Unapologetically

About

That period of time between leaving high school and fumbling into one’s mid-twenties is difficult enough. Kelsea Ballerini had to navigate those years with the added weight of a good chunk of the country-music world watching, having opened that decade with the youthful country-pop of her 2015 debut, <i>The First Time</i> and finding a more mature voice on 2017’s <i>Unapologetically</i>. If her sophomore record is any indication, she got through the growing pains with grace, proving her readiness for more ambitious levels of stardom and expanding her sonic palette to include grander pop arrangements and R&B element. Maybe more significantly, the East Tennessee native embraces vulnerability in an intimate way on <i>Unapologetically</i>. The album is structured in three parts; in the first four song, Ballerini deals with the fallout of the breakup she went through as her first album was released, delivering a pep talk to herself with the swaggering “Miss Me More.” In the middle third, she unpacks a period of self-discovery and acceptance of change, contrasting the leaps and bounds she’s grown since leaving home with the story of a former jock who can’t leave his football glory days behind on “High School.” And finally, she blossoms in the light of a new romance, as evidenced by the swelling title track, outfitted with choruses that seem to glow with the same energy as someone who’s just fallen in love. .

via Apple Music

The Clerk says

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