Kelsea Ballerini’s voice illuminated the intimate theater as she sang song after song. Throughout her set, Ballerini proved her talent to the crowd with her pure vocal abilities and guitar skills.
Wednesday night, up-and-coming country singer-songwriter Kelsea Ballerini took to the stage at the Majestic Theatre in downtown Madison. The singer performed for a little more an hour after her impressive opening act, Jacob Davis.
Break-out country artist Kelsea Ballerini takes up heartfelt songwriting, embraces fans
Ballerini’s concert consisted primarily of songs from her debut album The First Time, with a mixture of popular cover songs. She opened the show with a light-hearted trac, “Looking at Stars,” that set the tone for the rest of the night.
In between her original songs, the musician was sure to include a couple fan-favorites from other artists. First, the singer covered one of country music’s most popular songs of the last decade: Rascal Flatts’ “What Hurts the Most.” The singer’s powerful vocals fit the soul and sorrow of the song impeccably as the audience belted out every word along with her.
Next, Ballerini performed her own mash-up of songs and artists she personally grew up with. Incorporating Brittany Spears, ‘N Sync and Destiny’s Child into her performance, she traveled with the audience through a time machine with classic hits like “Hit Me Baby One More Time,” “Oops I Did It Again,” “Bye Bye Bye” and “Bootylicious.”
One of the crowd’s more positive reactions came from Ballerini’s performance of her track “Stilettos.” The 22-year-old explained how she was browsing Pinterest and came across the quote, “Strong women wear pain like they do high heels.” The inspiration for the song was clearly a concept that resonated with much of her fan base.
The musician ended the show with her hit debut single “Love Me Like You Mean It,” which brought her much recognition in the country music world. The crowd recited every word as Ballerini closed her performance on a high note.
Collectively, Ballerini’s show seemed to have the theme of finding and losing love. Much of the artist’s album deals with experiencing love while one is young. Ballerini found that she could relate with the majority of the audience that consisted of younger females. The singer took the time to speak with the audience and explain her songs, inevitably making the lyrics that much more personal.
Leaving the show, one felt as though he or she had a better idea of who Ballerini really is as an artist. As a new-comer just recently gaining fame, Ballerini is clearly still trying to introduce herself. The singer-songwriter succeeded in staying true to herself and her message, and it was clear she enjoyed every second of being on stage in Madison for “The First Time.”
