Entertainment Music Country Music Chase Stokes Raves About 'Funny, Genuine' Girlfriend Kelsea Ballerini: 'She Has Time for Everybody' (Exclusive) The 'Outer Banks' star also admits he could never be a country star like Ballerini because of his "social anxiety" By Sadie Bell Sadie Bell Sadie Bell was a digital news writer on the music team at PEOPLE. She joined PEOPLE in 2023. Her work has previously appeared in Alternative Press, Billboard, NYLON, Rolling Stone, and Thrillist. People Editorial Guidelines Published on April 25, 2024 09:45PM EDT Chase Stokes is opening up about what he loves most about Kelsea Ballerini. The Outer Banks star, 31, appeared on the April 18 edition of PEOPLE in 10 and spoke candidly about how much love he has for his girlfriend. In addition to raving about how "genuine" the country music star, 30, is, he revealed the one, special trait of hers that he finds particularly "admirable" because of how hard it can be to come by in others. "She is just the most genuine human being you will meet," Stokes said lovingly of his girlfriend of over one year. "She has time for everybody, which is such an admirable trait." Chase Stokes and Kelsea Ballerini attend the CMT Music Awards at Moody Center in Austin, Texas on April 7, 2024. Hubert Vestil/Getty Kelsea Ballerini and Chase Stokes' Relationship Timeline Stokes explained that he thinks it stands out just how much Ballerini makes an effort to be present with others. "She's incredibly present," the Netflix star continued. "When you are with that human, you know you are getting her." Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up to date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. "I just don't think — especially with the way today's society works and how quick everything moves — that presence is something that is looked at in the ways that it once was," he noted. "To sit down and know you're with somebody who wants to be with you and to love on you, it's something that you don't realize is as special as it is until you don't have it." Chase Stokes and Kelsea Ballerini attend Armani Beauty Celebrates the Launch of Prisma Glass Lip Gloss in Beverly Hills on March 22, 2024. Vivien Killilea/Getty Kelsea Ballerini Reveals the One Thing She Does with Her Makeup on Date Nights with Chase Stokes (Exclusive) While the actor is thrilled he's found a special connection with the singer-songwriter, he admitted on PEOPLE in 10 that he's confident that he wouldn't be able to trade places with her. When asked if he could become a country hitmaker like Ballerini, he said, "I would fail so fast." "The fact that she can go out in front of thousands of people and pour her heart out night after night after night, I would never in a million years want to switch roles with her," Stokes shared, explaining that he feels as though he has too much "social anxiety" to get up on stage. He added, "She's so damn good at what she does and it's super fun to watch." On the other hand, the star of the upcoming film Marked Men said he's certain his girlfriend's sense of humor would lend well if she were to ever become an actor like him. "She's so funny. I think the world gets glimpses of it, but I would absolutely love to see her on screen," said Stokes. Chase Stokes and Kelsea Ballerini attend the 2023 CMA Awards at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville in November 2023. Taylor Hill/WireImage Kelsea Ballerini Reveals She Has Matching Tattoos with Boyfriend Chase Stokes Ballerini and Stokes have been among the hottest couples in Hollywood ever since the "Penthouse" singer slid into the actor's DMs in late 2023 and they began dating shortly after. Since the two have been an item, they've stepped out at a handful of major events, shared adorable insights into their relationship on social media and opened up about the love they have for one another in interviews. In a Flaunt cover story published in March, Ballerini spoke about how she considers her beau a support system. She shared, "When it comes to my relationship there’s a beautiful level of him showing up on tour, or at my respective award shows, and me getting to go to set and showing up to his events, where we just get to [be] each other’s support system in person." "That to me feels really safe," the hitmaker added. Stokes has shown his support at a number of events — including the 2024 CMT Awards, which Ballerini recently hosted — but last fall, he had a "magical" experience watching her headline a show in her hometown of Knoxville, Tennessee. He told PEOPLE in a November interview, "For her to go back to her hometown and to sell out an arena, like that stage — it was the coolest thing. I cried the whole time."