Kelsea Ballerini - Unapologetically Era

[kiwicountry]

Saw her latest instagram post and it looks like she's working on new music.
I know a clip of this was posted on snapchat recently and had everyone buzzing cause they thought it was a TSwift song.
I have to agree that it def has a TSwift vibe to it. I don't want to detract from Kelsea's own talent but it's very poppy and very Taylor.
It will be interesting to see how the rest of the album sounds.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BKoqvaugQFP/?taken-by=kelseaballerini&hl=en

Fans Go Nuts Thinking Kelsea Ballerini Leaked a Swift Song

 

[CarrieUDomination]

I agree, it is VERY poppy and sounds very much like a Taylor song. But I really love what I've heard of it, and I am SO EXCITED for the rest of the album!

 

[Kizmet311]

I really don't want to have to take back my support of Kelsea. While some of the songs on her debut album are "poppy", they were still very much pop country and not full on pop to me. Plus, she had a lot of songs with substance that weren't highlighted with her singles. I have defended her, because I didn't think she was using country as a stepping stone to being a pop star like Taylor.

I can still forgive some pop music on her album, because well, everyone is doing it, but I probably won't support her playing both sides of the fence like Taylor did. To me, it is one thing if you have a monster hit on country and then it naturally crosses over to Top 40 due to its popularity, but is completely different if you start having two different mixes of songs and start out by releasing both mixes to both genres at the same time. Or like Taylor eventually did and have songs released just to pop radio.

I guess I'll have to bite my tongue and change my tune if Carrie ever does it, but we also know that Carrie isn't just using country to get to pop. Kelsea hasn't been around long enough to prove her loyalty to country and I will be disappointed if she has just used this all along as an avenue to become a pop star. I will hope that with the changing sound of country music, that she is just experimenting with her sound and is still planning to stay loyal to country.

 

[pklongbeach]

I thought Kelsea released a statement saying the clip "was taylor music". And that Kelsea basically got the opportunity to hear it......

 

[DaisyTweets]

I thought Kelsea released a statement saying the clip "was taylor music". And that Kelsea basically got the opportunity to hear it......

According to her on After Midnight this morning, the new song is hers. Calling it now, she's gonna follow in the footsteps of her idol, TS. She's already saying almost all of the same things that SWSRN said, everyone is her favorite and everyone is her idol and its mostly pop artists she's saying that about.

 

[ChoctawCountyAffair]

I been working on the new record and writing like crazy. love sharing little pieces as I put the puzzle together, and shared part of this new one on my snap last week. lots of rumors came from it, so I thought I'd share a bit more and let y'all in further. It's not a collaboration with anyone, and I'm not making a pop record. Just exploring all the boundaries of songwriting and creativity I have so I can make the best record I can make for both me and you. So, this is Roses.

This is what Kelsea said on Instagram.

 

[Kizmet311]

Well, I'm glad to hear she isn't making a pop record - not that I thought she would jump ship after just one country album. Time will tell her true intentions and I guess I will just enjoy her music for now. I do like The First Time album, although after many listens, it is my third favorite out of my top 3 new females. Maren's Hero is my favorite, Cam is second, and Kelsea is third based on the strength of the album.

 

[CarrieUDomination]

Roses really does feel like a Taylor song... I'm sorry but it feels like something Taylor would release. But I do really love Kelsea and I do really love Taylor lol, so I guess I don't have a problem with it. I think it's catchy and can't wait to hear the whole thing. But I pray she doesn't try to straddle the fence like Taylor did. I personally don't have an issue with it, because I love both pop and country and just honestly don't care what they call it lol, but Taylor got so SO much hate for it and I'd hate to see Kelsea get that. She's gotten enough hate for being "female bro-country" or whatever.

 

[pklongbeach]

Not sure how you can call what taylor has gotten "hate" when she is the most successful pop star on the planet and has been for quite a while now, Wink!

That clip sounded "too much" like taylor. Suggesting to me that it was intentional to tap in to that same demographic. Can't say I am thrilled about that. PP already sounded taylor esque but had enough of Kelsea to be authentically hers. Roses just sounds like a current taylor pop song..... So I see no point in trying to suggest you are authentic if you are just going to literally steal someone elses sound.

