Kelsea Ballerini Shares Why Her Most Recent No. 1 Hit Is Her Favorite
It's official: "Half of My Hometown" is Kelsea Ballerini's seventh No. 1 hit. And although there are six more of her songs that have reached that coveted spot, the country artist says this one is her favorite. In fact, the song — which celebrates the town that made her who she is today — is her favorite for eight reasons.
"My years in Knoxville shaped my creativity, my drive, and my sense of self," she writes on Instagram. "I wouldn't be doing this had I grown up anywhere else."
Ballerini also lists reasons including Kenny Chesney joining her on the track, how leaving made her realize the importance of her hometown and that all she wants to do is make the people in Knoxville proud.
She coupled her heartfelt words with a photo from the song's music video in which Ballerini kneels midfield of Central High School's football field. Her left hand rests on her heart while she looks lovingly at the ground.
"I love every single person who is a part of this," she writes in the caption. She lists Chesney, her fellow songwriters, country radio and even the cheerleading coach who didn't pick her for the squad. Ballerini says she would have never picked up the guitar had she been a part of the team.
"Half of My Hometown" is Ballerini's fourth single from her third studio album, Kelsea. There is an alternate version on her fourth studio album, Ballerini. The song won CMA Awards for Musical Event of the Year and Video of the Year in November of 2021.
Ballerini says she's working on a new album and has even posted some behind-the-scenes photos of the process on social media. Although Chesney joins her on her latest No. 1 hit, she tells the Bobby Bones Show that she is planning on sticking to solo work for the time being.