of discussion was the issues related to traffic. After a handful of shows, the venue still has some of those issues with many concert-goers rolling in late to the first of the Jonas Brothers’ two-night stay.
Kelsea Ballerini. Photo: Catherine Powell
However, once on stage, Ballerini wowed the crowd with many of her No. 1s and fan-favorites, including her 2015 Platinum-certified single “Peter Pan” and her designated drinking song, “Hole In The Bottle.” She also performed her newest single “I Quit Drinking,” which features LANY frontman Paul Klein.
Dipping into the feelings of nostalgia that many of the attendees were experiencing from seeing one of the world’s favorite childhood boy bands, Ballerini shared part of a video she recorded in 2008 that explained her long-time admiration for the trio.
“[In this video] I’m gonna talk about five reasons why I love the Jonas Brothers,” the then pre-teen singer says, earning quite the reaction from the audience. “The first one is their passion for music. I made another video that talked about how we share that because I love to sing and I love to write songs, and they do too. I think it would be really awesome to meet someone who has that same passion that is living their dream out, and I think it would be really cool to talk to them about.”
Kelsea Ballerini. Photo: Catherine Powell
The now 28 year-old followed it up, saying: “So that’s me… If I could go back and tell 12 year-old Kelsea that on a Thursday night at this new, beautiful venue in Nashville freaking Tennessee that I would be able to stand on this stage and not only sing some songs of my own that people might know, but open up for the Jonas Brothers… I wouldn’t have believed it, y’all.”
She continued, “Judging by the fact that you’re here early and you’re standing up with t-shirts, signs, hoodies, and all kinds of things, I’m assuming you feel the same way about the Jonas Brothers as I do. That also means that a lot of us probably grew up on a lot of the same music, and we’re lucky because we got the good stuff.”
The 6x No. 1 singer then broke out into a string of early 2000s covers, including Taylor Swift’s “Teardrops On My Guitar,” Kelly Clarkson’s “Breakaway,” and “Lucky” by Britney Spears, before transitioning into her vulnerable, emotion-evoking “Homecoming Queen” which featured a booming chorus choir from the audience.
Ballerini also offered her powerful post-breakup track, “The Way I Used To,” before wrapping with “This Feeling,” her 2018 duet with EDM supergroup The Chainsmokers to which she offered a “secret” third verse for the special Nashville show.
Ballerini and the brothers will continue on to stops in Atlanta, Cincinnati, New York, Boston, Tampa, Dallas, and more before wrapping at Los Angeles’ Hollywood Bowl on Oct. 27.
Kelsea Ballerini. Photo: Catherine Powell
MLC To Host “El MLC En Español” For Hispanic Heritage Month, Unveils New Spanish Resources
/by Lydia FarthingThe Mechanical Licensing Collective (The MLC) is commemorating Hispanic Heritage Month in September with “El MLC en Español”–a new initiative designed to engage current and prospective Spanish-speaking members of The MLC and kick off the availability of Spanish-language resources.
Developed by Dae Bogan, The MLC’s Head of Third-Party Partnerships, “El MLC en Español” is the result of a collaboration with Take Creative Control [Latin], Protege Tu Música TV, LLC (Protect Your Music TV, LLC), Songwriters of North America (SONA) and others.
Taking place the week of Sept. 27, the event will feature the launch of comprehensive Spanish informational materials and assets about The MLC, as well as a pair of webinars.
Among the new informational assets is a Spanish-language landing page on The MLC website and a Spanish-language video that broadly introduces viewers to the concept of digital audio mechanical royalties and the existence of The MLC. Additionally, The MLC will make available a new Spanish-language toolkit developed for organizations that represent Latin music creators.
