Telling her side of the story. Kelsea Ballerini delivered an emotional performance of two songs inspired by her split from Morgan Evans — and her updated lyrics included some major shade.
Ballerini, 29, sang “Blindsided” and “Penthouse” during her Saturday Night Live debut on Saturday, March 4, which addressed her breakup with Evans, 37. Eagle-eyed fans were quick to point out that the outro of the first track included an unexpected addition.
“Now you’re singing out loud on the radio. But you’re the only heart that breaks,” she sang. “You would’ve searched the whole world over. Yeah, sure. OK.”
Kelsea Ballerini and Morgan Evans. Shutterstock (2)
The country singer’s appearance on Saturday Night Live comes after she recently opened up about the end of her marriage in the EP and an accompanying short film. Ballerini and Evans have both offered glimpses of their relationship through their music following their breakup.
In August 2022, the Tennessee native broke the news that she and Evans decided to part ways after nearly five years of marriage.
“Friends, I’ve always tried my best to share my life with you in a real and vulnerable way, while also protecting layers of my personal life as they unfold,” the singer wrote via her Instagram Story at the time. “This is now public record so I wanted you to hear from me directly that I am going through a divorce.”
She concluded: “This deeply difficult decision is the result of a journey of love, growth, and effort that ultimately has come to an end. It’s hard to find the words here … but I feel extremely grateful for the years of marriage to Morgan and hopeful for the next seasons. With very active schedules coming up, please be mindful that we are both fragile, actively healing, and showing up the best we can.”
Kelsea Ballerini performs “Blindsided” on ‘Saturday Night Live’ on March 4, 2023. Will Heath/NBC
The Australia native, for his part, touched on the major life change in his “Over for You” track. “Having gone through a situation like that — seeing that it helps other people going through situations like that — yeah, it’s really a big deal,” Evans, who debuted the song live in September 2022, two months before the divorce was finalized, shared on an episode of The Bobby Bones Show in February. “It felt good to do that and just be honest and not try to cover things up.”
Earlier this week, Evans announced a five-part docuseries to coincide with the breakup song. “‘Over for You’ is me singing about my feelings,” he said in a press release on Tuesday, February 28. “This song is the most personal thing I’ve ever written and the most personal thing I’ve ever shared.”
Recently, a source exclusively told Us Weekly that the duo weathered many “issues” in their marriage before pulling the plug.
“Kelsea was very young and naive when she met Morgan, they clicked right away, but their relationship was always an emotional roller-coaster,” the insider revealed, noting that their “intense romance” went through periods of “friction, tension and toxicity.”
Kelsea Ballerini performs “Penthouse” on ‘Saturday Night Live’ on March 4, 2023. Will Heath/NBC
According to the source, the songwriter was “not ready” to expand her family with Evans. “Morgan [had] been ready for a long time,” the insider added. “They had been having issues, relating to each other and trouble being kind to each other, but the disagreement over kids was the nail in the coffin.”
Since their split, Ballerini has moved on with Chase Stokes after making the first move.
“His handle is ‘hichasestokes’ and I just said, ‘Hi Chase Stokes,’” she recalled during an appearance on the “Call Her Daddy” podcast in February. “I have my s–t together and for me to share that with anyone is a gift. I want to be with someone that feels the same way about their life. … I’m a relationship bitch.”
Saturday Night Live airs on NBC Saturdays at 11:30 p.m. ET.
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