Kelsea Ballerini just had a full-circle moment while on tour. The "Cowboys Cry Too" singer was headlining Bridgestone Arena, as part of her Live on Tour, where she surprised guests by bringing out Keith Urban.
Videos by Wide Open Country
"I'm going to paint a picture for you," Ballerini
says from the stage. "I'm probably 12 or 13, and my mom and I are living on Fulton Drive, in Knoxville, Tennessee. And I'm upstairs in my attic bedroom, that I had painted dark purple. And I'm on my laptop. It probably wasn't an Apple yet; it was probably a Dell. And I was on -- kids, ask your parents later -- MySpace. I was on my friend Courtney's MySpace. And there was this song called 'Stupid Boy' by Keith Urban."Ballerini goes on to share that it was a defining moment in her life, even at such a young age.
"And I just remember, I had this visceral reaction to it," she shares. "And I hadn't gone through it. I was like 12 or 13. But there was something about that song that made me in this moment in my bedroom go, 'Oh my God, I want to be a songwriter. I want to do exactly what this song makes me feel. That's exactly what I want to do with my life.' And one of the few times that I've gotten to play this room, it was opening for Keith Urban. And I thought for a little 12, 13-year-old me, it could be really special to sing that song that was on my friend's MySpace tonight. "
Urban came out to thunderous applause to sing "Stupid Boy" with Ballerini.
Kelsea Ballerini On 'The Voice'
2025 is shaping up to be a busy year for Ballerini. In addition to headlining her own tour, she just made her debut as a coach on The Voice. She is joined by John Legend, Michael Bublé, and Adam Levine, although it's Levine she is most interested in conquering.
"I feel very strongly I'm going to have to really fight Adam Levine," she jokes to People. "I know it's a big deal that he's coming back but yeah — I feel like we're going to be frenemies. Just kidding. However, I've gotten some pep talks from Blake about how to take him down!"
All kidding aside, the 31-year-old is excited about her new endeavor, as part of one of the most popular reality TV talent shows.
"I'm so excited. I'm excited because it's just such a new adventure," she said. "I've gotten to be on set in different capacities over the years. But to really assume that role as a coach. It's really going to stretch me and it's going to be a new opportunity."
