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Kelsea Ballerini finally shared some answers after dropping major teasers and leaving fans begging for more details about the singer-songwriter’s long-awaited next album.
It turns out, Ballerini already revealed some info before making an announcement on Wednesday morning (July 13), and many fans can't believe they didn't catch it.
Ballerini confirmed on her social media channels that her fourth full-length album, Subject To Change, is set to release on September 23. She included a nearly one-minute narration, saying in the reflective message:
“In my younger years, the idea of change scared me. It had proven to be a faceless force that patterned my past with uncertainty. Only in the gift of growth have I learned in the stark and constant juxtaposition of life, living happens. That when I unclench my fists, undig my heels, and unravel the architecture built by youth, a true metamorphosis can happen. I’ve been searching somewhere between the broadness of the universe and the simplicity in the little things, reflecting through wiser perspectives, landing with body weight into matters of the heart, and finding blissful acceptance in the inner cracks I once cursed that now let the light in to grow taller within myself. This is a season of becoming, healing, loving, dancing and feeling. And like everything, it is subject to change.”
The confirmation comes after a few cryptic teasers from Ballerini, including a mysterious email from her team which, fans now know, included the album title. The email’s subject line read, “[Test] KB4,” with yellow and blue heart emojis. The email seemed to carve out space for the album’s cover art, though it only read: “[PLACEHOLDER-SUBJECT TO CHANGE].” Later, Ballerini’s team sent a second email telling recipients to “PLEASE DISREGARD,” and reading in part: “The announcement may not be coming soon, then again, maybe it might be,” playfully referencing Ballerini’s latest single, “HEARTFIRST.”
The day before sending those emails, Ballerini fielded a few questions on TikTok about her new album, During that time, she said: “I’ve been super hesitant to share anything before it’s super ready because things have just been so subject to change the last few years, but it’s ready!”
Ballerini also seemed to tease that the album would release in September (her birthday month) as she zoomed in on a charm on her necklace she wore in a video on TikTok.
Ballerini released the album’s first single, “HEARTFIRST,” earlier this year, and premiered the metaphor-packed music video last week. She previously explained that it sets the tone for Subject To Change — which is “heavily influenced” by ‘90s female country — because: “It’s very warm, very breezy-feeling, very settled. That’s kind of the tone of the whole project that I’m working on, and I feel like ‘HEARTFIRST’ was the first step into that new world.”
Watch the music video here: