(CelebrityAccess) – The wait is officially over as Black River Entertainment recording artist Kelsea Ballerini’s much-anticipated sophomore album, Unapologetically, is available everywhere today.
Produced by Forest Glen Whitehead and Jason Massey – in addition to Shane McAnally, Lindsay Rimes, and Jimmy Robbins on select tracks – Unapologetically spotlights 12 tunes written or co-written by Ballerini. Penned with “blood, sweat, and heartbeats,” the striking successor to her critically acclaimed, GOLD-certified The First Time, exposes the intimate journey of loss, life, and love that the Country star has experienced since her history-making debut album.
Fired-up following her heartwarming homecoming show at Knoxville’s Central High School October 28th and the announcement of The Unapologetically Tour launch this winter, Ballerini kick-started this momentous week by surprising fans from Nashville to New York City with invitation-only mini concerts in celebration of Unapologetically.
On November 2nd, she excitedly spilled details on a secret pop-up party on her Instagram account, before taking over The Wayland in East Village. Wanting to ring in her unforgettable midnight release, Ballerini amped up her late-night “Legends” – her endearing nickname for her fans – until the clock struck 12. The first 100 fans were also gifted an autographed physical copy of the album.
Previously in Nashville, Ballerini surprised the top 125 Nashville Spotify listeners of her music on Monday October 30th. From Music City’s The Back Corner, she hosted an acoustic concert featuring a handful of new songs, such as the lovestruck title anthem, all while the enchanted crowd sang along to every word. During a special Q&A portion emceed by CMT’s Leslie Fram, Senior Vice President of Music Strategy, Ballerini answered a range of questions from guests and in honor of one of her favorite lyrics from her chart-rising single, “Legends” – “We wrote our own story” – she further invited everyone to write her a letter from a satellite station stocked with stationary inside the venue before exiting. Ballerini capped off the memorable night with a casual hang where she ditched her ornate blue-green floral suit for comfy sweats.
She made her debut on CBS’ The Late Show with Stephen Colbert on November 3rd and then returned to Nashville, where she was honored with the treasured ASCAP Vanguard Award at the 55th annual ASCAP Country Music Awards last Monday, November 6th.
Yesterday marked the 51st annual CMA Awards, where the Female Vocalist of the Year nominee partnered with Reba McEntire for an iconic duet of “Legends.” Both also performed live from Nashville on ABC’s Good Morning America that same morning.