Country

Kelsea Ballerini Gets Vulnerable in Rolling Up The Welcome Mat Short Film

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Kelsea Ballerini makes her directional debut with her new EP and short film, Rolling Up the Welcome Mat.

The country artist chose this year’s Valentine’s Day to release her most vulnerable body of art to date, one inspired by her 5-year marriage and recent divorce from fellow country singer, Morgan Evans.

In the 6-track EP released today alongside a 20-minute short film written and directed by the artist herself, Ballerini contemplates her marriage and its falling out, with as much grace and dignity as one could muster.

“These are six songs I wish I had last year,” the 29-year-old shared in a statement. “It’s about the complexities of the feelings you go through during a massive shift at a young age,” she said of the project. “Rolling Up the Welcome Mat was how I processed everything. It’s the way I got my feelings out of my body and heart and put them to music — which is the purest way I could’ve handled it.”

The heartbreaking EP has Ballerini set the records straight about her breakup, just a few months after Evans shared his own take in a new ballad.

Within the lyrics, Ballerini shares her breaking point, revealing her marriage “was love, but it wasn’t fate.” The singer gets candid about the reasons that pushed her to file for divorce, citing among other things time spent apart, lack of communication, and faded love. The GRAMMY nominee also shares she wanted to address the rumors earlier but “[her] lawyer [said she] shouldn’t.”

Rolling Up The Welcome Mat serves as a perfect follow-up to Kelsea Ballerini ‘s 2022 album, SUBJECT TO CHANGE. While her last record had the artist dive deep into her self-reflection and turmoil, its follow-up EP has her owning her heartbreak and growing from it.

“here’s my healing journey,” Ballerini added in an Instagram post. “here’s my heart. here’s my truth. i’ve never been this open, i’ve never been this bold, and i’ve never been this proud of my art. so with love and respect, i’m rolling up the welcome mat.”

30-year-old writer, photographer and design editor located in Bordeaux, France. I bring queer content everywhere I go :) Inquiries at lex@stagerightsecrets.com