Kelsea Ballerini releases “Rolling Up The Welcome Mat” EP
In an unexpected Valentine's Day surprise, Kelsea Ballerini, a Grammy-nominated country singer-songwriter, unveiled her new EP titled "Rolling Up the Welcome Mat," which delves into her divorce from fellow country singer Morgan Evans.
Embracing the essence of country music, Ballerini approaches the six-track EP with a raw and intimate honesty. Accompanying the EP is a 20-minute short film, reminiscent of the emotional depth found in Taylor Swift's "All Too Well," which Ballerini personally wrote and directed. Through this visual storytelling, she captures the unraveling of her marriage, allowing her to reclaim her narrative.
This EP marks a significant turning point for Ballerini, as she courageously confronts the aftermath of her divorce and reclaims her agency. Despite enduring unwarranted criticism, backlash, and rumors from Evans' fans and the country music industry as a whole, Ballerini now stands firmly in control of her own story.
In the opening track titled "Mountain With A View," Ballerini offers a response to Evans' song "Over for You," which he released shortly after their separation, even while their divorce proceedings were underway. Evans' lyrics express, "I would have searched the whole world over for you / Took a flight through the night to be that shoulder for you," and he questions, "How long has it been over for you?" Ballerini, in turn, retorts with lyrics like, "Scream I'm just like my parents and giving up easy / But you never took that last flight to see me," and "I realize you loved me much more at 23 / I think that this is when it's over for me." These direct parallels in their songwriting capture the attention of fans and shed light on their public relationship, which spanned five years, beginning when Ballerini was 22 and Evans was 31, during her rise to fame.
In the track "Just Married," Ballerini skillfully plays with the double meaning of the word "just." She sings, "But I wasn't made for fixing a plate or keeping our problems buried / I wasn't strong enough to hold on with all of the weight that I carried / Yeah, it was love, then it was just married." Through vivid details, such as referencing their actual wedding date of December 2 and mentioning the Veuve Clicquot champagne served at the reception, Ballerini allows listeners to visualize the "beautiful wedding" that ultimately led to a tumultuous divorce.
In the heartfelt ballad "Penthouse," Ballerini opens up about the division of assets during her divorce, sharing a poignant line inspired by the EP's title: "It stings rolling up the welcome mat, knowing you got half." During her appearance on the "Call Her Daddy" podcast, she revealed to host Alex Cooper that despite having a prenuptial agreement, her ex-husband was entitled to half of the house she had paid for. Ballerini reflects on the initial allure of their move to a penthouse on 8th Avenue in Nashville, which quickly turned sour, expressing, "I guess wrong can look alright when you're playing home in a penthouse, baby."
While it may only last 45 seconds, "Interlude" emerges as the most brutally revealing track on the project and throughout Ballerini's entire career. This experimental, genre-blending piece deviates sonically from the rest of the EP but remains true to Ballerini's artistic essence. Through her honest songwriting, she addresses the sexist treatment she encountered within the country music industry during their divorce, contemplating, "The rumors going 'round, but the truth is kinda nuanced / I wanna set it straight, but my lawyer says I shouldn't / And isn't it just like this town to only criticize a woman?" This track unveils a vulnerable side of Ballerini while shedding light on the challenges women face in the industry.
Continuing the theme of "Mountain With A View," "Blindsided" serves as a direct response to Evans' claim of being caught off guard by their divorce. Ballerini challenges this assertion by highlighting the marital struggles they experienced throughout their relationship. She questions Evans, asking, "Were you blindsided or were you just blind?" The bridge delves into a significant argument that occurred before the 2019 Country Music Association Awards. Despite sleeping on the couch the previous night, Ballerini had to maintain the facade of a happy marriage on the red carpet the following day. That night, she delivered an emotionally charged performance of her single "homecoming queen?"—a song that symbolizes someone who appears put-together and polished on the surface. The stripped-down rendition resonated with the audience, providing a new perspective for fans to understand why.
The project concludes on an uplifting note with the more traditional country sound of "Leave Me Again." This ballad explores a more positive aspect of Ballerini's view of Evans. She expresses her well wishes for him and hopes that he finds everything he desires in life. She also acknowledges that staying in the relationship only led her to become adept at pretending, and she expresses her desire never to lose herself again.
It is evident that Ballerini has reached her artistic prime. She shared on Instagram that "Rolling Up the Welcome Mat" has already surpassed the first-week streams of her previous record, "SUBJECT TO CHANGE," despite having seven fewer songs than the full-length album. Taking inspiration from experimental country divorce albums such as Kacey Musgraves' "star-crossed" and The Chicks' "Gaslighter," Ballerini fearlessly shares her side of the story. She has found her unique sound and refuses to be silenced any longer.
This is a fantastic EP and I would give this a 4 out of 4 stars.