Kelsea Ballerini Talks Grammy Nomination for Best Country Album and Earning Her Songwriter Freedom

While Kelsea Ballerini started writing and performing music as a child, she didn’t break into country music until 2014. With 2024 marking 10 years in the industry, the singer recently looked back on her career. Releasing four studio albums with her last, Subject to Change, hitting shelves in 2022, the singer gained more than praise as she received countless nominations for her contributions to music. Her latest EP, Rolling Up the Welcome Mat, even garnered a Grammy nomination.

Besides celebrating her Grammy nomination for Best Country Album, Ballerini told People that the past year “changed everything about the way that I think about my career and my personal life.” That change came after her divorce. Prior to her relationship with actor Chase Stokes, Ballerini was married to country singer Morgan Evans. After five years, their marriage ended in November 2022. 

Needing a way to navigate her emotions surrounding the divorce, Ballerini used her EP to channel those feelings. “The thing that I learned that I just really hold closely now is there’s no amount of truth telling or detail that will make it not relatable,” she said. “I think for a long time, even though I was writing about my life and my emotions, I would try to round the edges, because I’m like, ‘I want everyone to feel themselves in this,’ or see themselves in the story.”

Ballerini Feeling “Yummy” About New Album

Admitting to being selfish when creating Rolling Up the Welcome Mat, Ballerini was somewhat surprised by its reception. “I put my dog’s name and addresses and receipts, and all these things, and it connected more than anything else I’ve ever put out.”

[RELATED: 5 Must-Hear Kelsea Ballerini Collaborations That Defy Genre Lines]

While Ballerini waits until February 4 to see if she will take home a Grammy Award, she is currently working on a new album. Claiming that she earned her “freedom as a songwriter,” she insisted, “Making a new record now and a different place in my life with that freedom feels so yummy.” 

The 66th annual Grammy Awards will take place on February 4 at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles. 

Photo by Catherine Powell/Getty Images for Covergirl