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“I really think it’s just time for me to pump the brakes, figure out what’s next, have a summer,” the country star said.
Kelsea Ballerini at the 67th GRAMMY Awards held at the Crypto.com Arena on February 2, 2025 in Los Angeles.
Gilbert Flores
Kelsea Ballerini is ready to hit pause. The country star appeared on TODAY with Jenna & Friends on Thursday (May 29), where she opened up about her plans after wrapping her Kelsea Ballerini Live on Tour run and completing her first season as a coach on The Voice.
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“I need a break!” Ballerini, 31, said during the interview. “And I’ve never been able to say that before, but I really think it’s just time for me to pump the brakes, figure out what’s next, have a summer, what? Go to the beach? Huh? Learn to cook a new meal, hang out with the dogs. So that’s kind of my agenda.”
Still, she admitted plans can shift quickly. “Every time I say that I have time off, something happens. But I’m very open to whatever is out there.”
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When asked whether she would return to The Voice, Ballerini left the door open. “Never say never,” she said. “It’s been such a beautiful season of doing things that are out of my comfort zone and bigger than I’ve ever done, and it’s been really fulfilling. I love being in that seat.”
The singer wrapped her 22-date arena tour on April 13 at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto. The trek supported her fifth studio album Patterns, released Oct. 25, 2024 via Black River Entertainment. A deluxe edition of Patterns featuring five additional songs dropped in March 2025.
Last month, the singer spoke to Variety for her Power of Women Nashville cover story and reflected on the challenge of building a career in Music City amid Taylor Swift’s enormous presence. As a young, blonde, female singer-songwriter, Ballerini said she was often directly compared to Swift — something that forced her to define her own identity in the industry.
Recalling an early rejection from a label executive, Ballerini shared, “‘There’s already a Taylor Swift,’” he told her. “And he was right,” she added. “It forced me to be different.”
Ballerini previously described Patterns as a reflection of personal growth and radical self-acceptance. “I’m very aware of my flaws,” she said. “But in the same breath, I fully accept and celebrate myself right now. You have to learn yourself before you love yourself, and I had learning to do.”
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