“The Latin music genre has experienced tremendous growth on digital platforms in recent years and as a result, we recognize that there is a real need to raise awareness among Spanish-speaking music creators about The MLC and how our organization can help them,” Bogan explains. “I have had the privilege of partnering with leaders from the Latin music community who are working to promote and advance the interests of Spanish-speaking creators on similar initiatives in the past. Their feedback and expertise have been invaluable in shaping this initiative, which exemplifies The MLC’s strong commitment to listening to, and working with, every segment of the community of rightsholders that we serve.”
“Dae has done a wonderful job putting this important initiative together for The MLC, and I’m so grateful for the participation of our partners,” adds Kris Ahrend, CEO of The MLC. “This initiative is a great example of how The MLC is putting its commitment to diversity into practice, in a way that will provide meaningful benefits to our members.”
The first webinar, presented by The MLC and SONA, will take place on Tuesday, Sept. 28 at 12 p.m. CT. The session will be hosted by Stephanie Santiago-Rolón, Director of Take Creative Control [Latin], who will lead a conversation with Colombian-American singer-songwriter-producer-engineer Dahlia Lagos and Costa Rica-born singer-songwriter Dani Blau. To register, click here.
The second webinar will take place on Thursday, Sept. 30 at 12 p.m. CT. Host Yira Santiago, CEO & Entertainment Attorney of Protege Tu Música TV LLC, will lead a discussion on the U.S. digital music royalties ecosystem for Spanish-language songs and how creators can collect those royalties, with panelists Katerine Albert (Human Resource Generalist at The MLC), Henry Alonzo (Board Member at The Gospel Music Association), Alexandria Davila (CEO at Adarga Entertainment Group) and Mauricio Maestre (Entertainment Lawyer at M&M Lawyers, Colombia). To register for the Understanding and Collecting U.S. Digital Mechanical Royalties webinar, click here.
Deana Carter Celebrates 25th Anniversary Of ‘Did I Shave My Legs For This?’ With Special Re-Issue
/by Lorie HollabaughDeana Carter
Deana Carter is celebrating 25 years of her debut album, Did I Shave My Legs For This?, with a special re-issue set for release on Nov. 5 via Capitol Nashville/UMe.
The project features two new tracks with the Carter-produced, 2021 version of the CMA award-winning, double Platinum single “Strawberry Wine,” featuring Carter with Lauren Alaina, Martina McBride, Ashley McBryde, Kylie Morgan, and Vince Gill on guitar. The 25th Anniversary Edition of Carter’s 5x platinum album, also includes the title track featuring Terri Clark, Sara Evans, Ashley McBryde, and Vince Gill.
The new album editions have been remastered from the original recordings and will be released on CD, as well as a Digital Deluxe version with ten additional songs, seven of which will be available digitally for the first time.
“I am beyond blown away to see the generational connection between my first single, ‘Strawberry Wine’ and all the fans, young and seasoned,” Carter says. “Being a part of a song that has become an anthem for the ’90s and beyond is such a blessing and more than I could’ve ever dreamed of. The fans have been the catalyst for the success of ‘Strawberry Wine’ and the whole Shave album because of their connection to the truth and realness behind the songs.
“They lived it–just like I did–and just like all of my collaborators did,” Carter continues. “It was an honor to re-record two favorites with my fellow female artists who inspire me and who I admire. These new versions are a way of raising a glass to everyone who loves these songs, and to the country radio stations still playing them, and to say thank you. I hope everyone enjoys celebrating 25 years of Did I Shave My Legs For This? as much as I’ve enjoyed putting together these very special releases.”
“Strawberry Wine,” the 1997 CMA Single and Song of the Year written by Matraca Berg and Gary Harrison, was also nominated for a Grammy for Best Country Song, the Academy of Country Music Awards Best Country Song, and the Country Music Radio Awards for Song of the Year.
Other chart-toppers from Carter’s debut album included “We Danced Anyway,” co-written by Berg and Randy Scruggs; “How Do I Get There,” co-written by Carter and Chris Farren; and “Count Me In,” co-written by Carter and Chuck Jones.
