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Born on September 12, 1993 in Mascot, rural Tennessee, Kelsea Ballerini grew up with both the pop glow of Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera and the country roots of Dixie Chicks and Shania Twain. She began singing in church choirs and writing songs at the age of 12, as therapy in reaction to her parents' divorce. Impressed by her talent, her mother took her to a local studio to record a demo of her songs. She was spotted by a producer who helped her move to Nashville and eventually land a publishing deal with Black River Entertainment. She released her self-titled debut EP in 2014, while her first singles "Dibs" and "Love Me Like You Mean It" cemented her rise. Her debut album The First Time reaches number four on the country charts, thanks to a wealth of country-pop hits that particularly resonate with teenage girls. Her ballad "Peter Pan" soon became a popular hit, enabling her to open for Taylor Swift, in a duet with Reba McIntyre. She also performed at the Grammy Awards with Lukas Graham and returned in 2017 with the flamboyant single "Legends", a genuine hit from her new album Unapologetically. At the end of 2018, she became a coach on The Voice, then released the single "We Were Like". Admitted to the Grand Ole Opry in 2019, she continued with a tour, the Miss Me More Tour, and set to work on her new album, ready when the Covid-19 pandemic broke out. Announced by the single "Homecoming Queen?", the album, entitled Kelsea, reaches #12 on the Billboard 200 and #2 on the country charts in 2020. It was followed by her double remix Ballerini, and the two were combined in a double album only available in physical format. Now a member of the jury on The Voice, she publishes a book of poems and returns to the studio for Subject to Change (2022), featuring a trio with Kelly Clarkson and Carly Pearce. In 2023, the EP Rolling Up the Welcome Mat is accompanied by a film she made herself, followed by her fifth, mature opus, Patterns (2024), with a guest appearance by Noah Kahan. Ranked No. 4 on the Billboard 200, it is crowned No. 1 on the country charts.
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