Photo: Getty Images
Kelsea Ballerini took a moment to reflect on a year of feeling “wildly uncomfortable” in the first few days of 2025.
The Patterns singer-songwriter said she “spent majority of this year wildly uncomfortable,” after spending some time reflecting on 2024 and sharing some of her standout moments. Ballerini, 31, said she intended for some of the discomfort, “knowing real growth and creativity (maybe even freedom) comes from pushing myself out of my comfort zone.” for the first time in a decade, Ballerini spent more time than usual away from touring, and “had to rewire my brain to not operate from a place of scarcity from that.” Instead, she turned her attention to trying new things and realizing that she’s “more capable than I give myself credit for.”
Ballerini said she was also “uncomfortable” in moments of self-reflection in her 30s, including “‘holy sh*t I’m a real adult now’” moments. She felt “uncomfortable in challenging myself to chill,” and “in the juggle of wanting more and wanting less,” she wrote. Ballerini said her goal heading into the new year “is to try to find some comfort? In the loud and quiet, public and private moments. To still push and seek and want, but find comfort in being uncomfortable. Don’t get me wrong, I love a little chaos. I just wonder how it pairs with a little more peace.” Find her full reflection here.
Ballerini is determining her balance between “a little chaos” and “a little more peace” with her first-ever headlining arena tour on the horizon. Ballerini is kicking off her tour this month after releasing her fifth studio record, Patterns, in late October. She celebrated days later with a sold-out album release show at Madison Square Garden in New York. Ballerini said when she released the highly-anticipated album that she took “the beautiful and brutal look into myself and the people I love the most. The celebrations and challenges in the name of betterment, growth, and all around elevated vibes. The healthy habits that I hold close and the ones that gotta go.”
Ballerini will kick off her arena tour this month with Sasha Alex Sloan, Ashe, The Japanese House and Marynn Taylor on select dates. See the list of tour stops here: