Kelsea Ballerini: Making her mark in history
Kelsea Ballerini did something bold – and unthinkable: she created an intimate, songwriter EP to capture a jagged moment in her life. It was intimate, small and a document of a moment of strength and chaos in her own life; she didn’t do it for awards or acclaim, but to share with anyone who might need a steadying hand facing similar circumstances and not sure where to turn. Today, Kelsea’s Rolling Up The Welcome Mat becomes her fourth GRAMMY nomination – and it is in the prestigious, wildly competitive Country Album category. At her most deeply personal, she joins everyman populist sensation Zach Bryan, critically acclaimed hard country songwriter Tyler Childers, progressive rock-country firebrands Brothers Osborne and working woman country force Lainey Wilson to create a sense of what country music’s future offers. “Making this record was simply my way of making sense of a really emotionally complicated place in my life,” says the woman who’s recently graced the cover of TIME100’s Next and NYLON, as well as performing on the MTV Video Music Awards. “I went to one of my best friends and collaborators, Alysa Vanderheym, and she quietly and diligently helped me write my truth. I really don’t have the words for the pride I feel for this music and the way that it’s connected with people. It’s like nothing I’ve ever experienced. I’m deeply grateful to the Recording Academy for this honor. I am truly beaming.” This NMA award winner icon closes her essay with this final assessment of the artist and woman Kelsea has become, “She has a powerful sense of self in those moments: she knows exactly where her heart is, and she always leads with love and inclusivity.”
Kelsea Ballerini did something bold – and unthinkable: she created an intimate, songwriter EP to capture a jagged moment in her life. It was intimate, small and a document of a moment of strength and chaos in her own life; she didn’t do it for awards or acclaim, but to share with anyone who might need a steadying hand facing similar circumstances and not sure where to turn. Today, Kelsea’s Rolling Up The Welcome Mat becomes her fourth GRAMMY nomination – and it is in the prestigious, wildly competitive Country Album category. At her most deeply personal, she joins everyman populist sensation Zach Bryan, critically acclaimed hard country songwriter Tyler Childers, progressive rock-country firebrands Brothers Osborne and working woman country force Lainey Wilson to create a sense of what country music’s future offers. “Making this record was simply my way of making sense of a really emotionally complicated place in my life,” says the woman who’s recently graced the cover of TIME100’s Next and NYLON, as well as performing on the MTV Video Music Awards. “I went to one of my best friends and collaborators, Alysa Vanderheym, and she quietly and diligently helped me write my truth. I really don’t have the words for the pride I feel for this music and the way that it’s connected with people. It’s like nothing I’ve ever experienced. I’m deeply grateful to the Recording Academy for this honor. I am truly beaming.” This NMA award winner icon closes her essay with this final assessment of the artist and woman Kelsea has become, “She has a powerful sense of self in those moments: she knows exactly where her heart is, and she always leads with love and inclusivity.”
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INDIE TOP40
LW TW ARTIST SINGLE LABEL TWS TRND LWS 3WS CUME AVG ADD WK
# 1
1
1
RAY JONES — Tell Somebody (Ind) 999 +52 947 599 20 50.4 8
2 2 CABELA & SCHMITT — All Alone (C&S Music) 923 +86 837 537 18 51.7 9
3 3 EILEEN CAREY — Every Day (RolleyCstr Music) 848 +77 771 526 16 53.5 9
4 4 TOMMY RICE W/MORGAN RIDGELY — Think Of Me (Tommy Rice Music) 827 +59 768 516 16 52.1 9
5 5 REBECKA LARSDOTTER
— Crazy Love (LM) 633 +67 566 348 17 37.7 7
7 6 FLEEKA — Low Low (Ind) 467 +51 416 240 18 26.4 6
6 7 MORGAN WALLEN — Thinkin’ Bout Me (Big Loud) 423 -2 425 336 14 30.7 42
8 8 BILL ABERNATHY — Call Their Name (MTS) 339 +12 327 287 5 68.3 12
9 9 APRIL DIAMOND — Feels So Good (Del Oro) 280 +31 249 135 7 40.5 8
10 10 VALENTINA CHERICO — Dance Until The Sunrise (RMG) 277 +34 243 151 8 35.1 5
12 11 DPB — Undefeated 3.0 (MTS) 221 +23 198 102 6 37.3 7
13 12 SMITH — Run (Surf Candy/Hitmaker Music Group) 163 +3 160 65 7 23.7 4
14 13 HENRY VARGAS W/MELISSA BONILLA — Pluto (Tazmania) 157 +13 144 57 5 31.9 2
16 14 MIKE PINERA — Fool’s Game (Spector) 130 +7 123 83 5 26.5 7
20 15 KEYVOUS — Catch A Wave (Street People Entertainment) 109 +26 83 0 6 18.6 3
18 16 ICE SPICE — Think U The Shit (Dolo Entertainment) 109 0 109 64 3 36.8 4
19 17 SKYE HOLLAND — Overdrive (Prodigy) 85 0 85 64 3 28.8 6
21 18 NMIXX — Dash (JYP Entertainment) 81 0 81 40 2 41.0 4
25 19 JOHN JURNEY — Nine Days (Most Likely Music) 66 +18 48 28 4 17.0 1 4
22 20 MEGAN THEE STALLION — Hiss (Hot Girl Productions) 66 0 66 0 2 33.5 4
23 21 UMI W/V — Wherever U R (UnitedMasters) 65 +4 61 25 1 65.5 5
— 22 JUNA N JOEY — Crazy Cowboy (River Run) 61 NEW 0 0 3 20.8 3 1
— 23 BOYS LIKE GIRLS — Miracle (Fearless/RED) 55 NEW 20 0 1 55.5 1
24 24 TOM MACDONALD W/BEN SHAPIRO — Facts (Tom MacDonald) 50 0 50 0 1 50.5 3
26 25 JUSJAE — It’s Okay To Cry (Streetcorner/Everplay Music) 47 0 47 0 1 47.5 2
— 26 BILL ABERNATHY — More (MTS) 32 NEW 0 0 2 16.5 2 1
28 27 XG — Winter Without You (Avex) 28 0 28 28 1 28.5 5
29 28 SERAPHINA W/TWISTA — Nothing (In Sanan Ty) 24 0 24 24 1 24.5 5
30 29 LOUD LUXURY W/CHARLIEONNAFRIDAY — Young Foolish (Armada Music) 22 0 22 20 2 11.5 6
— 30 JAGWAR TWIN — Bad Feeling (Big Loud) 20 NEW 20 20 2 10.5 6
Songs ranked by totals. Songs are bold when gaining or remaining flat from previous week. If two songs tie in totals, the song with larger increase is placed first. Most Added is total number of new adds
reported by each station or by internal system threshold for stations. The ranking and positions are based on estimates and should not be relied on for accuracy or representativeness. Spins Tracking
System reserves the option to move songs to recurrent as neccessary. Spins Tracking System is a service of Backstage Entertainment Group, LLC. Backstage Entertainment Group, LLC makes no representations
about the reliability of features, the Content, User Content or any other, disclaims all liability in the event of any service failure, and makes no representations regarding the amount of time
any Content or User Content will be preserved. You acknowledge any reliance on such material or systems will be at your own risk.
NMW - MARCH 1, 2024 Vol. 26 Issue 1
7
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