
Kelsea Ballerini is one of the few female country artists that had radio airplay in 2015, and she did so with her confident, flirty tracks "Love Me Like You Mean It" and "Dibs." Ballerini took more influence from empowering female pop stars in these singles, taking ideas from songs like Rihanna's "Take A Bow" and others. But as she grew in popularity, she began releasing more emotional songs, like this one. Featured on the Deluxe Edition of Ballerini's debut album The First Time, this song, "Out of the Blues" might just be a better song than half the songs on the main record.
The First Time is an interesting album, because first of all, it is a pop album disguised as a country album, but also jumped from good songs to bad songs faster than Ballerini blew up after Taylor Swift tweeted her approval. Songs like "Peter Pan," "Stilettos," "First Time" and "Secondhand Smoke" are great examples of great music. "Peter Pan" especially (expected to be Ballerini's next single) is a masterpiece of a pop country song. But hand in hand with these good songs came electro-pop songs with bro country lyrics, like "Looking At Stars" and "Yeah Boy." However, Ballerini has proven herself to be talented, a good writer, and a potential country star with songs like the 4 highlights on her record, and this bonus track, "Out of the Blues."
Ballerini said, when introducing the idea of a Deluxe Edition of her album, that "Out of the Blues" is the oldest track on the record as a whole, which she wrote before she even had a publishing deal. It was a result of one of her and Forest Glen Whitehead's first writing sessions, and was the first song they ever wrote together. It's pop country, but pop country at its best. It's a song about getting over someone, with one of the best lyrics being
Ballerini said, when introducing the idea of a Deluxe Edition of her album, that "Out of the Blues" is the oldest track on the record as a whole, which she wrote before she even had a publishing deal. It was a result of one of her and Forest Glen Whitehead's first writing sessions, and was the first song they ever wrote together. It's pop country, but pop country at its best. It's a song about getting over someone, with one of the best lyrics being
"Today, I woke up on the right side of the bed that I made
and in the quiet of the morning no I didn't hear my heart break
I'm singing a different tune
One about finally getting over you"
Ballerini is a country/ pop singer, and too often she falls victim to the latter part of her label and into trends of releasing songs that will get her on the radio. That was a great strategy with "Love Me," to get her on the radio, and even with "Dibs," to keep her on the radio. But now with "Peter Pan" hitting radio this year, it's time for her to release
music more in the vein of that song, or more like "Out of the Blues." This is where she excels, and it's the side of her that the public needs to see soon before they get tired of her cutesy songs on the radio that don't nearly show who she is and who she could be as a country music artist. But "Out of the Blues" does.
Overall rating: 4 ½ crowns
Listen to a demo of "Out of the Blues" here, and get the song by purchasing the Deluxe Edition of The First Time exclusively at Walmart.
music more in the vein of that song, or more like "Out of the Blues." This is where she excels, and it's the side of her that the public needs to see soon before they get tired of her cutesy songs on the radio that don't nearly show who she is and who she could be as a country music artist. But "Out of the Blues" does.
Overall rating: 4 ½ crowns
Listen to a demo of "Out of the Blues" here, and get the song by purchasing the Deluxe Edition of The First Time exclusively at Walmart.