Kelsea Ballerini Turns GOLD and “Dibs” is on the Up

KELSEA BALLERINI’S #1 SMASH

“LOVE ME LIKE YOU MEAN IT” TURNS GOLD

Kelsea Ballerini - Album Art
(C) Black River Entertainment
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New Single “Dibs” Soars At Country Radio, Landing Top 30 & Climbing.

NASHVILLE, TN (August 20, 2015) – “Country’s Next Queen” (BILLBOARD) Kelsea Ballerini is shining bright with her first GOLD record for the #1 debut smash “Love Me Like You Mean It,” which has been certified GOLD by the RIAA for exceeding 500,000 sales and streams in the U.S. alone.

Basking in the precious milestone, Ballerini recently opened up to ROLLING STONE about the rise of her record-breaking chart-topper.

Poised to follow in the success of “Love Me Like You Mean It,” her current single – the catchy and sassy “Dibs” (Kelsea Ballerini, Josh Kerr, Ryan Griffin, Jason Duke) – is already Top 30 and soaring at Country radio and has sold more than 66,000 units.

 Stream on SPOTIFY (17.5 million Streams!)

The singer/songwriter is hitting the road this summer playing major festivals, headline club dates and select shows with Alan Jackson, Lady Antebellum, Tim McGraw, Carrie Underwood, Keith Urban, and will join Dan + Shay’s JUST THE RIGHT KIND OF CRAZY TOUR this fall.

Praised by ROLLING STONE as one of the “10 Artists You Need To Know” from all genres and CMT’s Next Women of Country, Ballerini launched to stardom with the release of her #1, breakout debut "Love Me Like You Mean It." Abuzz with shout-outs from superstars Taylor Swift, Carrie Underwood and Little Big Town, she is the first solo female artist in nine years to hit #1 with her debut country single and one of only 11 women to have ever hit the top of the charts with a debut. Both “Love Me Like You Mean It” and “Dibs” are featured on her debut album THE FIRST TIME (Black River Entertainment), co-produced by Forest Glen Whitehead and Jason Massey, which landed Top 5 on the Billboard Country Albums Chart.

Source: Press Release

Available for Purchase:

(26 May 2015) Kelsea Ballerini – The First Time (Black River Entertainment)

12 Tracks/ Time: 40:18 (Country Music People Dec 2014; Rating 2.1/2 Stars)

CD - MP3 - UK iTunes - Smart Choice Music (UPC 851491003120) Amazon.com

>> Test Drive on SPOTIFY 

About: Kelsea Ballerini

Genre: Country/Pop

Home Town: Knoxville, TN

Kelsea Ballerini (born September 12, 1993 (age 21) started writing songs as a pre-teen living on a farm in East Tennessee, but she had no idea where those songs might fit. The lyrics and melody didn't sound like the pop music she listened to with her friends.

The Tennessee native actually found her songwriting voice while mourning the end of her parents' marriage. She started writing lyrics at 12-years-old, as a means of escape.

Kelsea told ABC Radio, "What I was writing came out country just 'cause that's who I am, but I did not listen to country music."

That all changed when Kelsea heard Keith Urban's hit single "Stupid Boy."

"I was like, 'What is this?'" Kelsea said. "So, I went and got his record, Dixie Chicks and Sugarland and Taylor Swift. Those four records were my introduction to country music."

Songwriting propelled Kelsea forward. At 15, she moved to Nashville with her mother to pursue music. Her fresh sound builds on her East Tennessee upbringing and musical influences ranging from Britney Spears to Kelly Clarkson to Frank Sinatra.

Black River Publishing VP Celia Froehlig signed the burgeoning artist to a publishing deal in 2013. That December, at the company Christmas party, Black River Entertainment CEO Gordon Kerr offered Kelsea a record deal in the form of a wrapped present.

Kelsea made her Grand Ole Opry debut on Valentine's Day 2015. 

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Photo credit: Brad Lovell 

Courtesy of Iconic Entertainment

Following the performance of her top 30 single "Love Me Like You Mean It," the Knoxville native choked up before performing her solo write, The First Time, announcing it is also the title track of her debut album due May 19, 2015. "I wrote this song a long time ago about learning the lesson that sometimes the past should stay in the past,” said Kelsea.

On the Bilboard Country chart  dated March 28, 2015 Kelsea’s Self titled EP sold 1,100 copies to debut at #40 Country

Kelsea Ballerini's breakout hit, "Love Me Like You Mean It," is just a taste of the country-pop sound in her imaginative catalog. The Knoxville, Tennessee native has dedicated the better part of the last decade to creating inspiring music, based on her life, to motivate others to live without fear of their emotions.

Her full-length debut, THE FIRST TIME, has Kelsea's credit behind every song. The album radiates positivity while exploring all facets of the human experience. She is a true poet, and The First Time reflects that.

On the Billboard charts dated June 6, 2015 THE FIRST TIME sold 13,465 copies to debut at #31 on the Billboard 200,  #22 Top Albums Sales and #4 Billboard Country albums. As of July 1^st it has sold 33,100 copies

Kelsea Ballerini landed a #1 on both the Billboard Country Airplay and Mediabase Charts.

"Love Me Like You Mean It" (writers Kelsea Ballerini, Josh Kerr, Forest Glen Whitehead, Lance Carpenter) was her debut single on the label (>> Video 7.8 million Views). She thus became the first Country female solo debut #1 since Carrie Underwood's "Jesus Take The Wheel" in January 2006!. Ballerini’s #1 marked the first time a solo female has landed at #1 on the Billboard Country Airplay chart in nearly three years since Carrie Underwood’s "Blown Away" on Nov. 3, 2012!

BILLBOARD Article
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 “It's a very exciting time for all of us at Black River,” said Vice President of Promotion Mike Wilson. “It’s an honor to lead this promotion team in taking Kelsea to country radio. Her music is great and radio has really embraced her. I’m so proud of our team and all of their efforts. This is a huge accomplishment!”

On July 20, 2015 the Black River promo team landed 51 ADDS for Kelsea’s latest single “Dibs” (Black River Entertainment) topping the week’s "Most Added" board on Mediabase.

On Billboard Country Airplay it made a debut at No.59. On the Chart issue week of August 8, 2015 Kelsea had the fastest climbing song of the week as “Dibs” made a nine point jump to #39.  The following week (Chart issue week of August 15, 2015) it bagged Most Added honours at No.31 (35 ADDS). No.42 on Country Digital charts it had scanned

66k copies to date.

The Story Behind "Dibs"

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