Did I Shave My Legs for This? 25th Anniversary Edition CD:
1. I’ve Loved Enough To Know
2. We Danced Anyway
3. Count Me In
4. If This Is Love
5. Love Ain’t Worth Making
6. Before We Ever Heard Goodbye
7. How Do I Get There
8. Strawberry Wine (remastered original)
9. That’s How You Know It’s Love
10. Did I Shave My Legs For This? (remastered original)
11. To The Other Side
12. Strawberry Wine (2021 version)
13. Did I Shave My Legs For This? (2021 version)
Did I Shave My Legs for This? 25th Anniversary Edition Digital Deluxe:
1. I’ve Loved Enough To Know
2. We Danced Anyway
3. Count Me In
4. If This Is Love
5. Love Ain’t Worth Making
6. Before We Ever Heard Goodbye
7. How Do I Get There
8. Strawberry Wine (remastered original)
9. That’s How You Know It’s Love
10. Did I Shave My Legs For This? (remastered original)
11. To The Other Side
12. Strawberry Wine (2021 version)
13. Did I Shave My Legs For This? (2021 version)
14. Angel Without A Prayer
15. Rita Valentine
16. I Can’t Shake You**
17. Are You Coming Home Today?**
18. Turn Those Wheels Around**
19. Graffiti Bridge
20. We Share a Wall**
21. Don’t Let Go”**
22. Just What You Need**
23. Did I Shave My Legs For This? (alternate version)**
** Previously unreleased digitally
NMPA & Twitch Reach Agreement
/by LB CantrellThe National Music Publishers’ Association (NMPA) and Twitch announced today (Sept. 21) that the organizations have reached an agreement that aims “to work together to build productive partnerships between the service and music publishers,” according to the release.
The purpose of the deal is to change the way the economics of new gaming models work to increase visibility and revenue for songwriters. This agreement comes after months of conflict between the organizations regarding the payment of songwriters.
Twitch will provide new opportunities to music publishers who will be offered an opt-in deal allowing for future collaborations to bring new facets to both the gaming experience and songwriter exposure. Additionally, Twitch has created a new process that participating music rights holders can opt into to report certain uses of their music, to address when creators inadvertently or incidentally use music in their streams.
NMPA President & CEO David Israelite says, “Both NMPA and Twitch are creator-focused and our respective communities will greatly benefit from this agreement, which respects the rights of songwriters and paves the way for future relationships between our publisher members, songwriters and the service. Through our discussions, Twitch has shown a commitment to valuing musicians and to creating new ways to connect them with fans in this burgeoning and exciting space.”
Twitch Head of Music Tracy Chan adds, “We are pleased to reach this agreement with the NMPA and excited about our shared commitment to empowering songwriters and other creators to share their work and passions while connecting with audiences. That’s what Twitch is all about, and we know that great music starts with a great song. We look forward to innovative collaborations that further unlock the incredible potential of our service and our community for music publishers and their songwriter partners.”
Lucas Hoge Looks Forward To ‘12.25’ With New Holiday Album
/by Lorie HollabaughLucas Hoge
Lucas Hoge will offer fans some holiday cheer with his upcoming Christmas album, 12.25, available for pre-order now. The full project will be released on Nov. 16.
Produced by Kent Wells, the album features re-imagined classics like “I’ll Be Home For Christmas,” “O Holy Night,” and “Winter Wonderland,” as well as four original songs from Hoge. The project also includes collaborations with award-nominated Skip Ewing and Platinum-selling artist Jamie O’Neal.
“This is my favorite project to date, not only did I have the best time recording this with such a revered producer in the industry as Kent Wells, I got to have some good friends be a part of this as well,” shares Hoge. “Being able to have one of my musical inspirations, Skip Ewing, duet a song with me and have Jamie O’Neal’s tremendous vocals on ‘Let It Snow’ was a dream. I hope everyone loves this record as much as I do and it becomes a staple to listen to every Christmas season.”
