Three Times Kelsea Ballerini Channeled Her Inner Britney Spears

On Wednesday (Oct. 21), Kelsea Ballerini teamed up with Halsey to perform their collab “The Other Girl,” and while their…

Lauren Jo Black

| Posted on

October 22, 2020

12:18 pm

Kelsea Ballerini, Britney Spears

On Wednesday (Oct. 21), Kelsea Ballerini teamed up with Halsey to perform their collab “The Other Girl,” and while their performance gave off some Coyote Ugly vibes, Ballerini’s look also reminded some fans of Britney Spears circa 2002. And that’s likely not an accident.

It’s no secret that Ballerini is one of Britney Spears’ biggest fans. The singer/songwriter has been vocal about the pop icon’s impact on her music for years, so it should come as no surprise that she would pay tribute to Spears every now and then.

“[Britney] was also my first concert, she’s a legend, I think she’s the queen of pop music, and I adore Britney Spears,” Ballerini previously shared during an interview with Entertainment Tonight.

With the internet a-buzz about Ballerini’s “The Other Girl” performance, we are taking a look back at three times the Tennessee native channeled her inner Britney.

1. Her look during the 2020 CMT Music Awards

From her hair to her leather outfit, Ballerini’s CMT Awards performance look screamed Britney Spears. It was intentional, too.

“We’re kind of doing a Coyote Ugly, Britney Crossroads, southern-grunge hot performance and I’m really excited about it,” Ballerini shared prior to the performance. “I think the whole performance is very empowered, we’re both trying to really show off our confidence as artists and as women and I’m excited to really try to exude that tonight.”

https://youtu.be/fEm1ChfWTgs

2. In her “Hole In the Bottle” music video

There are some subtle nods to Spears in Ballerini’s “Hole In the Bottle” music video and fans took notice to them.

I mean you GAVE it to us. Andddd peep those @britneyspears vibes. 😭😭 we aren’t worthy. pic.twitter.com/iQ6zk6b53q

— Brandon Hernandez (@BuzzEder) August 31, 2020

3. When she paid tribute to Britney Spears at the 2017 Radio Disney Music Awards.

Talk about nerve-wracking! Ballerini performed some of Britney Spears’ biggest hits while Spears looked on from the front row.

https://youtu.be/RkeeMcRoBSM

Written by

Lauren Jo Black

Lauren Jo Black, a University of Central Florida graduate, has immersed herself in the world of country music for over 15 years. In 2008, she co-founded CountryMusicIsLove, eventually selling it to a major record label in 2015. Following the rebranding of the website to Sounds Like Nashville, Black served as Editor-in-Chief for two and a half years. Currently, she assumes the role of Editor-in-Chief at Country Now and oversees Country Now’s content and digital footprint. Her extensive experience also encompasses her previous role as a Country Music Expert Writer for Answers.com and her work being featured on Forbes.com. She’s been spotlighted among Country Aircheck’s Women of Influence and received the 2012 Rising Star Award from the University of Central Florida. Black also spent time in front of the camera as host of Country Now Live, which brought live music directly to fans in 2021 when the majority of concerts were halted due to the pandemic. During this time, she hosted 24 weeks of live concerts via Country Now Live on Twitch with special guests such as Lady A, Dierks Bentley, Jordan Davis, Brett Young, and Jon Pardi. Over the course of her career, she has had the privilege of conducting interviews with some of the industry’s most prominent stars, including Reba McEntire, Blake Shelton, Luke Combs, Carrie Underwood, Luke Bryan, Miranda Lambert, Lainey Wilson, and many others. Lauren Jo Black is a longtime member of the Country Music Association and the Academy of Country Music.