I like the sound of it, so that is not my beef. I think my feeling is that PP is kind of a break through. That moment when you know an artist can really make it on their own merit. So after that success, why you would turn around and just make something sound exactly like Taylor Swift (so much that even the taylor fans think it is her) is just poor judgement to me.........

She could have easily stayed in her own lane and been fine, better than fine. She could have really blown up.....!! Now if she hits big with a new lead single that sounds just like a taylor song, Tee is going to say "she's riding Taylors coat tales" and it will be hard to argue she is not.....!

 

[kiwicountry]

I didn't know the story behind the song at first but I heard the clip and the first thing that came to my head was it sounded like TS. Then I saw what people were saying and I could totally get why they thought it was a TS collaboration.

But this is only one song and like Kizmet311 I will wait until I hear the entire album of new music before thinking she's going pop or pulling a TS.

Hopefully she will release some more clips - it's exciting when artists release teasers.

I heard TS isn't releasing a new album this year. She should have a new one out sometime next year though now she has two break ups she can write about.
I really do think TS is a cleaver song writer and look forward to watch she brings out next. Also when is Dannielle Bradbery's new album coming out?? She has some great new music that I can't wait to hear. Plus Jody Direen has a new single dropping soon so that's exciting for New Zealand's country music scene.

 

[Farawayhills]

Roses really does feel like a Taylor song... I'm sorry but it feels like something Taylor would release. But I do really love Kelsea and I do really love Taylor lol, so I guess I don't have a problem with it. I think it's catchy and can't wait to hear the whole thing. But I pray she doesn't try to straddle the fence like Taylor did. I personally don't have an issue with it, because I love both pop and country and just honestly don't care what they call it lol, but Taylor got so SO much hate for it and I'd hate to see Kelsea get that. She's gotten enough hate for being "female bro-country" or whatever.

I guess I just don't know Taylor well enough to feel the connection. But I prefer Kelsea's singing, and, on what I've seen, I think she has a stronger stage presence.
The "female bro country" jibe could really only apply to the two lead singles her label put out to establish her commercially to radio and a large youth demographic - a tactic which is by no means unusual in the music business. If people actually assess her album as a whole, it contains a variety of insightful themes and strong songwriting.
I'm with you in hoping that she doesn't get hate for this experiment. "Just exploring all the boundaries of songwriting and creativity I have so I can make the best record I can make for both me and you." - Stoney LaRue couldn't have said it better - we support that experimental approach in others - I think Kelsea deserves the same consideration. The clip itself doesn't sound much like my understanding of Pop - to me it has more of an experimental alternative Rock vibe. Although its not a complete song, I can relate to what I hear there more readily than (for example) what I felt was misguided in the Band Perry's recent experiments. This is interesting and I'd also like to hear how it works out.

 

[Kizmet311]

I guess I just don't know Taylor well enough to feel the connection. But I prefer Kelsea's singing, and, on what I've seen, I think she has a stronger stage presence.
The "female bro country" jibe could really only apply to the two lead singles her label put out to establish her commercially to radio and a large youth demographic - a tactic which is by no means unusual in the music business. If people actually assess her album as a whole, it contains a variety of insightful themes and strong songwriting.
I'm with you in hoping that she doesn't get hate for this experiment. "Just exploring all the boundaries of songwriting and creativity I have so I can make the best record I can make for both me and you." - Stoney LaRue couldn't have said it better - we support that experimental approach in others - I think Kelsea deserves the same consideration. The clip itself doesn't sound much like my understanding of Pop - to me it has more of an experimental alternative Rock vibe. Although its not a complete song, I can relate to what I hear there more readily than (for example) what I felt was misguided in the Band Perry's recent experiments. This is interesting and I'd also like to hear how it works out.

I had heard that "Yeah, Boy" was going to be Kelsea's 4th single. Disappointing, if true, since it is in the same vein as LMYLMI and Dibs. So many other good choices they could have made from the album, with Secondhand Smoke being the strongest song in my mind. I would also have preferred Stilettos or Sirens or even XO.

