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Watch Kelsea Ballerini’s Breezy Performance Of ‘Heartfirst’ On ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live!’
“Heartfirst” is the lead single from Ballerini’s forthcoming album.
Kelsea Ballerini; Photo by ABC, Eric McCandless
Kelsea Ballerini recently visited the set of ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel Live! for a performance of her newest single, “Heartfirst.”
Sporting a floral jumpsuit, the country star delivered a confident, yet breezy performance of the feel-good tune alongside her band.
While in L.A. for the Kimmel taping, the East Tennessee native took in the sights and sounds of the west coast and even took a drive down the Pacific Coast Highway to listen to the final mixes of her much-anticipated new album.
“Drove the PCH and listened to the final mixes of my album today and now I am going to eat copious amounts of sushi and drown in gratitude for this new little chapter we get to share together so soon,” she teased on Instagram.
She also shared several other snapshots of her visit to California on social media.
“Heartfirst” is the lead single from Ballerini’s forthcoming project, which will serve as the follow-up to 2020’s kelsea.
Upon its release to country radio in April, “Heartfirst” was the No.1 most-added track with 80 first-week stations adding the song to rotation.
“Heartfirst” combines ‘90s country elements with a pop-country melody, making for a radio-ready hit.
The lyrics recount an unexpected meeting that leaves Ballerini feeling head over heels. While she admits it could ultimately be a short-lived romance, she decides to dive in “Heartfirst” to see what happens.
“Could be forever or we might break/ That’s just the/ kind of risk that we take/ My head is yelling that I could get hurt/ But I’m gonna jump right in/ Baby, with my heartfirst,” the East Tennessee native sings on the chorus.
“It’s all about just following your heart (and) trusting your gut,” Ballerini explained. “I really believe that nothing great happens in life unless you take the risk and you take a leap of faith, and that’s what this whole song is about.”
Ballerini co-wrote “Heartfirst” with Karen Fairchild and Alysa Vanderheym.
“We were all just talking about music that we’re inspired by right now, and wanting to write something upbeat, warm and free-feeling, and just being people who follow our gut and lead with our heart, and this is what we came up with,” she recalled of the day they wrote the song.
According to social media posts, Ballerini will debut the “Heartfirst” music video on Thursday at noon. The just-released teaser clips feature a rollercoaster, a tiger and various costume changes.
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.
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