Kelsea Ballerini is one of the biggest names to break out in country music since a little someone named Taylor Swift. The 22-year-old from Mascot, Tenn., launched onto the country music scene earlier this year with her breakout hit "Love Me Like You Mean It." The song was the first No. 1 song by a female artist to land on top of Billboard's Country Airplay chart since Carrie Underwood did it in 2006 with "Jesus Take the Wheel." Those are some big shoes to fill.
Ballerini was raised in the eastern part of Tennessee, and has dedicated the last decade of her life to her passion for country music. Her life got rocky around the age of 12, when her parents got divorced. The gift of songwriting fell into her lap soon after, and she found a creative outlet to deal with her sorrows. The next big thing in country music credits Shania Twain, Taylor Swift, Rascal Flatts, and the Dixie Chicks as some of her early inspirations.
Ballerini moved to Nashville when she was just 15 years old to chase her dream of one day singing country music.
"I would meet with anyone that would meet with me," Ballerini said. "I always approached meetings not expecting anything, but just asking for advice. That way I never left disappointed."
She finally broke through to the mainstream after years of struggling, and released her first studio album titled, "The First Time," which is still sitting at No. 15 on the Top Country Albums list after being released back in May.
Going into tonight's CMA Awards, Ballerini has garnered two nominations, one for Female Vocalist of the Year and one for New Artist of the Year. Ballerini took part in announcing the CMA nominations with Aerosmith front man Steven Tyler earlier this year and was shocked when her name was called for Female Vocalist of the Year.
"No, that's not real. That's not real! Oh my gosh!" she shouted when Tyler showed her the proof.
She will face off with some of the most powerful women in country music, including Miranda Lambert, Kacey Musgraves, Carrie Underwood, and Lee Ann Womack.
Kelsea took time out of her busy schedule to speak with HNGN about her breakthrough year, those Taylor Swift comparisons and why she is excited about female country music artists.
Going into 2015 you were labeled one to watch. Do you still think you are one to watch or have you arrived?
Oh I think I am still very much one to watch. I have had one song in the radio, a lot of people know that song but they also do not know who I am.
How did you discover country music?
I grew up in East Tennessee, so I was around it a lot. The first song that I remember listening to was "Stupid Boy" by Keith Urban.
What was it about that song that got your attention?
I don't know. I just remember it was on my friends MySpace page when I was listening to it and I was so, so drawn to it. So I bought that record, Taylor Swift's record, Dixie Chicks and Sugarland, and that was my introduction to country music.
When did you start to take music seriously?
I starting writing when I was about 13 or 14 years old.
Can you take me through your creative process when you are writing a song?
The cool thing about song writing is that it can kind of happen any way, and every song on this album was written differently. "The First Time" is a song that I wrote by myself on my front porch, in real-time, as that situation was happening to me. It totally just depends on the creative part.
How would you describe your music and yourself to someone who has never met or heard of you?
I grew up on a farm in eastern Tennessee with a very southern lifestyle, so my roots are super country and southern, but my first concert was Britney Spears. I think that you can hear both of those influences in my music.
Are you just wanting to concentrate on country music or would you be interested in other genres, like Taylor Swift?
I mean, I am so stoked to be a country music artist, but I just wanted to make a record that is true to me and see where that fell, and I have always had my heart in country music - so I am so glad that I have been embraced like I have.
Your song "Love Me Like You Mean It" has been a giant hit. Did you always know that was going to be the first single?
I had a huge feeling about it the night that we wrote it. I just felt like it was something special, and I actually wrote it before I even had a record deal. I knew that that song had a purpose, and I had no idea what it was. When it came time to pick the single, "Love Me Like You Mean It" was across the board the song to pick.
Did it surprise you how successful it was?
Yes. My personal goal for it was Top 30.
It exceeded expectations there.
Yes, totally!
There had not been a No. 1 song from a female country artist since Carrie Underwood in 2006, what do you think it was about you and this song propelled it to the top?
I am actually not quite sure. I think everyone has been very vocal about the need for more female country artists on the radio. There have been so many amazing women who have been a part of this wave and I hope that when people heard it they just heard empowerment. I think that it is so important for girls to have that voice on the radio, and I hope that is why the song was successful.
Explain to me what it is like being young and female in the world of country music. The genre is been known as a boys club.
It's exciting! It's exciting because there's not a lot of us. It's a really fun place to be in, and it has been really cool to see other artists - and just Nashville in general - rally around me and these other women. I remember when my song went No. 1, how much love and support I felt from Nashville and the community and other label and artists. It was big, big deal for all of us, it was really cool.
What female country artists are you listening to right now?
I love Kacey Musgraves, her new record is brilliant. I am obsessed with Cam, her new song "Burning House," I remember when her EP came out I listened to that song on repeat. I think she is a brilliant country music artist. Those are probably my two favorites right now.
Tell me about the album as a whole.
Since it's my first album, I wanted it to be an introduction to me. I wanted it to be like you listen to this record and people would feel like they knew me by the end of it. I tried to put the fun, flirty and youthful side on it, as well as the real side. I wanted to do an honest blend because that's who I am. That was my goal for it, to be an introduction to me.
Are you back in the studio yet or are you still riding the high from the last album?
I probably have about half of the next record done, but I am taking December and a little bit of January to just write some more on top of what I have already.
What is it that separates you from other country artists?
I don't know. I think that as artists all we can do is be who we are. I think that if we do that, then we're automatically not anyone else. The past few years of my life, since I moved to Nashville, it has been all about growing up and finding who I am and what I want to do and how I want to say it. I think that if you do that, then your dreams can come true.
What is your big inspiration when you go to sit down and write a song?
It totally depends. Sometime I will write about things directly from my life, and then sometimes I listen to someone and write about their stories or just random things.
Do you have any dream collaborators? Who are you itching to get into the studio with?
I would love to work with Ryan Tedder, I think he is amazing. I recently became friends with Gavin DeGraw - I don't know how that happened, but from the very beginning of me discovering music he has been just such a huge artist that I have looked up to for so long, so I really want to collaborate with him.
They are both more in the pop scale of music. Do you think you can capture your artistry with people like that?
I think that blending things is so fun right now. I have always loved collaborations where it's two artists that you wouldn't necessarily put together, and then you listen and it is brilliant. Especially for me, Gavin and Ryan, they are both so lyrically driven that they are both songwriters and artists, and that is what country music is rooted in anyways.
Okay, so if you could work with any hip-hop artist who would it be then?
Drake! I think I would need a few more hit songs before that happened, but that would be so cool! Please Lord, just rap on a song!
So what is next for Kelsea Ballerini?
Well finishing up this year it is just touring and more touring. I am taking December off to just spend time with my family and start writing again. I am looking forward to it.
What has been the one standout moment from your journey so far?
As a country artist, playing the Grand Ole Opry was really cool, hearing my song on the radio for the first time and another was a party that happened after the song went No. 1. These moments have just felt like a dream!
Check out Ballerini at the 49th CMA Awards tonight, Nov. 4, at 8/7C on ABC.