1. Christmas Carnival – Lucas Hoge, Corey Lee Baker
2. I’ll Be Home For Christmas – Kim Gannon
3. Let It Snow (featuring Jamie O’Neal) – Sammy Cahn
4. Mrs. Santa Claus (featuring Skip Ewing) – Skip Ewing
5. O Holy Night – Placide Cappeau, Adolphe Charles Adam
6. Sleigh Ride – Leroy Anderson
7. Winter Wonderland – Richard Bernhard Smith, Felix William Bernard
8. December In A Small Town – Lucas Hoge, Corey Lee Barker
9. Hey Christmas – Lucas Hoge, Corey Lee Barker
10. Wonderful Christmastime – Paul McCartney
11. Christmas Without You – Lucas Hoge, Andrew Peeples, Brett Sheroky
12. Let It Snow – Sammy Cahn
Dolly Parton, Steeldrivers, More Appear On New ‘Country Faith Bluegrass’ Project
/by Lorie HollabaughCountry Faith Bluegrass, the 10th installment from the acclaimed series, is available now across all digital platforms via Billy Blue Records. Physical CD copies are exclusively available on CrackerBarrel.com and in Cracker Barrel Old Country Store locations starting Oct. 4.
The project features eight new recordings and six classics performed by some of the top names in Bluegrass, including Dolly Parton‘s never-before-heard version of the old hymn “In the Sweet By and By.” Grammy-nominated producer Jerry Salley and bluegrass favorites Carl Jackson, Larry Cordle and Bradley Walker accompany Parton on the track to sing harmony vocals as a quartet.
Executive produced by Deborah Evans Price, Danny McGuffey and Dottie Leonard Miller and produced by Salley, Country Faith Bluegrass also features The Steeldrivers‘ debut gospel recording, “River of Forgiveness,” written by fiddle player and vocalist Tammy Rogers-King and Salley. Salley also joins Shenandoah lead singer Marty Raybon on “My Future Ain’t What It Used to Be.” Other originals on the album include “Walk with Me,” recorded and co-written by country newcomer Caeland Garner with 2014 and 2018 IBMA Entertainer Of The Year recipients Balsam Range.
Additional new arrangements include “Shall We Gather at the River” by Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver, “Rank Strangers” by Joe Mullins & The Radio Ramblers, and “Drifting Too Far from the Shore” by Darin and Brooke Aldridge.
Country Faith Bluegrass also offers previously released recordings by Patty Loveless and Ricky Skaggs, Vince Gill and Charlie Daniels featuring Mac Wiseman and The Whites, as well as bluegrass legends Alison Krauss and The Cox Family, The Del McCoury Band and Dailey & Vincent.
Country Faith Bluegrass Track List:
1. All Prayed Up – Vince Gill from the album All Prayed Up (Vince Gill)
2. In the Sweet By and By – Dolly Parton with Cordle, Jackson, Salley & Walker (Bennett / Webster) ***
3. Shall We Gather at the River – Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver (R. Lowry)***
4. Will There Be Any Stars? – Alison Krauss & The Cox Family from the album I Know Who Holds Tomorrow (E. Hewitt / J. Sweeney)
5. My Future Ain’t What It Used to Be – Marty Raybon & Jerry Salley (Dianne Wilkinson / Jerry Salley) ***
6. By the Mark – Dailey & Vincent from the album Dailey & Vincent (David Rawlings / Gillian Welch)
7. Working on a Building – Dale Ann Bradley ft. The Isaacs (A.P. Carter)***
8. I’m Bound for the Land of Canaan – The Del McCoury Band from the album The Promised Land (Albert E. Brumley)
9. Rank Strangers – Joe Mullins & the Radio Ramblers (Albert E. Brumley)***
10. Daniel Prayed – Patty Loveless & Ricky Skaggs from the album Mountain Soul (Ralph Stanley)
11. River of Forgiveness – The SteelDrivers (Tammy Rogers-King / Jerry Salley)***
12. Walk with Me – Caeland Garner ft. Balsam Range (Kelly Collins / Caeland Garner / Jerry Salley)***
13. Drifting Too Far from the Shore – Darin and Brooke Aldridge (C. Moody)***
14. Walking in Jerusalem (Just Like John) – Charlie Daniels ft. Mac Wiseman & The Whites from the album Songs from The Longleaf Pines (Bill Monroe)
(*** = new recording)
Jimmie Allen, Damon Whiteside, Jackie Jones To Hold Keynote Conversation At Mondo.NYC Conference
/by Lydia FarthingJimmie Allen. Photo: Shea Flynn
Mondo.NYC and the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) have announced the 2021 agenda for their sixth year at the music and tech conference.
