Country pop singer and songwriter Kelsea Ballerini has weighed in on Beyoncé and Post Malone’s Grammy nominations in the country music category, a decision that has sparked considerable debate among fans and industry insiders.
During an interview with Fierce: Women in Music, the I Quit Drinking singer shared her thoughts on the controversy surrounding Post Malone, whose real name is Austin Richard Post, and Beyoncé, who has ventured into the country genre with her latest project, Cowboy Carter.
“To me, you don’t have to be a country artist to make a country record,” Ballerini explained, adding that as a country artist herself, she has explored pop music, so it only makes sense that pop artists should be able to explore country as well.
“[The Best Country Album] category, to me, represents what country music has been this year,” the 31-year-old singer continued. “I don’t really understand the other opinions other than, like, it’s amazing to have huge, respected artists in other genres come in and celebrate ours.”
The Cowboys Cry Too singer dismissed concerns about the nominations as unfounded, calling the presence of major stars in country music “anything but great.”
Speaking on SiriusXM, the five-time Grammy nominee came to the defense of the rapper, 29, and Queen Bey’s nomination, pushing back against country purists who have questioned whether the artists should be included in country radio rotations or recognized in country-specific award categories.
For those unfamiliar, Beyoncé’s Cowboy Carter and Malone’s F-1 Trillion, along with their respective hit singles, have garnered nominations across multiple Grammy categories this year, despite the artists having minimal previous experience in country music.