Kelsea Ballerini sits in the park and speaks to the masses

Country Pop singer Kelsea Ballerini released her first single since the release of her October 2024 albums, Patterns. The song, “I Sit in Parks” is the first single off the highly anticipated EP which will be released November 14th featuring six songs. And while the song has a catchy tempo and mic drop lyrics - there’s a deeper message being revealed.

Ballerini has never hidden back from telling her story. Which is why when she let out her EP following her highly publicized divorce from fellow country singer Morgan Evans in 2022 the songs skyrocketed. In the song she reflects on buying a house meant for a family she once dreamed of darting with Evans. The line, “I just bought the house that we saw, you said it was wrong, I wanted it all along” hints at the longing - one that wasn’t mutually shared.

In 2023, it was announced that Kelsea and Outerbanks star, Chase Stokes were dating. Stokes was the inspiration for songs like “To the Man Who Love Woman After Heartbreak”, “Baggage”, and “How Much Do You Love Me?” Though the couple briefly split two months ago, recent sightings suggest they’ve rekindled their romance.

That’s what makes, “I Sit in Parks” such a monumental release. Ballerini sings about watching a young family enjoying a picnic in the park and has thoughts if she will ever get to experience the feeling of starting a family with someone she loves or if time has run out.

Kelsea draws a bittersweet comparison between her and the mother she observes:

We look about the same age, but we don’t have the same Saturdays.

In the chorus, Kelsea questions her own path:

Did I miss it? By now, is it a lucid dream? Is it my fault for chasing things a body clock doesn’t wait for? I did the damn tour it’s what I wanted, what I got I spun around and then I stopped and wonder if I missed the mark.

Later in the song, Ballerini imagines the nursey she once dreamed of decorating in theme with Noah’s Ark, before singing:

But Rolling Stone says I’m on the right road, so I refill my Lexapro.

The outro gives a new painful reality:

Tarryn’s due in June, the albums due in March.

This isn’t just Kelsea Ballerini’s story - it’s about a cultural moment that we are facing every day. The world increasingly glamorizes independence and success, yet hesitates to celebrate family, marriage, and motherhood.

Hollywood shines more of a light on divorces, abortions, and woman who choose to have a career over a family than the latter which tells you all you need to know about how corrupt the industry is.

“I Sit in Parks” reminds us how much the enemy despises family, covenant, and the sacredness of life because these things align with God’s providential design for love and creating. It’s no surprise that Ballerini has faced backlash for this song that tells the world how she simply desires a family. It reminds us of the heartbreaking truth that building a family + having children is now a controversial topic.

Pray for Kelsea Ballerini. Pray for other artists to follow suit in creating meaningful music that speaks to the beauty and the importance of family. Instead of putting artists such as Sabrina Carpenter on a pedestal for our younger generation - who idolizes sex for sport and destroy the sacredness of it - we should be lifting up Kelsea Ballerini, who inspires her younger audience to value family, love, and commitment.