This year’s RIAA track will showcase a keynote conversation between ACM head Damon Whiteside, Jackie Jones of the RIAA, and Jimmie Allen, the ACM’s reigning New Male Artist of the Year. The multi-Platinum recording artist will sit down with Whiteside and Jones to talk about being the first Black solo performer to win the ACM’s New Male Artist of the Year award, how he broke into the industry, how things have changed, and how important diversity is to the music community. This panel will take place on Oct. 13 from 5:00 to 6:00 p.m. eastern time.
The 2021 event will also feature Mondo conference favorite “Everything You Need to Know About Music Policy in One Hour,” and a conversation with chart-topper JoJo about wellness and mental health with mental health expert, Miles Adcox. These panels join the previously announced conversation between Ole Obermann, VP/Head of Music, TikTok, and Mitch Glazier, Chairman & CEO of the RIAA.
Bobby Haber, Mondo.NYC’s co-founder says, “Once again, the RIAA has put together an extraordinary group of speakers and artists to give our attendees both a broad overview as well as deep insights into what key decision-makers are doing to reinvigorate our industry, respect artists, and build back better and stronger after the devastating past 18 months. The RIAA-hosted artist presence at Mondo gives an invaluable perspective as to why we all do what we do.”
The full Mondo.NYC 2021 music festival and conference runs Oct. 12-15 in venues in New York City and online worldwide. All panels are open to Mondo registrants and take place virtually live on Wednesday, Oct. 13 starting at 2:00 p.m. CT. Four-day passes to all live and virtual events are now available.
All in-person attendees will need to present evidence of COVID vaccination, in addition to compliance with all current NYC, New York State and federal city health guidelines.
Miko Marks To Honor Country & Americana Music Pioneers With New EP, ‘Race Records’
/by Lydia FarthingMiko Marks
Miko Marks will release her upcoming EP, Race Records, on Oct. 1. Ahead of the full release, Marks has released “Long As I Can See The Light,” written by John Fogerty and originally released by Creedence Clearwater.
The 6-song project was created to honor a few of country and Americana music’s pioneers, to whom Marks feels a deep connection. Included on the EP are tracks by The Monroe Brothers, Willie Nelson and The Carter Family, among others.
“I love the connection I feel between genres when I listen to these artists. Blues, Gospel, bluegrass, country, all of these styles were influencing each other early on, crossing racial and cultural divides the way music should,” Marks explains.
Race Records is named after the catch-all named for music by Black artists until the mid 1950s. Read more about the history of “Race records” here.
Spotify Celebrates ’90s Country’s Resurgence Of Popularity With Gen Z
/by LB CantrellSpotify has launched a campaign to celebrate one of the most iconic decades in country music: the 1990s.
According to unique user data from Spotify, U.S. streams of their ’90s Country playlist have grown 150% since 2018, and 70% among Gen Z users in that time. There are also currently 89 million playlists from Gen Z users containing ’90s country tracks. As many fans between 19-24 listen to Spotify’s ’90s Country playlist as fans over 45.
