Kelsea Ballerini Stuns in Little Black Dress, Offers Exciting First Date Hint with Chase Stokes

Kelsea Ballerini got dressed up in her favorite little black dress as she got ready for her first date in her official music video for "How Do I Do This (The Final Chapter)."

In the video, which was released on Friday, December 1, the 30-year-old singer starts off singing, "They say to get out with the old, you get in with the new / And I haven’t been on a date since I was 22," while wearing sweatpants after her divorce from Morgan Evans. She goes on to recount how she was asked out on a date and struggled with how to respond, ultimately landing on a "Yes" and then wondering where her dress was.

She nervously texted her future date, Chase Stokes, whom she had hinted was now her boyfriend. After getting dolled up in a Cinderella blue dress, she dreamed about the potential new romance. She continued to primp and sing to herself in the mirror before cutting off her long locks as part of her new phase post-divorce.

In the video, the country singer wore several fairy tale gowns in her room before ultimately choosing a sexy LBD and sipping wine in the bathroom. When the doorbell rings, Ballerini smirks in the mirror, then pauses before walking to meet her new man.

Kelsea Ballerini. Taylor Hill/WireImage

Ballerini released the song "How Do I Do This (The Final Chapter)" in August as part of her Rolling Up the Welcome Mat (For Good) EP. The initial album was released in February and it documented Ballerini's divorce from Evans, 38, which was finalized in November 2022. The couple had been married for nearly five years before their split.

Despite the reminder of difficult times on the album, one track, “How Do I Do This,” delves into Ballerini's experience of moving on and feeling anxious before her first date with her boyfriend Stokes.

“It’s about the nerves of entering an unfamiliar world,” Ballerini explained exclusively to We in August. “And, to me, I felt like since I hadn’t really gotten to share my story in my perspective on what had happened in my life yet, that needed to come second. That is part two.”

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The Grammy nominee elaborated: “I had a strong desire to discuss the breakup and give it its own space. And now, with Rolling Up the Welcome Mat (For Good), I feel like it's the continuation of that story. Especially now that I've been in a new relationship for a while, and people have witnessed that. It feels like the perfect time to bring everyone up to speed and shift the focus from the past to the present.”

Ballerini expresses the nervous excitement of entering the dating world after her divorce in her song, asking if it's okay to take a chance and feeling anxious about the new experience. She also mentions reaching out to Kelly Clarkson for advice before a big event. Ballerini and Stokes were first seen together in January at a College Football Playoff National Championship game, and confirmed their relationship a month later during an appearance on the “Call Her Daddy” podcast, where Ballerini revealed that she initiated contact through direct messages.

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They made their first public appearance together in April at the CMT Music Awards in Nashville and have since been sharing their relationship with fans.