Kelsea Ballerini decided she was “gonna go ahead and get this out of the way.” She shared the NSFW meaning behind one of the tracks on her upcoming album — and played a sneak peek — during a live-streamed Q&A on Instagram on Wednesday evening (October 9).
Ballerini delivered an in-depth Q&A about her fifth studio record, Patterns, which is set to arrive at the end of this month. The 15-track album includes “Cowboys Cry Too,” Ballerini’s single featuring Noah Kahan, plus “Sorry Mom” and “Two Things.” The singer-songwriter has also shared teasers of other unreleased tracks on TikTok and Instagram. “First Rodeo” is the final song that will release ahead of the album’s debut, Ballerini confirmed.
“I’m gonna go ahead and get this out of the way. I’m gonna rip the Band-Aid,” Ballerini said with a nervous smile. “I have a song on this record. ...It’s called ‘Deep.’ OK. How do I pitch this? It is a song that I had to play for my mom, and I still have not played it for my dad. And God help me when anyone’s parents hear this song. But they’re parents, so they get it because they made kids. And that’s where I’ll leave that conversation. If you don’t know what I mean, you’re probably too young. But it’s about the birds and the bees.
“I’ll stop there. I’m sweating everywhere,” Ballerini said after playing a few seconds of the song. “That’s a song that if — I really love reaction videos when a record of mine comes out, I just...like to watch reactions. Oh wow. And I would love any and all reaction videos to that song. And that’s where we say ‘Sorry Mom!’”
- Patterns
- Sorry Mom
- Baggage
- First Rodeo
- Nothing Really Matters
- How Much Do You Love Me
- Two Things
- We Broke Up
- Wait!
- Beg For Your Love
- Deep
- Cowboys Cry Too, with Noah Kahan
- I Would, Would You
- This Time Last Year
- Did You Make It Home? (Outro)
Throughout the Q&A, Ballerini also addressed the omission of “To The Men That Love Women After Heartbreak” on the record (a “hot topic” among fans), a health update on her dog after announcing his cancer diagnosis, and other details about the making of Patterns. Ballerini also spoke excitedly about her sold-out, “one night only” album release show at Madison Square Garden in New York City. The show will take place on October 29, days after Patterns arrives on October 25. The lineup also includes sister duos Aly & AJ and Tigirlily Gold.
Though the album release show is sold out, iHeartRadio is holding a contest to attend the concert and catch up with Ballerini in a backstage meet and greet. To enter to win, head over to the free iHeartRadio app, or click HERE for more info.
“The whole time I was making this album, I was visualizing and dreamscaping ways to bring it to life for our live show, and it was something I couldn't wait more than five days after its release to do,” Ballerini said in a statement. “When good things happen, when new chapters begin, you want to share them with your people. This time around, it just so happens to be in a bucket list venue in the heart of a city that is landmarked heavily in the music and visuals of PATTERNS. I'm so giddy to be celebrating this album release at Madison Square Garden...see you in New York City!”