Kelsea Ballerini. Photo courtesy of Marbaloo Marketing
Grab your cowboy boots and head down to Express Live!, as Kelsea Ballerini brings her Unapologetically tour to Columbus.
Ballerini is no stranger to central Ohio, having performed at the New Albany Classic in 2016. She returns Feb. 22 for a performance that will share with her fans her experiences of loss, love, and all of the ups and downs that life has taken her through during the past few years.
Ballerini will sing the entirety of her sophomore album, Unapologetically, guiding listeners through her own personal narrative. The album is both a reflection on the past and a hopeful look toward the future. Life is messy, but Ballerini uses the songs in this album as a journal to work through those messes and find herself along the way.
The 24-year-old has taken the country music world by storm over the last few years. She became the first female solo artist since 2006 to take a debut single to No. 1 on country charts, and subsequently sent her next two singles to the top of the charts, making her the first female artist to have three back-to-back chart toppers since 1992. She has opened for country stars Alan Jackson, Lady Antebellum, Keith Urban, Carrie Underwood, Rascal Flatts and Tim McGraw, and collaborated with Jason Aldean on his album They Don’t Know. In addition, she is Grammy-nominated and has won several awards including the Academy of Country Music’s New Female Vocalist of the Year in 2016 and iHeartRadio’s Best New Country Artist in 2017.
The performance will take place at Express Live! on Thursday, Feb. 22 at 6:30 p.m., and Ballerini will be joined by new country artist Walker Hayes. Tickets can be purchased at all Ticketmaster outlets and through PromoWest Live.
Q&A with Kelsea Ballerini
CityScene: Are you excited to be back in Columbus?
Kelsea Ballerini: Of course! Columbus has a great energy, so I'm looking forward to getting back out there and connecting with fans.
CS: Last year, we saw the release of your second album. What do you have planned for 2018?
KB: Absolutely. After my headlining tour, I’ll be hitting the road this summer with Keith Urban on his Graffiti U tour, and I am so excited about that. What an amazing guy and entertainer. And the second single from my Unapologetically album will be released soon. I’m really excited.
CS: What is your favorite part of touring?
KB: Connecting with the fans! I love seeing their reactions each night and hearing them sing my songs back to me.
CS: What is your most memorable tour experience?
KB: That’s tough, because there are so many memorable experiences. But, one recent one that sticks out is the night my album, Unapologetically, officially went on sale. At midnight, we were in this tiny little bar in New York having a surprise pop-up performance/party to celebrate. When the clock hit midnight, we had an impromptu dance party and toasted. It was a crazy fun night.
CS: A lot of young artists dream of success. What was the moment you knew you had arrived?
KB: I don’t know that I’ll ever truly feel like I’ve made it, but I have said that when I have my own hydraulic lift in my show, then I’ll feel like I’ve achieved some success!
Bianca Wilson is a contributing writer. Feedback welcome at gbishop@cityscenemediagroup.com.