According to Spotify, albums from The Chicks (Wide Open Spaces and Fly); Shania Twain (Come On Over and The Woman In Me); Alan Jackson (Who I Am and A Lot About Livin’ (And A Little ‘Bout Love)); Tim McGraw (Everywhere); and George Strait (Strait Out Of The Box, Pure Country and Blue Clear Sky) are among the top 10 most popular ’90s country albums for Gen Z listeners. See more of Spotify’s ’90s country catalog data below.
To celebrate the renewed popularity of ’90s country, Spotify launched a creative campaign highlighting the staying power of the platform’s ’90s country catalog. The campaign includes three Spotify Singles from three ’90s babies: with Parker McCollum covering Strait’s “Carrying Your Love With Me,” Tenille Arts doing The Chicks’ “Wide Open Spaces,” and Breland covering Deana Carter’s “Strawberry Wine.”
The campaign includes a ’90s Country Digital Experience that allows users take a short quiz to generate their top ’90s country albums as well as a personalized playlist.
Below is more ’90s country catalog data from Spotify:
Top 10 ’90s Country Albums With Listeners In The U.S. Overall:
1. Come On Over – Shania Twain
2. Down The Road I Go – Travis Tritt
3. Everywhere – Tim McGraw
4. The Woman In Me – Shania Twain
5. Fly – The Chicks
6. Out With A Bang – David Lee Murphy
7. Strait Out Of The Box – George Strait
8. A Lot About Livin’ (And A Little ‘Bout Love) – Alan Jackson
9. Wide Open Spaces – The Chicks
10. A Place In The Sun – Tim McGraw
Top 10 ’90s Country Albums With Gen Z Listeners In The U.S.:
1. Wide Open Spaces – The Chicks
2. Strait Out Of The Box – George Strait
3. Fly – The Chicks
4. Come On Over – Shania Twain
5. Pure Country – George Strait
6. A Lot About Livin’ (And A Little ‘Bout Love) – Alan Jackson
7. Everywhere – Tim McGraw
8. The Woman In Me – Shania Twain
9. Who I Am – Alan Jackson
10. Blue Clear Sky – George Strait
Top 5 Most-Shared ’90s Country Songs By Gen Z listeners:
1. “You’re Still The One” – Shania Twain
2. “Man! I Feel Like A Woman!” – Shania Twain
3. “Amazed” – Lonestar
4. “Chattahoochee” – Alan Jackson
5. “Cowboy Take Me Away” – The Chicks
Most-Discovered (First-Time Listened To) 90s Country Songs In The US In The Past 3 Months:
1. “Something Like That” – Tim McGraw
2. “Man! I Feel Like A Woman!” – Shania Twain
3. “Chattahoochee” – Alan Jackson
4. “Any Man Of Mine” – Shania Twain
5. “Amazed” – Lonestar
6. “Dust On The Bottle” – David Lee Murphy
7. “Strawberry Wine” – Deana Carter
8. “She’s In Love With The Boy” – Trisha Yearwood
9. “Independence Day” – Martina McBride
10. “Check Yes Or No” – George Strait
Most Discovered Artists in 2021 From The 90s Country Playlist:
1. Billy Dean
2. Alison Krauss & Union Station
3. Ricochet
4. John Anderson
5. Tracy Byrd
Lainey Wilson’s “Things A Man Oughta Know” Tops The Charts
/by Lorie HollabaughLainey Wilson. Photo: Alex Berger
MusicRow’s 2021 Discovery Artist of the Year Lainey Wilson has topped the Mediabase and Billboard country chart with her breakout hit “Things A Man Oughta Know.”
Wilson is the first new solo female artist to accomplish this feat since Gabby Barrett went to the top with “I Hope” in April 2020. Written by Wilson, Jason Nix and Jonathan Singleton, “Things A Man Oughta Know” went No. 1 on the MusicRow CountryBreakout Radio Chart on Aug. 13.
