Kelsea Ballerini ‘Excited To Clean The Slate’ With New Album

After wowing fans with her first headlining arena tour and officially becoming a member of the Grand Ole Opry earlier this year, Kelsea Ballerini took some time off the road this summer to focus on creating her third studio album.

On top of writing and recording, Ballerini also used the time to reflect on her journey so far and prepare for what’s to come.

“I’m a 4 year old when it comes to this… I’m a baby,” she admitted during a recent interview with The Tennessean. “Doing an arena tour and joining the Grand Ole Opry, those are two things I didn’t think would be on my horizon for a long time, if ever. It makes me really grateful, but it also makes me want to earn it just in case it was early. I want to make sure the music I make … that I have this intentional time to make right now, is worthy of being an Opry member and worth of being in an arena.”

In the four years since the release of her debut album, The First Time, Ballerini has come into her own. She’s toured with superstars like Lady Antebellum and Kelly Clarkson, she got married and notched five chart-topping singles. She’s lived a lot of life, and while many fans expect her new album to reflect the happy state she’s in, the Tennessee native said that’s not the case.

“I think now that I’m married, it gives me such a perspective on the other relationships that failed me,” she explained to the publication. “I’m writing the most heartbreaking songs I’ve ever written because I understand what went wrong before now. I think the older I get … the more confident I feel about writing that kind of stuff. I write my songs, and I play guitar, and I write about what I’m going through. I’m just really excited to clean the slate again.”

While Kelsea Ballerini’s much-anticipated new album isn’t expected to arrive until 2020, the lead single from the project is slated for a September release. While the superstar isn’t giving away too many details about the song, she told The Tennessean that it’s about her hometown of Knoxville and that she cries whenever she hears it.