Kelsea Ballerini is gearing up to release her highly anticipated fifth studio album, Patterns, on October 25. The four-time Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter will offer a glimpse into the album with a new track titled "Sorry, Mom," set to drop this Friday (Aug. 9) at midnight.
The arrival of "Sorry, Mom" follows a series of teasers and Easter eggs, with Ballerini revealing in July that she had subtly hinted at the title of her next single in nearly every interview, Instagram Q&A, and conversation over the past few months.
Ballerini shared the album's cover art on Instagram with the caption, "let’s start unpacking…"
The image features her sitting atop a stack of luggage on a beach, symbolizing the emotional and personal journey captured in the album.
Patterns comes on the heels of her Grammy-nominated 2023 EP Rolling Up the Welcome Mat, which, along with a short film, detailed the end of her marriage to Australian country artist Morgan Evans.
While her previous work focused on relationships, this new album appears to delve into themes of internal growth and self-reflection.
In an Instagram Reel, Ballerini explained the concept behind the album, saying, "What’s a pattern? It’s like a recurring sequence—the first thing you reach for because it’s closest, the first thought you think, the first feeling you feel, or the first response you give.
It’s like second nature because it’s what you’ve done over and over again. Some patterns are inherited, passed down through generations, or learned from adapting to life.
But some of our patterns are our own doing. I believe we have the power to examine our patterns, keep the ones that serve us, and change those that don’t so they don’t define us."
Earlier this year, Ballerini teased the project with the release of "Cowboys Cry Too," a collaboration with Noah Kahan that explores themes of emotional vulnerability and masculinity.
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