Carly Pearce Gushes Over Kelsea Ballerini’s Rise To Superstar Status: “Nobody Deserves It More”
Carly Pearce couldn’t be prouder of her best friend, Kelsea Ballerini. Seeing her rise from playing for a few hundred people in small clubs to selling out massive arenas has been nothing short of incredible.
The country star opened up about her longtime friendship with Kelsea at the American Heart Association Go Red for Women Red Dress Collection Concert in New York City on January 30. “Kelsea and I have been friends for over 10 years,” Carly shared. “I watched her when she had 200 or 300 people in a little club, and now she’s selling out big arenas, so it was surreal.”
Carly has learned a lot from Kelsea’s journey, especially about the way she connects with her audience. “”I feel like she has a really amazing ability to perform like the superstar she is in front of thousands of people, but she still remains so vulnerable and honest, and you feel very connected to her, even if you’re sitting all the way in the back,” she said.
With her North American arena tour in full swing, Kelsea is also preparing for a big night at the 2025 Grammy Awards on February 2. She’s nominated for Best Country Duo/Group Performance alongside Noah Kahan for their duet, Cowboys Cry Too.
During an interview with SiriusXM’s Fierce: Women in Music, Kelsea spoke about working with Noah and how deeply she connected with their song. In her words: “…Noah, he’s just such a good human and he’s such a damn good songwriter. Like, he played that second verse for me. And I was immediately just like, ‘Oh, this is a different song now. Like this matters more. It’s deeper, it’s more honest.’ And I’m very, very grateful to be in his orbit.”
As for winning awards, Kelsea has come to a place of peace. “There’s just so much else that goes into it,” she shared. “And for me, if you get nominated, that means that sometimes if you’re lucky, you get three and a half minutes to sing on a show like the CMAs or the ACMs or the CMTs, you know, and that’s an award.”
