Kelsea Ballerini Opens Up About Divorce with New EP, Short Film
Jill O'Rourke
Jill O’Rourke is a contributor at Talent Recap, writing news stories and recaps for shows like ‘AGT,’ ‘The Voice,’ and ‘American Idol.’ She graduated from the University of Georgia with a degree in English and Film Studies, and has been writing about pop culture since 2012, with previous bylines at Crushable and A Plus. Jill spends her free time binge-watching sitcoms and daydreaming about life as a hobbit
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| February 14, 2023 SIGN IN TO SAVE POST
Photo by John Shearer/Getty Images for CMTReading Time: 2 minutes
Former The Voice guest coach Kelsea Ballerini released a six-song EP on Tuesday called Rolling Up the Welcome Mat, along with a short film to go along with it. In the new project, Ballerini opens up about her recent divorce from ex-husband Morgan Evans.
Kelsea Ballerini Releases New EP, Short Film
Ballerini’s new short film features the six songs from her new EP over a series of vignettes telling the story of a relationship falling apart. The project is a follow-up to Ballerini’s album Subject to Change. In a statement, the singer said Rolling Up the Welcome Mat is “deep dive” into the “turmoil” she hears on that album.
“These are six songs I wish I had last year. It’s about the complexities of the feelings you go through during a massive shift at a young age,” Ballerini said. “Rolling Up the Welcome Mat was how I processed everything. It’s the way I got my feelings out of my body and heart and put them to music — which is the purest way I could’ve handled it.”
On the EP, Ballerini details how she felt while the marriage was falling apart, as well as how she was affected by the public scrutiny surrounding the split. The short film illustrates the journey of the song’s lyrics.
In one scene, set to “Just Married,” Ballerini’s love interest in the film piles more and more dishes onto her hands until she can no longer bear the weight and drops them. In another scene, she takes off her wedding ring while packing up her closet and goes on to sing the EP’s closing track “Leave Me Again.”
SEE ALSO: KELSEA BALLERINI RESPONDS TO GOSSIP ABOUT HER DATING LIFE ON TIKTOK
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Ballerini Said She’s ‘Never Been This Open’
While announcing the release of the new short film on Instagram, Ballerini called the project “my healing journey” and told fans that she’s “never been this open” in her music before. She added that she’s also “never been this proud of my art.”
In addition to the complete, 20-minute short film, Ballerini’s YouTube channel also features each of the six chapters as individual music videos for fans to enjoy. The full, 15-minute EP itself is also available now to stream.
The project ends on a hopeful note on the song “Leave Me Again,” as Ballerini wishes her ex-husband well post-divorce and adds, “I hope I never leave me again.”
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