Following a Memorable Year, Kelsea Ballerini Is Pressing Pause and Looking Ahead to What’s Next
By Website Content Manager
“I’m taking some time to reflect and decide on my next steps…”
After a remarkable year packed with achievements—including leading her own headlining tour, debuting as a coach on The Voice, and receiving her first nomination for ACM Entertainer of the Year—Kelsea Ballerini is pausing to catch her breath. Having concluded her inaugural arena tour in April after an intense three-month stretch, she’s now looking forward to some well-deserved rest as she contemplates her next career move.
During an interview with Extra TV at The Voice semi-finals, the chart-topping artist was asked how she plans to surpass the successes of her past year. With refreshing honesty, she admitted, “I don’t know,” and added that she intends to take some time off to relax and reflect on her next steps.
“I’ve always been someone who sets clear goals—I even keep an updated bucket list that I revise every year and share with my team. We’ve checked off quite a few things recently, so I feel like this next phase is about stepping back, giving myself some space to reflect, and being intentional about what comes next. I want to make sure whatever I pursue moving forward is meaningful, not just for my career, but for my personal life too.”
Kelsea Ballerini shares how being a coach on #TheVoice has also reminded her to be the best artist she can be. ❤️🎶@kelseaballerini @nbcthevoice pic.twitter.com/MQCsDFyZBU
— ExtraTV (@extratv) May 12, 2025
In a separate conversation with Country Now during the ACM Awards, Ballerini expressed that she feels more than ready to slow the pace for a while. Right now, her top focus is supporting her boyfriend, Chase Stokes, especially since he was such an important source of encouragement during her extensive tour. As he returns to his own acting projects, she’s eager to be there for him in the same way.
“I’m shifting into everyday life for a bit, and hopefully during that time, I’ll gradually get back into writing and start exploring what’s next,” she said, adding, “But for most of the summer, you’ll find me in Charleston with the dogs.”
Kelsea Ballerini’s recent LIVE On Tour run brought in an impressive $35.2 million in revenue and saw 353,807 tickets sold, according to AEG Presents. Over the course of 25 sold-out shows, she treated fans to a mix of her early hits along with songs from her fifth studio album, Patterns, which dropped in October through Black River Entertainment. The album topped Billboard’s Country Albums Chart and secured the No. 4 spot on the Billboard 200. She later expanded the project with a deluxe edition that added five fresh tracks.
Meanwhile, Ballerini also took on the role of coach on NBC’s The Voice, guiding a new group of aspiring artists. Though it was recently confirmed she won’t return for Season 28, she still has a few final performances to wrap up before officially stepping away from the show.