Who is Kelsea Ballerini? TikToker goes viral after performing at CMA fest 2022

Kelsea Ballerini stole the show at the Country Music Association (CMA) Fest 2022 which took place on Saturday, June 11. The festival had a lineup full of stars like Carrie Underwood, Alan Jackson, Jason Aldean and Luke Combs, among others.

Kelsea Ballerini is also a famous TikTok star, with over 1.5 million followers and a total like count of over 16 million. The TikToker has had a successful journey in the music industry, working with stars like The Chainsmokers, Halsey, Alan Jackson, Lady Antebellum, Tim McGraw, and Keith Urban.

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Everything you need to know about Kelsea Ballerini

Kelsea Ballerini is a 28-year-old country singer and songwriter. The versatile singer was born on September 12, 1993, in Knoxville, Tennessee and her real name is Kelsea Nicole Ballerini. She is the only child of her parents, Ed and Carla.

She is currently married to Australian country artist Morgan Evans. The couple started dating in March 2016 and got hitched in December 2017.

Ballerini's interest in music began at the age of 13, after she wrote a song appreciating her mother. At 15, she started pursuing music seriously and began attending guitar lessons.

She attended Central High School in Knoxville and Centennial High School in Franklin before moving to Nashville. Ballerini joined Lipscomb University in Nashville where she studied communications and marketing for two years.

After her graduation, the singer began to focus on her music career.

Kelsea Ballerini bagged her first professional deal at the age of 19, with Black River Entertainment in 2013.

In October 2014, she released her single Love Me Like You Mean It, which gained the top spot on the "Billboard Country Airplay" chart.

She later created the album The First Time, with Love Me Like You Mean It as the lead track for the album. The album was released in May 2015. Two other songs from the album, XO and Peter Pan, also reached top spots on the "Billboard Country Airplay" chart.

During this time, Kelsea Ballerini worked on a self-titled album, which gained popularity among listeners and critics alike.

Ballerini's debut album sold more than 300 thousand copies in the US, as of October 2017. It was also certified “Gold” by the "Recording Industry Association of America" (RIAA).

In 2017, Kelsea Ballerini was listed second on the Forbes' "30 Under 30" music list. That same year, she received nominations for the Academy of Country Music Awards for "Video of the Year" and "Female Vocalist of the Year," for her single Peter Pan.

That's not all. Legends, the lead song from her second studio album Unapologetically, which was also released in 2017 became a smashing hit. It reached the 10th spot on the "Hot Country Songs" chart and was certified “Gold” by the RIAA. The album made over $156k in business.

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Kelsea Ballerini performed a mix of pop and country at the CMA Fest

The singer addressed her fans, telling them that she hasn't performed for them in a long time, owing to the COVID-19 pandemic. She said:

"Since I’ve seen you last, a lot has happened in the world. Going into it was hard, but coming out of it has been equally as hard, if not harder.”

She also asked her fans to take off whatever filter they were wearing to show a happy face.

The singer performed her songs Miss Me More, Love Me Like You Mean It, Dibs, Yeah, Boy, and her latest track, Heartfirst. She also sang an acoustic rendition of her song Homecoming Queen?

Kelsea Ballerini joined TikTok in 2020, the year social media apps saw major growth due to the pandemic. The singer is a regular on the app and posts content varying from live performances recorded from her home, makeup tutorials and outfit details.

Her first TikTok, which was posted in March 2020 has been viewed over 3.2 million times to date.

She also posted TikTok videos with the "queen of country music," Dolly Parton, which received 1.2 million views, and Legally Blonde actress Reese Witherspoon. Her TikTok with Witherspoon has over 3.5 million views.