Kelsea Ballerini Announces Tell-All Six-Song EP & Short Film Dropping At Midnight Tonight
At this point, it's become certain that Kelsea Ballerini doesn't know what sleep is. Barely five months after releasing her fourth studio album, SUBJECT TO CHANGE, to immense critical acclaim, the superstar has revealed details for an entirely new project.
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She has been teasing fans with clips in the studio for months. Once she revealed that there are no current plans for a deluxe version of SUBJECT TO CHANGE, her Legends came up with countless theories of what could be up Kelsea's sleeve. Well, now we finally have our answer! The "HEARTFIRST" singer first broke the news to her fan club via email, and made an official announcement on social media this morning.
With a bold and intriguing title, Rolling Up The Welcome Mat, the EP contains six songs and accompanies a revealing short film. Some fans theorize that one or more of these tracks could serve as responses to her ex-husband Morgan Evans, as he told his perspective in "Over For You" a few months back. Song titles like "Just Married" and "Leave Me Again" indicate this. In both the Instagram and exclusive fan club announcements, Kelsea pointed out how this release coincides with Valentine's Day and contrasts from the cheery, love-centered nature of the holiday.
Rolling Up The Welcome Mat, as well as its companion self-written, self-directed short film, take a much more raw and less sunshine-infused approach than SUBJECT TO CHANGE. Referring to Taylor Swift's dark sixth album cycle, which occurred in the wake of incessant online bullying and public scrutiny, some Instagram and Twitter users think that this might be Kelsea's "Reputation era."
This is a viable theory; the parallels can easily be seen. Gossip about Kelsea's dating life has skyrocketed, with both Fletcher and Chase Stokes rumors, and many online commenters passing judgements about how things ended with Morgan Evans. A painfully large amount of country music fans have criticized her recent red carpet and New York Fashion Week looks, using some choice words. Rolling Out The Welcome Mat could very well be Kelsea's own charged, direct, tell-it-like-it-is magnum opus.
Some eagle-eyed Legends noticed that she put her wedding ring back on for these teasers. Others theorize, given the song titles, that Rolling Up The Welcome Mat will continue exploring themes that the star introduced in "MARILYN" - a poignant self-write from SUBJECT TO CHANGE that explores the costs of being in the public eye.
We're already confident that Rolling Up The Welcome Mat will be one of 2023's best new releases. We sort of saw this announcement coming, but were sent into a shockwave nonetheless. Needless to say, midnight tonight cannot come fast enough!!