“It has been an incredible privilege to see firsthand how this song has impacted people. Thank you, country radio for believing in it, sharing it with the world and taking this thing to No. 1—this is a moment I’ve dreamed of my entire life—and to do it with a song that is all about good character is icing on the cake,” shares Wilson. “To my incredibly supportive team—thank you for always being by my side. I can’t wait to cry, celebrate and climb more mountains with you.”
The track has garnered more than 146 million on-demand streams and has spent several weeks in the Top 10 in country single sales. The single is also having international success, being certified Gold in Canada and reaching the Top 5 on Canadian country radio.
Wilson was also selected as an iHeartCountry On the Verge artist and was nominated for CMT Music Award’s Breakthrough Video of the Year in addition to being named the Opry NextStage artist for August. She is currently on the road on Jason Aldean’s “Back In The Saddle Tour” and working on new music.
Kelsea Ballerini Sets The Stage In Nashville On Jonas Brothers’ “Remember This” Tour
/by Lydia FarthingKelsea Ballerini. Photo: Catherine Powell
Last week, multi-Platinum songwriter and entertainer Kelsea Ballerini took the stage at the recently opened First Bank Amphitheater on the outskirts of Franklin, Tennessee as support on the Jonas Brothers‘ “Remember This” Tour.
The new boutique venue located at the Graystone Quarry in Thompson’s Station hosted its first event on Aug. 5 with Together: Feeding Nashville where a big topic of discussion was the issues related to traffic. After a handful of shows, the venue still has some of those issues with many concert-goers rolling in late to the first of the Jonas Brothers’ two-night stay.
Kelsea Ballerini. Photo: Catherine Powell
However, once on stage, Ballerini wowed the crowd with many of her No. 1s and fan-favorites, including her 2015 Platinum-certified single “Peter Pan” and her designated drinking song, “Hole In The Bottle.” She also performed her newest single “I Quit Drinking,” which features LANY frontman Paul Klein.
Dipping into the feelings of nostalgia that many of the attendees were experiencing from seeing one of the world’s favorite childhood boy bands, Ballerini shared part of a video she recorded in 2008 that explained her long-time admiration for the trio.
“[In this video] I’m gonna talk about five reasons why I love the Jonas Brothers,” the then pre-teen singer says, earning quite the reaction from the audience. “The first one is their passion for music. I made another video that talked about how we share that because I love to sing and I love to write songs, and they do too. I think it would be really awesome to meet someone who has that same passion that is living their dream out, and I think it would be really cool to talk to them about.”
Kelsea Ballerini. Photo: Catherine Powell
The now 28 year-old followed it up, saying: “So that’s me… If I could go back and tell 12 year-old Kelsea that on a Thursday night at this new, beautiful venue in Nashville freaking Tennessee that I would be able to stand on this stage and not only sing some songs of my own that people might know, but open up for the Jonas Brothers… I wouldn’t have believed it, y’all.”
She continued, “Judging by the fact that you’re here early and you’re standing up with t-shirts, signs, hoodies, and all kinds of things, I’m assuming you feel the same way about the Jonas Brothers as I do. That also means that a lot of us probably grew up on a lot of the same music, and we’re lucky because we got the good stuff.”
The 6x No. 1 singer then broke out into a string of early 2000s covers, including Taylor Swift’s “Teardrops On My Guitar,” Kelly Clarkson’s “Breakaway,” and “Lucky” by Britney Spears, before transitioning into her vulnerable, emotion-evoking “Homecoming Queen” which featured a booming chorus choir from the audience.
Ballerini also offered her powerful post-breakup track, “The Way I Used To,” before wrapping with “This Feeling,” her 2018 duet with EDM supergroup The Chainsmokers to which she offered a “secret” third verse for the special Nashville show.
Ballerini and the brothers will continue on to stops in Atlanta, Cincinnati, New York, Boston, Tampa, Dallas, and more before wrapping at Los Angeles’ Hollywood Bowl on Oct. 27.
Kelsea Ballerini. Photo: Catherine Powell