Photo: Getty Images
Kelsea Ballerini opened up about a moment that broke her heart when she was starting her career in music.
Ballerini and her mother moved from East Tennessee to Nashville when the Patterns star was a teen, pursuing her dreams of becoming a singer-songwriter. Ballerini, now 31, reflected on one of her earliest performances for a music industry executive while she shared her feedback with a contestant on The Voice during the Knockout episode that aired Monday evening (April 14). Team Michael Bublé artist Kameron Jaso delivered a rendition of “Say You Won't Let Go” by James Arthur, striking a stunning resemblance to the singer-songwriter’s style.
Ballerini shared that she’s no stranger to being compared to other artists.
“When I started writing songs, guess who I listened to all the time? Taylor Swift,” the first-time coach said, per NBC. “By the time I finally got into the opportunities to be in front of, like, a record label or whatever, I’ll never forget. I was 14? I sang him a song called 'Flawless.' [Swift's] single [at the time] was 'Fearless.' And he looked at me and he said, 'There’s already a Taylor Swift.' And it broke my little 14-year-old heart at the time. …I’m just saying that to you because when you have opportunities to keep playing songs, make sure you are still in your individuality. That’s my biggest note for you.”
Despite that heartbreaking experience for Ballerini, there’s no bad blood between the “First Rodeo” singer and country-pop megastar Swift. The pair have stayed friends and fans as they’ve blazed their own trails in the music industry. Most recently, Ballerini wrapped up her first-ever headlining arena tour with a final performance on Sunday night (April 13) in Toronto, Ontario, Canada (though the finale included a tumble on stage while Ballerini and her crew covered “Friends in Low Places” by Garth Brooks).
Ballerini shared “the first of many” emotional posts on Tuesday (April 15), after returning home from her tour. She offered a heartfelt message to her team, and said she’s “beyond grateful to share this first with such talented and kind humans.” See some of the photos from Ballerini’s tour here: