Kelsea Ballerini just kicked off her headlining Live On Tour 2025, where she was joined by a surprise guest for the second night. Ballerini shocked the crowd by bringing out Carly Pearce, who joined Ballerini on “To the Men That Love Women After Heartbreak.” The song is a bonus track from Ballerini’s latest Patterns album, out in October.
Ballerini and Pearce have been friends, and fans, of each other for a long time. Both singers publicly praise each other often on social media, and spend time together, away from the spotlight.
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It was Ballerini who inspired Pearce to keep pursuing her dreams of being an artist, when Pearce was ready to quit.
“A big turning point for me was somewhere around 24, 25. I met Kelsea Ballerini and was honest,” Pearce recalled on SiriusXM’s Exit 209 with Storme Warren podcast. “We were like in a girl’s therapy group for artists. And she was the only one in the room, but she was like, ‘I got a record deal, and my single ‘Love Me Like You Mean It’ is about to come out,’ and I hated her. I literally looked at her and was like, ‘This girl is like five years younger than me. She’s so happy, and not jaded and innocent.’ And I just remember being in my head, being a girl and wanting what she had. I wanted what she had so bad.”
“I remember crying in that meeting and being like, ‘I have no idea what I’m doing,’” she continued. “And Kelsea and I became friends in that meeting. We aligned because I was honest. She then goes on to bust down a lot of doors for people like me. And she took me on tour, and I didn’t even have a record deal. She took me on tour as her opening act. And because I was honest with her, in that not knowing what I was doing, she would let me ride her bus, because she wanted me to be able to sleep and not drive in the 12 passenger van. So sorry boys. But my band had to do that. I mean, so many moments, so many people have given back to me or taken a chance on me or just shown me love.”
Ballerini has plenty to keep her busy besides her Live on Tour. The East Tennessee native is enjoying her first season as a coach on The Voice, joined by Adam Levine, John Legend and Michael Bublé.
“I’m so excited,” Ballerini told People. “I’m excited because it’s just such a new adventure. I’ve gotten to be on set in different capacities over the years, but to really assume that role as a coach — it’s really going to stretch me and it’s going to be a new opportunity.”
Season 27 of The Voice premieres on February 3 on NBC. Find all of Ballerini’s music and upcoming shows at KelseaBallerini.com.