Kelsea Ballerini Cries ‘Happy Tears’ and Tributes Kenny Chesney as ‘Half Of My Hometown’ Hits No.1
Kelsea Ballerini and Kenny Chesney’s “Half Of My Hometown” is officially the No. 1 song at country radio. The country…
Kenny Chesney, Kelsea Ballerini; Photo Courtesy ACM Awards
Kelsea Ballerini and Kenny Chesney’s “Half Of My Hometown” is officially the No. 1 song at country radio.
The country superstars and East Tennessee natives topped the Mediabase Country Radio Singles chart this week and is also expected to end the week atop the Billboard Country Airplay chart.
The singer/songwriter couldn’t contain her excitement over the news and penned an emotional Instagram post in honor of the momentous occasion.
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“Through very happy tears, ‘Half of my Hometown’ is the number one song in country music this week. It’s my seventh number one (wait WHAT!)…and it’s my favorite,” she wrote.
The 28-year-old then went on to list out how her hometown of Knoxville, Tennessee, helped shape her as a person and artist.
Ballerini also shouted out Chesney, saying he’s become “such a friend and brother” over the past few months.
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Ballerini co-wrote the song alongside Jimmy Robbins, Nicolle Galyon, Shane McAnally and Ross Copperman and had a chance to celebrate the chart-topping news on Saturday, March 5, with several of her co-writers in Las Vegas.
McAnally documented the moment on Instagram, writing, “Waking up in Vegas to the #1 song!!! So excited I got to toast ‘Half of my hometown’ last night with these beautiful people in front of the Eiffel Tower” alongside a photo of the co-writer (minus Copperman).
“Half Of My Hometown,” which was in the No. 2 position last week, seizes the throne from Kane Brown’s “One Mississippi.” Following behind Ballerini and Chesney in the top 5 are Parker McCollum’s “To Be Loved By You,” Cody Johnson’s “‘Til You Can’t,” Morgan Wallen’s “Sand In My Boots,” and Sam Hunt’s “23.”
The No. 1 marks Ballerini’s seventh No. 1 hit, following “Hole In The Bottle,” and Chesney’s 35th, following his recent chart-topper, “Knowing You.”
“Half Of My Hometown” speaks to life after high school and shares how you still feel connected to the place you grew up, no matter if you stay or leave.
“Half of my hometown’s still hangin’ around/ Still talkin’ about that one touchdown/ They’re still wearin’ red and black/ Go Bobcats, while the other half/ Of my hometown they all got out/ Some went north Some went south/ Still lookin’ for a feelin’ half of us ain’t found/ So stay or leave/ Part of me will always be/ Half of my hometown,” goes the chorus.
After writing the heartfelt song during a songwriting retreat at the beach, Ballerini’s co-writers insisted that she text it to Chesney. Even though it was 2 am, Ballerini sent the text.
Chesney later recalled Ballerini’s message during an interview on Today’s Country Radio with Kelleigh Bannen.
“She just called me one day and she goes, ‘I’m calling you to poke the bear,’ and I went, ‘What are you talking about?’ She says, ‘I’m getting ready to send you a song. I want you to listen to it and think about singing on it.’ And so I said, ‘yeah, of course, send me the song,’” Chesney explains. “And I listened to it and it was hard to listen to because it was so beautiful and it was so much about not only her life, but it was about my life and the same roads we drove down and I knew I wanted to sing on it.”
Chesney went on to admit that deciding to be part of this song was the right choice because of the meaning it holds for him as a fellow East Tennessee native. It’s not every day that Chesney says yes to collaborating with an artist on an album, but this was an opportunity that he couldn’t pass up.
“And I’m really proud of it,” Chesney continued. “And I told her when we were done with it, that I was glad she asked me, but I’m very proud that I’m on that song with her. If the song was terrible, I wouldn’t sing on it, because trust me, I get asked a lot to sing on a lot of records and I turn them down because the song just isn’t perfect for me to sing on. But when I heard ‘Half Of My Hometown’ I just I went, ‘Yep, I’m going to sing on this song.’
