NEW YORK (AP) 鈥� Kelsea Ballerini is beaming. It's not a nervous smile, though she admits to feeling scared. She's been hard at work at her fifth full-length album, 鈥淧atterns,鈥� and on Oct. 25 the world is finally going to hear it 鈥� in a collection of songs she describes as an 鈥渁ccurate snapshot鈥� of her life. And lately, people have been curious. The story they're going to get, she assures, is not the one they're anticipating.
鈥淚 think that people probably expect this really happy-go-lucky, love, mushy, gushy record from me. That鈥檚 not the case,鈥� she tells The Associated Press. 鈥淎nd I鈥檓 really proud of that. It would have been easy to, I think, just collect the really beautiful parts of my life that I鈥檝e dusted off and found the last couple of years. But that鈥檚 not the fullness of my experience.鈥�
She's referring, in some ways, to 2023's super-successful an EP and short film that told the story of a not too-thinly-veiled reference to her own life, where, in 2022, Ballerini found herself divorced from Australian country singer Morgan Evans. These days, she's partnered with star Chase Stokes, a relationship the public has fallen in love with. But her love life is not the sole heart of 鈥淧atterns.鈥�
鈥淭here鈥檚 a lot of narrative of learning how to go from fighting with something or with someone, to fighting for something or for someone. And there鈥檚 a lot of that journey for the whole record,鈥� she says.
Unlike 鈥淩olling Up the Welcome Mat,鈥� which she describes as a reflective release, 鈥淧atterns" is active and in the moment. 鈥淭he heartbeat鈥� of the album is about "analyzing yourself and the people that you love the most in order to grow.鈥�
That comes across in the previously released track 鈥淐owboys Cry Too,鈥� featuring 鈥� the only collaboration on the album and an empathic look at from a female perspective 鈥� and the new single 鈥淪orry Mom,鈥� out Friday. It is a swaying, guitar-pop confessional with intergenerational appeal, and it will no doubt strike a chord.
鈥淚t鈥檚 an intimate song,鈥� she says. 鈥淭he first line is, 鈥楽orry, mom, I smelled like cigarettes.' You know, it鈥檚 the things that your mom doesn鈥檛 really want to hear. But then you get to the chorus and the meat of it and the heart of it, and it鈥檚 a letter of thanks to my mom for raising me the way she did.鈥�
鈥淪orry Mom" is one of many love songs on the album: Like 鈥淐owboys,鈥� which was written for the men in her life, or a lush song of self-preservation and celebration called 鈥淔irst Rodeo,鈥� that's romantic in theme. These are the kind of songs that can be realized in a safe writing and recording environment.
To make 鈥淧atterns,鈥� Ballerini enlisted an all-woman team. She co-produced and co-wrote the album with Alysa Vanderheym, and also worked with songwriters Little Big Town's and . 鈥淚鈥檝e never felt so safe making an album before, top to bottom. There was more pressure on this record just because of all the ears and eyeballs that 鈥榃elcome Mat鈥� got," Ballerini says. 鈥淎nd so, I wanted to safely make this one where I didn鈥檛 feel the pressure from the inside.鈥�
They went on writing retreats together, and the process 鈥減roduced something that felt streamlined without feeling too monotonous, and something that naturally has a lot of warmth and empathy and heart," she says. "Because that鈥檚 what we do as women.鈥�
That level of comfortability allowed for exciting experimentation as well. Ballerini is a country musician, through-and-through, but she has is unafraid to take genre-bending risks, particularly on this album. 鈥淭o me, what makes me undoubtedly country is my storytelling and my songwriting. And that will never waver or change. But, per usual, I didn鈥檛 overthink whether there was a banjo or a beat drop. And there are both on this record, as there have been on my other ones," she says. "I think lyrically and content wise, I really just was team no rules. Nothing鈥檚 off limits.鈥�
There are lighter songs here, and darker ones, self-discovery and insecurity, as well as different geographies. New York and South Carolina are characters, Ballerini exploring her 鈥渉air down human me and the more dressed up, nervous, outward facing me,鈥� she says.
鈥淚t's my job to make a record that has something for everyone. But that comes from making a record that鈥檚 true to me, and that鈥檚 what I did,鈥� she concludes. 鈥淎nd so, I just hope people feel something,鈥� while listening. 鈥淲hatever it is."
Maria Sherman, The Associated Press
