homecoming queen? by Kelsea Ballerini

Album: Kelsea (2019)

Charted: 65

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Songfacts®:

Many songs are about the girls who weren't chosen homecoming queen - the ones who weren't as popular and had to watch someone else receive a crown. But homecoming queens have feelings too, and a different set of challenges: they are expected to always be smiling and looking their best, and nobody feels sorry for them. In this song, Ballerini lets these high school royals know that it's OK to let up, come out from behind the veneer, and be their true selves. The crown can be a huge weight - it's OK to take it off.
Ballerini wrote this on February 21, 2019 with the Nashville songwriters Nicolle Galyon and Jimmy Robbins.

Galyon's credits include "Automatic" by Miranda Lambert and "Saltwater Gospel" by the Eli Young Band; Robbins co-wrote Ballerini's "In Between" and Michael Ray's "Think a Little Less ."
The music video, directed by Shane Drake, uses a motion-control camera to revolve around Ballerini as she transforms from the elegant star seen on stage to her casual self, with a sweatshirt and no makeup.

During the final scene we see tears running down the singer's cheeks. The crying was real. Ballerini explained to CMT that Shane Drake asked her to go back to the emotions that inspired the song's lyrics. "Immediately I went back to that place where I was feeling really insecure and really vulnerable and unsure of a lot in my life. I just checked into that girl, and wept. Hard."
Kelsea Ballerini told fans in a Twitter Q&A she "definitely was not" homecoming queen in high school. She added that the song title is "a metaphor for somebody that seemingly has it all together and polished, from the outside looking in."

Comments: 5

Sean from Westcliffei love this song
Katelyn from IndianaThis song has meant a lot to me and I didn't understand until reading this that this song means a lot to her
ZoeyI love this song and now know why it was wrote out new emotion on it
Giada from Florida I really love this song it personally relates to me because I have had so much happen to me in my life and because I’m considered one of the pretty girls where I live and go to school I am always expected to be perfect and happy and just always smiling and being my best self, but nobody knows what’s really going on inside. I have always been way too scared to show my true self and show emotion because I felt like it would show me as weak and I didn’t want that. The first time I heard this song I was crying because it had me thinking about all of my downfalls and everything that has happened to me in my life, then I kept listening to it and I realized that I can’t hide forever and it’s okay to show some emotion here and there when I need to and this song has really helped me through a lot. Kelsea is my idol always and forever and I don’t think anything can change that. Thank you so much for writing this song, I’m sure it has helped many more people out there than just me!
Chelsea from New Jerseythis song makes me cry every time i listen to it, but i love it so much. i never ever went to my homecomings because i barely had friends and i didn’t wanna go and be by myself. i was always pretty much a loner all my life i barely talked much so when i listen to this song it makes me tear up. but i love it so much!

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