Kelsea Ballerini Receives a Heartwarming Kiss from Boyfriend Chase Stokes Following Grammy Nomination in Touching Footage
Kelsea Ballerini's heartwarming video captures her emotional response to the Grammy nomination for her EP 'Rolling Up the Welcome Mat' in 2023 Sharing a tender moment with boyfriend Chase Stokes, this heartfelt recognition celebrates her remarkable musical journey
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Kelsea Ballerini was overcome with emotion after hearing that her Rolling Up the Welcome Mat EP was nominated for a Grammy Award.
"CHECK OUT OUR ALBUM GO!" she exclaimed in the caption of an Instagram video posted on Friday, November 10. She made sure to tag the Recording Academy and collaborator Alysa Vanderheym.
In the video, Ballerini is seen snuggled up with her boyfriend, Chase Stokes, while being accompanied by a group of friends. They watched the Grammy nominations ceremony on television. As the announcer disclosed the Best Country Album nominations, their record, Rolling Up the Welcome Mat, was the first one mentioned.
Ballerini and her friends erupted into both cheers and tears of joy. Stokes visibly relaxed as Ballerini embraced one of her friends. Eventually, the Outer Banks actor enveloped his girlfriend in a warm embrace and planted a gentle kiss on her cheek.
"Rolling Up the Welcome Mat," a collection of six tracks, was released in February. The music is inspired by Ballerini's journey through separation and eventual divorce from her ex-husband, Morgan Evans.
Ballerini ended her marriage to Evans by filing for divorce in August 2022, after being together for almost five years. The divorce proceedings were finalized in November of that same year. Ballerini expressed the reasons behind their breakup in her EP, featuring emotional songs like "Penthouse."
The lyrics of the song say, "It's painful to box up our issues, now we have no communication. It hurts to remove the welcome mat, knowing you have claimed half of everything. Last night, I kissed someone new, but now I don't know where you are sleeping, baby. We were getting along well until I wanted to end it, now I understand that you resent me."
Following the success of her EP, Ballerini released a second version of the record titled Rolling Up the Welcome Mat (For Good) in August. This re-release included a "healed version" of the song "Penthouse" with updated lyrics.
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She sings the updated version of the song, changing "know" to "care," to show that she has moved on from Evans and doesn't care where he is sleeping. The For Good EP also features a "full length" version of "Interlude," the "Yeah, Sure, Okay" version of "Blindsided," and a new song called "How Do I Do This." In an exclusive interview with We in August, Ballerini talked about the surprising reaction from fans to the album.
"It's no longer mine, it really isn't. It has become more of an 'ours' thing. And right from the beginning, the fans have been expressing their views - as soon as I performed 'Blindsided' on SNL, they were asking for the 'Yeah, Sure, Okay' version," she mentioned at that time. "Then, when I started performing 'Penthouse' live, it started to change and transform each night. And then one day, on a whim, I changed one word and it completely transformed and the fans demanded that version. It's called 'The Healed Version.' I didn't come up with that! It was their idea."
While the songs and their meanings will always be a part of Ballerini's life, she has now closed the chapter on the past.
"I am immensely grateful for this music as it has become the connective thread that binds me with people. It allows me to express my sincerest appreciation by providing them with what they have requested," she expressed to Us, speaking about her dedicated fans. "This is why I am overflowing with excitement. Gratitude is the only emotion I have towards it."
