Kelsea Ballerini “Leaves The Key” for Fans at Exclusive Events - Three Intimate Gatherings in LA, Nashville and NYC

NASHVILLE, TENN. (July 19, 2023) - Kelsea Ballerini has built a career on being straight-forward, fresh, and willing to share with those who love her music. As much friends as fans, when she wrote and recorded the very personal Rolling Up the Welcome Mat (Black River Entertainment) with producer Alysa Vanderheym, it was a matter of sharing her heart with the people who knew her best.

The multiple GRAMMY® nominee and Country Music Association Award winner who was recently the subject of a major New York Times profile was Saturday Night Live’s musical guest earlier this year returns to the fans who have inspired her to host three intimate conversations and screenings of her Rolling Up The Welcome Mat short film. Tickets for the three events, titled “Under The Welcome Mat: Exclusive Rolling Up The Welcome Mat Short Film Screening & Conversation with Kelsea Ballerini” become available July 20. Fans can find tickets at kelseaballerini.com.

“There’s never been a moment to stop and talk about what the response to Welcome Mat has meant to me,” Ballerini says of the events. “Everything moved so fast after the release and took on a life much bigger than I ever anticipated. After feeling and hearing the response on tour every night these last few months, I wanted to make sure to honor this musical chapter more fully. So, while SUBJECT TO CHANGE was out there doing everything it’s supposed to do, you supported me with this project that I needed to make for myself and my heart loudly. I can’t thank you enough, but these three events are me trying.”

Kicking off at the GRAMMY® Museum in Los Angeles on August 1, Ballerini will screen the short film she wrote and directed, taking fans behind-the-scenes of the process and her vision. She will also talk about the inspiration, writing and recording of making Rolling Up The Welcome Mat, giving fans a glimpse into this season of her life, as well as answering questions.

From LA, Kelsea will head to the Country Music Hall of Fame & Museum in the East Tennessee singer/songwriter’s adopted hometown of Nashville on August 8 followed by a final screening and conversation at the intimate Whitby Theater in New York City on August 10.

The three events culminate with an NBC Today Show Citi Concert Series performance on August 11 on the plaza at Rockefeller Center. Not only will Ballerini perform her current Top 20 and climbing Country radio hit “IF YOU GO DOWN (I’M GOIN’ DOWN TOO),” she will treat viewers across America to selections from Rolling Up The Welcome Mat which reflect her handful of postcards and polaroids from a time in her life that is now over.

“Sometimes I write songs to figure out where I am, how I feel,” says the woman who just closed a sold-out headlining run as well as being the sole support on Kenny Chesney’s 2023 tour. “I write to honor my feelings and get them out because that’s the purest way I know how. The purpose of this project and short film was to release those very naked, honest feelings in hopes anyone feeling similar highs and lows would have a few songs to feel not alone to. Every step of this Rolling Up The Welcome Mat chapter has been a new experience, which you helped make feel not scary by being alongside me every step. Now, I need to move on now – and maybe you do, too – but before we do, these three events are all about being in one space, together, sharing all of it. I want to bring you deeper into how it all came to be and why you’re such an important piece of all of this. I want to say ‘thank you’ so, if you’re in Los Angeles, New York, or Nashville, please come join me.”

Earlier this week, Ballerini announced a new partnership with SONIC Drive-Ins to spotlight her favorite SONIC drink remixed: Ocean Water® with Blue Raspberry and Lime.

About Kelsea Ballerini
Kelsea Ballerini has consistently made history. With the release of her debut album The First Time (Black River), she became the “only female country artist to hit #1 with the first three consecutive singles from a debut album.” This history-making feat helped earn the honeyed alto a Best New Artist GRAMMY nomination. She has logged five back-to-back Top 10 entries on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart, including the platinum-selling The First Time [2015], gold-selling Unapologetically [2017], gold-selling kelsea [2020], ballerini [2020], and SUBJECT TO CHANGE [2022]. With seven #1 singles and 31 certifications from the RIAA to date, her catalog boasts a string of essential smashes such as the double-platinum “Miss Me More” and “Peter Pan,” platinum-selling “half of my hometown” feat. Kenny Chesney and “hole in the bottle” with Shania Twain, and gold-selling “I Quit Drinking” with LANY. Among dozens of accolades thus far, she has garnered three GRAMMY® Award nominations, won two ACM Awards, picked up two CMA Awards, took home the iHeartRadio Music Awards honor for “Best New Artist,” and received multiple career nominations from the ACM Awards, American Music Awards, CMA Awards, CMT Awards, and People’s Choice Awards. Most recently, Kelsea earned a nomination for “Female Artist of the Year” for the 2023 ACM Awards and the video for her hit single “HEARTFIRST” received a nomination for “Visual Media Of The Year.” She concluded 2021 as the “#3 most-played female artist on country radio” and CMT “Artist of the Year” in addition to picking up “Musical Event of the Year” and “Video of the Year” at the CMA Awards for “half of my hometown.” Kelsea scored a nomination in the category of “Single of the Year” at the 2022 CMA Awards for “half of my hometown,” and she notched a People’s Choice Awards nomination for “Country Artist of 2022.” Kelsea led the field for 2022 CMT Music Awards nominations with three nominations for “Video of The Year,” “Collaborative Video of The Year” and “CMT Performance of The Year.” Not to mention, she snagged a nomination for “Music Event of the Year” for the 2022 ACM Awards as both artist and producer of “half of my hometown.” This marked Kelsea’s first ACM nomination as a producer. Expanding her sphere of influence, she authored her first original book of poetry Feel Your Way Through, and Dolly Parton tapped her to star in the audiobook of Run, Rose, Run. In April 2022, Kelsea co-hosted the CMT Awards on CBS nationwide. On top of this, the multi-platinum country superstar was named the newest face of COVERGIRL. She has joined the brand in a multi-year partnership and is set to launch a cosmetic collaboration with the brand in 2023. She was inducted as a member of the famed Grand Ole Opry in 2019. At the time, she notably became the Opry’s youngest member in its nearly 100-year history since being founded in 1925.  With these accolades, it is no wonder NPR proclaimed, “Kelsea Ballerini is definitely one of the most influential women in country right now… she’s defining the sound of the genre.” Kelsea’s fourth album, SUBJECT TO CHANGE, arrived on September 23, 2022. The first single “HEARTFIRST,” quickly took over airwaves as the “most added song at country radio” the week of its release and was recently certified gold by the RIAA. Most recently, Kelsea earned a GRAMMY® nomination for “Best Country Solo Performance” for “HEARTFIRST.” Kelsea surprised fans with the release of her intimate six-song Rolling Up the Welcome Mat (Black River) on February 14, 2023. The project, along with an accompanying short film written and directed by Ballerini, marks the multi-platinum star’s most intimate and honest work to date. Welcome Mat became an instant hit with fans and debuted to universal acclaim from critics including The New York Times, Variety, Rolling Stone and more. On the heels of the project’s success, Kelsea made her Saturday Night Live debut on March 4, 2023. She recently wrapped a stint as special guest on Kenny Chesney’s I Go Back 2023 Tour as well as the sold-out third leg of her exclusive headlining HEARTFIRST Tour. Kelsea Ballerini is ready to continue making history in 2023 and beyond.

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