Ballerini later brought the song to life with a cinematic music video that served as a tribute to her hometown of Knoxville, Tennessee.
The personal clip gives fans a look at what may have happened if Ballerini stayed in her hometown instead of moving to Nashville to pursue her musical dreams. The cinematic clip opens with a young Ballerini saying “goodbye” to her friends as she makes her way to Nashville, however, the truck ends up getting unloaded and she moves back into her childhood home.
Personal home videos of Ballerini are also featured as the “what if” story unfolds before viewers’ eyes.
The song is currently nominated for Music Event Of The Year at the 57 Academy Of Country Music Awards. Tune into Prime Video on Monday, March 7, at 8/7c to see if Ballerini and Chesney will take home the trophy.
Lauren Jo Black is a longtime country music journalist, editor, host, and media personality whose work has helped shape the conversation around country music for nearly two decades. As the current Editor-in-Chief of Country Now, she has become one of the genre’s most respected voices, interviewing hundreds of country music’s biggest stars, including Dolly Parton, Garth Brooks, Reba McEntire, Shania Twain, Randy Travis, Luke Bryan, Carrie Underwood, Blake Shelton, Luke Combs, and countless others. Over the course of her career, Black’s written work and interviews have reached billions of country music fans worldwide. A 2009 graduate of the University of Central Florida, Black began her career by founding Country Music Is Love, one of country music’s earliest independent digital publications, which she later sold to a major record label in 2015 before it was rebranded as Sounds Like Nashville. She then served as the publication’s Editor-in-Chief for more than two years. Her work has also appeared in Forbes, and she previously served as the Country Music Expert for Answers.com. Widely recognized for her expertise, Black has appeared as a featured guest on The Bobby Bones Show, BobbyCast, and Scripps News Morning Rush, providing insight on country music’s biggest moments. She has also hosted Country Now Live, a concert series featuring performances from artists including Lady A, Dierks Bentley, Riley Green, Jordan Davis, Dustin Lynch, Gabby Barrett, Brett Young, Jon Pardi, Kip Moore, Chris Young, and more. The series has welcomed thousands of fans in person while reaching millions more online. In addition, she hosted Connect With Country Now, a weekly interview series featuring conversations with rising country stars. Throughout her career, Black has earned a reputation for discovering and championing artists long before they become household names. She has covered Luke Bryan since the early days of his career, beginning when he was writing songs for other artists, including Billy Currington’s No. 1 hit “Good Directions,” before stepping into the spotlight with his debut single, “All My Friends Say” and eventually becoming one of biggest names in music. She also gave Megan Moroney her first opportunity to walk a major red carpet as Country Now’s official guest correspondent at the 2022 CMA Awards. An interview she conducted in 2018 for Forbes.com with Luke Combs that inspired his multi-week No. 1 hit, “Doin’ This.” She has also hosted stages at CMA Fest, moderated an industry panel at Country Radio Seminar, and helped lead important conversations about the evolving landscape of country music media. Beyond journalism, Black has also used her platform to support charitable causes and highlight organizations making an impact. Through Country Now Live, she has helped raise awareness and support for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, while also advocating for animal rescue through Country Now’s Pupdate series, spotlighting organizations including MuttNation Foundation, Wags & Walks, and Proverbs 12:10 Animal Rescue. Black has been recognized as one of Country Aircheck’s Women of Influence and received the 2012 Rising Star Award from the University of Central Florida. She is a longtime member of both the Country Music Association (CMA) and the Academy of Country Music (ACM). After nearly 20 years covering country music, Lauren Jo Black has spent her career telling the stories behind the artists, songs, and moments that have shaped the genre. Her first-ever book, Country Music Forever: An A-to-Z Celebration of Icons, Songs and Stories, brings that same passion and firsthand knowledge to the page, celebrating not only the legendary artists and timeless songs that have become the soundtrack to generations of fans, but also the places, traditions, and cultural moments that have made country music one of the most beloved genres around the world.
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