Entertainment Music Country Music Kelsea Ballerini Says Her Song 'Blindsided' Was 'Responding' to Ex Morgan Evans' 'Over for You' "I don't want to lose the openness that I've always tried to have," Ballerini told The New York Times of her latest EP, Rolling Up the Welcome Mat By Jack Irvin Jack Irvin Jack Irvin has over five years of experience working in digital journalism, and he’s worked at PEOPLE since 2022. Jack started in the industry with internships at Rolling Stone and Entertainment Tonight, and he worked as a freelance writer for publications including Bustle, MTV News, Shondaland, L’Officiel USA, Ladygunn, Flood and PopCrush before joining PEOPLE. In his current role, Jack covers daily music news and has interviewed both up-and-coming and established artists including Dolly Parton, Michelle Branch, Ashanti, Cyndi Lauper, Normani, Carly Rae Jepsen and Coco Jones. People Editorial Guidelines Published on March 21, 2023 02:00PM EDT Kelsea Ballerini and Morgan Evans. Photo: Kevin Mazur/Getty Images Kelsea Ballerini is speaking about the inspiration behind her latest project. In an interview with The New York Times published Tuesday, the singer-songwriter opens up about the inspirations behind her new EP Rolling Up the Welcome Mat, which makes several references to her ex-husband, Morgan Evans. "I don't want to lose the openness that I've always tried to have," Ballerini, 29, told the outlet, explaining her decision to open up about divorcing the fellow country star in her new music as well as an interview with the Call Her Daddy podcast. Before the divorce was finalized in November 2022, Evans, 37, released a ballad called "Over for You" which seemed to allude to his split from Ballerini, who's now dating Outer Banks star Chase Stokes. He sang: "How long have you been waiting to take our pictures down? / How long have you been breaking? Why am I just finding out? / It kills me to know / That you were drifting alone." Kelsea Ballerini and Morgan Evans' Relationship Timeline Rolling Up the Welcome Mat was then released on Valentine's Day. When asked in the NYT story if the project was crafted in response to "Over for You," Ballerini said: "Yes and no." "I don't know if I would have written a song like 'Blindsided' had I not been responding to something that was already out there," she explained, nodding to the standout track that features the lyrics: "You're saying that you're lost and that's lost on me / Years of sitting across from me in therapy / I know the truth is hard to hear, but it wasn't hard to find / Baby, were you blindsided or were you just blind?" Kelsea Ballerini Performs Songs Inspired by Morgan Evans Divorce During SNL Musical Guest Debut The EP was created alongside songwriter-producer Alysa Vanderheym, who told the NYT that Ballerini "knew exactly what she wanted to say" with the project. "It's so unfiltered — she just went there, she didn't even second guess it — which is so inspiring to me," she said. Ballerini noted that she didn't focus on "commercial country artist" appeal but rather pure honesty with Rolling Up the Welcome Mat. "I feel really seen, and understood, as an artist right now," she told the outlet. Close