Photo: Getty Images
Kelsea Ballerini sings “Love Me Like You Mean It” from a fresh lens in the reimagined version of the “starry-eyed” single she released 10 years ago. The updated spin on the anthem from Ballerini’s debut album arrives days before she returns to the 2024 CMT Music Awards, where she’ll solo host the show and deliver the debut performance of her reimagined ballad.
Ballerini, 30, confirmed earlier this week that she would release an updated version of “Love Me Like You Mean It.” The leading CMT Music Awards nominee and Video of the Year finalist said: “ten years ago, i was twenty, naive, starry eyed, and absolutely relentless on putting my music out into the world. i’m proud to say, nothing has changed…except a DECADE of this wildly beautiful journey we’ve gotten to share full of tours and sing alongs, wins and losses, and growing up together. soooo, before we move into new music (yes, it’s coming i swear) i wanted to celebrate the beginning with you. the song that started it all, love me like you mean it (reimagined and ten years later) comes out tomorrow night at midnight. oh, and i’ll be performing it on the [CMT] awards sunday. see you there. love you, mean it. ❤️”
Ballerini’s debut album, The First Time, also included singles “Yeah Boy,” “Peter Pan” and “Dibs,” among other highlights. It launched her decade-long career as an artist, leading to other hits and fan-favorites like “If You Go Down (I’m Goin’ Down Too),” “Hole In The Bottle,” “Miss Me More,” “Half of my Hometown,” “Homecoming Queen,” “HEARTFIRST,” “Penthouse,” “Blindsided,” “What I Have” and many others.
The 2024 CMT Music Awards will include performances by Jason Aldean, Dasha, Bailey Zimmerman, Cody Johnson, Jelly Roll, Keith Urban, Lainey Wilson, Little Big Town with Sugarland, Megan Moroney, NEEDTOBREATHE with Jordan Davis, Old Dominion with Megan Moroney, Parker McCollum with Brittney Spencer, Sam Hunt, and Trisha Yearwood, who will also receive the first-ever June Carter Cash Humanitarian Award. The show will also include an all-star tribute to late legend Toby Keith, who died earlier this year following a battle with stomach cancer. He was 62.
Presenters include Amber Riley, Billy Bob Thornton (Landman), Carly Pearce, Cody Alan, Cody Johnson, Emily Osment (Young Sheldon), Emma Roberts, Gayle King (CBS Mornings), James Van Der Beek, Jane Seymour, Jelly Roll, Max Theriot (Fire Country), Megan Moroney, Melissa Etheridge, Mickey Guyton, Minnie Driver, Montana Jordan (Young Sheldon), Parmalee and Paul Walter Hauser, per a press release issued Wednesday (April 3).
See the full list of nominees here.
The 2024 CMT Music Awards will return to Moody Center in Austin, Texas, taking place on Sunday, April 7, and airing live (8:00-11:00 PM, ET/delayed PT). Viewers can watch on CBS and stream live and on demand on Paramount+.
Watch the music video for the original version here: