Two Things

Album: Patterns (2024)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • "Two Things" is a nuanced song that explores the complex and often contradictory emotions that can exist within relationships and after a breakup.

    The song kicks off with Ballerini reflecting on a stay at the Carlyle Hotel in New York City. Back in March 2024, she was there with her boyfriend Chase Stokes, but it seems the hotel also holds some bittersweet memories of a past lover. The room, once the scene of a passionate encounter with her ex, has bed sheets in disarray, a metaphor for her tangled thoughts.

    During her stay her ex sent her some sunflowers, leaving Ballerini wondering what exactly they meant. Are they a peace offering? A romantic gesture? Maybe both. In the end, she left most of the flowers outside her hotel room door, like unwanted baggage, but pressed one between the pages of a Hemingway book that held a special meaning during their relationship.

    It's that complexity - those "two things can be true" moments - that form the core of the song. Ballerini acknowledges that while she doesn't want to rekindle the romance, there's still a piece of her that holds the memory with tenderness.

    Ballerini shared on social media that "Two Things" is a song about learning to break the pattern of "fighting with" someone and instead learning how to "fight for" someone.
  • Now, the rumor mill has been working overtime, with many fans suspecting that "Two Things" is about her speculated 2023 relationship with the singer-songwriter Fletcher. Adding fuel to the fire, Fletcher released a breakup track earlier in 2024, "Two Things Can Be True," where there's a mysterious laugh at the end, which some listeners are convinced belongs to Ballerini. While there's no official confirmation, the speculation keeps things delightfully juicy.
  • Kelsea Ballerini released "Two Things" as the third single from her fifth album, Patterns, on September 20, 2024. The song came out of a songwriting retreat Ballerini hosted with Nashville songwriters Hillary Lindsey and Jessie Jo Dillon, and Karen Fairchild from Little Big Town. The retreat also produced the album's previous single, "Sorry Mom," making it a productive getaway for Ballerini and her collaborators.
  • The music video was directed by P Tracy, known for his work with artists like Halsey and Katy Perry. The visual was shot in New York City and also in a more pastoral setting, visually mirroring the song's themes of duality.

    "This song embodies the intensity of a crossroads moment in a relationship, it's full of duality and mixed emotions," Ballerini explained. "I love that Patrick felt that, too, and created a palette and action that is more low impact but represents all of those feelings. Plus, who doesn't want to sit in a sunflower field in the middle of New York?!"

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Paul Stanley of Kiss, Soul Station

Paul Stanley of Kiss, Soul StationSongwriter Interviews

Paul Stanley on his soul music project, the Kiss songs with the biggest soul influence, and the non-make-up era of the band.

Millie Jackson

Millie JacksonSongwriter Interviews

Outrageously gifted and just plain outrageous, Millie is an R&B and Rap innovator.

Little Big Town

Little Big TownSongwriter Interviews

"When seeds that you sow grow by the wicked moon/Be sure your sins will find you out/Your past will hunt you down and turn to tell on you."

Greg Lake of Emerson, Lake & Palmer

Greg Lake of Emerson, Lake & PalmerSongwriter Interviews

Greg talks about writing songs of "universal truth" for King Crimson and ELP, and tells us about his most memorable stage moment (it involves fireworks).

John Kay of Steppenwolf

John Kay of SteppenwolfSongwriter Interviews

Steppenwolf frontman John Kay talks about "Magic Carpet Ride," "Born To Be Wild," and what he values more than awards and accolades.

Amy Lee of Evanescence

Amy Lee of EvanescenceSongwriter Interviews

The Evanescence frontwoman on the songs that have shifted meaning and her foray into kids' music.