Kelsea Ballerini is learning a lot about herself, thanks to her boyfriend, Chase Stokes. The couple, who went public with their relationship in early 2023, continue to inspire each other to be the best versions of themselves. It's a lesson that Ballerini says now was necessary, although not easy.
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"I really always romanticized what a relationship, a healthy one, a steady one, looks like," Ballerini admits to People. "There's a really interesting thing when you get into a certain season of your relationship where some of the glitter wears off, and you're starting to get really comfortable, and you're having more of the harder conversations. You become a mirror for each other. [Chase] helps me see the best things about myself and vice versa. We also show each other the things that we want to get better at."
Ballerini went through a public divorce with fellow singer Morgan Evans in 2022. Now, the country singer is grateful to have found Stokes, especially after so much heartache.
"This is the first time I've ever been challenged in a relationship in this way," Ballerini admits. "As soon as I feel something going differently than I thought it would, I will be like, 'Got to go.' And it's not because I want to. It's because I'm so scared of getting hurt, so I'll leave before I get left. He challenged me quickly on that one, and thank God. Those are the kind of things that I have found in this relationship and this season of love that I had never really known before."
Kelsea Ballerini's Honest Songwriting
Ballerini has learned to be transparent in her music, especially with her post-divorce project, Rolling Up The Welcome Mat. It's an honesty she is continuing in her relationship with Stokes, with his blessing.
"[Chase] has been nothing but supportive of that level of honesty," Ballerini boasts. "Being with another creative, we both understand each other's process. I would never ask him to not take a role that he feels inspired by, and he would never ask me to round the edges of my songwriting. That's one of the things I appreciate the most about him."
Ballerini has a Top 25 hit with "Cowboys Cry Too," her collaboration with Noah Kahan. She is nominated for four ACM Awards, including the night's highest honor, Entertainer of the Year.
