Kelsea Ballerini and Spotify Host Intimate Listening Party To Celebrate Her New Album, ‘PATTERNS’
“I love New York City, but I can’t stay at the Carlyle anymore,” sings Kelsea Ballerini on “Two Things,” a song from her fifth studio album, PATTERNS, out now. On Thursday, however, the country star returned to the legendary Gotham hotel—the venue that inspired the poignant track—to celebrate the album drop with Spotify.
We invited Kelsea’s top Spotify listeners in the New York area to an exclusive listening party at the hotel, creating a sense of nostalgia and intimacy that permeated the evening. Fans experienced the magic of PATTERNS the night before its official release, with Kelsea playing five songs from the album: “Patterns,” “Baggage,” “We Broke Up,” “How Much Do You Love Me,” and “I Would, Would You.” Finally, she surprised the room with her first-ever performance of “Two Things” before sitting down for a Q&A with Entertainment Tonight’s Cassie DiLaura.
Kelsea Ballerini and Cassie DiLaura (Photo by Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for Spotify)
Kelsea Ballerini (Photo by Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for Spotify)
Kelsea Ballerini and guests (Photo by Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for Spotify)
Kelsea Ballerini and guest (Photo by Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for Spotify)
(Photo by Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for Spotify)
The evening provided a special opportunity for Kelsea and her fans to connect on a personal level. By sharing the inspiration and stories behind PATTERNS, she invited listeners into her journey and creative process, fostering a deeper understanding of her artistry. See highlights from the conversation below.
On her process
“This is the most pressure I’ve ever put on myself to make a record, because I felt so grateful that there were new ears on my music, but then I also wanted to honor the people who had been on board since ‘Love Me Like You Mean It.’”
On the new album
“There’s a lot on it. If you want a friendship song, it’s there. If you want a falling-in-love song, it’s there. If you want a ‘I’m going to ram my head through a wall ’cause I’m so frustrated at someone’ song, obviously, it’s there—there’s a couple of those!”
“I would argue that this is the most love-filled record I’ve ever made. I think the presence of love in every song is at the forefront. But to me, it’s about the nuance of love. I think there’s this really beautiful mutual journey that can happen when the newness wears off, and you’re kind of left as two adults who have a whole past of life to sort through and then make one together. That’s what I’m so proud of.”
On playing Madison Square Garden for the first time next week
“I’m so excited. [The fact that it sold out before the album came out] makes me want to put on the best show I ever have. I haven’t really toured this year. I really wanted some space to make the record, because last year was so tour-heavy, which was amazing. I’m glad I had some space to do other things, but my favorite thing in the world is A, writing songs, and then B—and I say this as a fan going to shows, too—there’s this thing that happens when you go to a show, whether it’s a really small room or a stadium. It’s the most connected you ever feel to people, in my opinion. To yourself, or to the people that you go with, or to the artist onstage. It’s just this big ball of energy and connection. I know that I certainly crave that and need that on both sides. I’ve really missed it.”
On her own patterns
“I cut and ghost. When a relationship or a friendship or an opportunity feels like it’s going a little bit different than how my Virgo control brain thought it was going to, I would rather break my own heart before anything else can. And that no longer serves me in my life, which I learned the hard way a lot. That is the biggest pattern of this album.”
Stream PATTERNS on Spotify.
