Kelsea Ballerini Kelsea (LP, colored Vinyl)

(Black River Records) 13 tracks, green + yellow marbled transparent vinyl

This dynamic collection of 13 new songs from Kelsea Ballerini, featured on Rolling Stone's list of the most anticipated albums of 2020, is aptly titled “Kelsea” — which is no surprise, as it's her most authentic and confident reflection yet. She wrote or co-wrote all the songs on the album herself, taking an introspective look at the emotions of the last two years of her life. Using songwriting as therapy, she explores everything from social anxiety to the importance of true friendships to a new perspective on old heartbreaks and the realization that even the most independent and stubborn people sometimes need someone. The songwriting credits on this album are, as she herself says, “pretty RAD.” In addition to Nashville greats Shane Macanally, Hillary Lindsay, and Ashley Gorley, she also wrote with Ed Sheehan, Tayla Parx, and Julia Michaels. For the first time, Ballerini served as a producer throughout the entire project, co-producing every single track. She let the songs dictate the sonic personality of the album, resulting in a wide range of production elements and styles. Ballerini also set the bar high for collaboration with two collaborations on this album.