 

[Steven77536]

I was surprised XO wasn't chosen as the next single too because I have seen several videos of her performing it and it looked like she was having a ball while doing so and so was the crowd...one I remember was at a club in Louisiana and people in the crowd were making Xs and Os with their hands every time she sang those two letters. I was for sure hoping that song would be a single. Yeah Boy isn't bad but I don't see how radio wouldn't play the former because of its sassy lyrics and catchy beat.

 

[CarrieUDomination]

Okay, so Legends is pretty good, but Unapologetically is awesome! It's my new jam. It's exactly what I hoped Kelsea's second album was gonna be like. No, it isn't country in the traditional sense, but it is country enough that I can definitely see it becoming a hit, bigger than Peter Pan.

 

[Momin]

I was actually pretty unimpressed with "Legends". Lyrically, perhaps it's good but production wise not. I thought it was just very plain and lacked the personality punch that her songs had on The First Time. I don't see it becoming successful, unfortunately. I don't think it's good at radio either.
However, I do think "Unapologetically" is much better. It's not too country but still really good to listen to and hopefully will be a successful single.

 

[Momin]

Unapologetically track list:
1. “Graveyard” (Ballerini, Forest Glen Whitehead, Shane McAnally; *Produced by Whitehead, Massey, McAnally)
2. “Miss Me More” (Ballerini, David Hodges, Brett McLaughlin)
3. “Get Over Yourself” (Ballerini, Ross Copperman, Shane McAnally)
4. “Roses” (Ballerini, Zach Crowell, Ashley Gorley)
5. “Machine Heart” (Ballerini, Greg Wells, James Abrahart)
6. “In Between” (Ballerini, Jimmy Robbins, McAnally)
7. “High School” (Ballerini)
8. “End Of The World” (Ballerini, Hillary Lindsey, Lindsay Rimes; *Produced by Lindsay Rimes)
9. “I Hate Love Songs” (Ballerini, Trevor Rosen, McAnally)
10. “Unapologetically” (Ballerini, Whitehead, Hillary Lindsey)
11. “Music” (Ballerini, Robbins, Nicolle Galyon, Jennifer Denmark; *Produced by Whitehead, Massey, Robbins)
12. “Legends” (Ballerini, Whitehead, Lindsey)

Some interesting songwriters there.

 

[Farawayhills]

Kelsea has moved her music publishing rights from Black River to Sony. I don't know whether that is any clue to a possible future move on the recording side as well. (This recording remains a Black River project)

Lindsay Rimes is an Australian producer and songwriter (Kelsea is also engaged to an Australian musician, so a degree of career extension into that market seems a likely development)

 

[Kizmet311]

I changed the thread title to reflect the album name. I haven't heard Unapologetically yet, but I'm looking forward to hearing the rest of the new music, because I wasn't overly impressed with Legends.

 

[Josh]

Guys, I didn't care for Kelsea Ballerini before today, but I just randomly listened to "Unapologetically" and.. I really like it. It sounds like the type of song that could get pretty big even outside country music, but why didn't she choose this song over "legends"?? I think I became a KB fan, to some extent. She does have a more southern version of TS vibe.

 

[Kizmet311]

Guys, I didn't care for Kelsea Ballerini before today, but I just randomly listened to "Unapologetically" and.. I really like it. It sounds like the type of song that could get pretty big even outside country music, but why didn't she choose this song over "legends"?? I think I became a KB fan, to some extent. She does have a more southern version of TS vibe.

I actually really like her debut album. In my opinion, other than PP, the best songs weren't released. I like XO, Stilettos, Sirens, The First Time, and Secondhand Smoke is hands down the best song on the album. I am looking forward to the new album, although Legends didn't get me very excited. I felt it was pretty generic, although better than Yeah Boy or Dibs. I honestly can't remember if I've heard Unapologetically! I feel like I may have, but it was only once. I need to listen to it again.

She is definitely inspired by Taylor, that isn't hard to tell at all from her music. However, she seems to have a really good personality, so I like her a lot better, lol.