Kelsea Ballerini made her Saturday Night Live debut on March 4, delivering a pair of heartbreaking songs from her new EP, Rolling Up the Welcome Mat.
For her first musical performance of the evening, the 29-year-old country singer confidently stepped onto the Studio 8H stage for an emotional delivery of “Blindsided,” a new track inspired by her recent divorce from singer-songwriter Morgan Evans.
Backed by a full band and donning a zebra patterned black jumpsuit, the three-time Grammy nominee stood amid a large white screen that featured a silhouetted dancer who appeared trapped. At the end of the song, Ballerini added a new verse that some speculate is a response her ex-husband’s post-divorce cut “Over For You.”
“Now you’re singin’ it loud on the radio like you’re the only heart that breaks/ You would’ve searched the whole world over? Yeah, sure, OK,” she sings.
Later in the show, Ballerini returned for a stunning performance of “Penthouse.” This time around, she wore a beautiful silky white gown and delivered the slow ballad in front of a large white piano.
“We played the part five nights, but we were never there on the weekends, baby,” she belted out.
Saturday’s SNL episode was hosted by Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce, who also made his debut on the iconic NBC sketch comedy show.
Ballerini, who announced her divorce from Evans in August 2022, addressed her marriage’s dissolution on her recent six-song EP, Rolling Up the Welcome Mat, which was released on Valentine’s Day. The project’s handful of songs are littered with details of the couple’s crumbling marriage and the emotional wreckage left in its wake. The EP was accompanied by a 20-minute short film.
Rolling Up the Welcome Mat also follows Ballerini’s 2022 album, Subject to Change, which reflects on her personal growth over the past few years.
Watch Ballerini’s SNL performances below. For those without cable, the broadcast streams on Peacock, which you can sign up for at the link here. Having a Peacock account also gives fans access to previous SNL episodes as well.
