A trip to the Grammys with a Best Country Album nomination is just the start for Kelsea Ballerini. The country star and Knoxville native has big plans for 2024, which include a new album and projects beyond music.
Ballerini has renewed her deal with Black River Entertainment, continuing a successful 10-year run with the small independent company in Nashville that lead to a breakout year in 2023.
“Black River has always handled my music with the utmost care since signing with them over a decade ago,” Ballerini said in a news release.
“They’ve never wavered in respecting my vision as an artist, offering me the freedom to be creative and push boundaries. We share our wins and successes like family, and our renewed agreement reflects just that,” she continued.
What’s next for Kelsea Ballerini in 2024?
Last year’s release of “Rolling Up the Welcome Matt,” a personal EP inspired by her divorce, received universal acclaim. Award nominations followed, she made her “Saturday Night Live” debut, became a Covergirl spokesperson, graced the cover of Time magazine’s TIME100 Next issue and headlined her first arena concert at Thompson-Boling Arena at Food City Center.
The four-time Grammy nominee, her manager Jason Owen and Black River CEO Gordon Kerr exclusively spoke to Variety magazine about renewing her deal and Ballerini’s future career plans.
“Everyone and their mother has been stalking me for the last year, knowing that her deal was coming up and wanting in,” Owen told Variety, noting that major labels like Universal and Warner were interested. But these offers were never even considered.
“It’s great to be able to continue the relationship in a place where I feel safe to just do whatever feels right,” Ballerini said. “It feels so safe and that allows me to just be free to create. I feel like I want that for every artist, and I’m so glad that I have that here.”
Specific details of the new deal were not revealed, but another album is on track to be announced within the next few months and opportunities “in all aspects of entertainment.”
“Knowing that the love of my life is writing music and making records, I’ll always guard and protect that the most, but I am so interested in ‘what else?’ — because, why not?” Ballerini said.
“Going into the second quarter (of 2024) will start a new chapter for Kelsea in a very big, loud way for the next two years,” Owen added.
Devarrick Turner is a trending news reporter. Email devarrick.turner@knoxnews.com. On X, formerly known as Twitter @dturner1208.
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