Patterns (Kelsea Ballerini Album)

''Patterns'' is the fifth studio album by American singer Kelsea Ballerini. The album was released on October 25, 2024, through Black River Entertainment. Ballerini co-produced the album along with Alysa Vanderheym. " Cowboys Cry Too" was released as its first single on June 28, 2024. Three other songs were put out as promotional singles: "Sorry Mom", "Two Things", and "First Rodeo". The deluxe edition of ''Patterns'' was released on March 7, 2025.

Content

Ballerini opted for an all-girl approach to ''Patterns'', as she co-wrote and co-produced all 15 tracks on the album with Alysa Vanderheym, with additional writing on several songs from Jessie Jo Dillon, Karen Fairchild, and Hillary Lindsey. She said the process happened "organically" following a songwriting retreat with her female collaborators, birthing an album "made from womanhood and sisterhood".

The follow-up to the '' Rolling Up the Welcome Mat'' EP (2023) that documented the end of her marriage, Ballerini described ''Patterns'' as a "super autobiographical" album, taking the listener on a journey when listened from top-to-bottom. She highlighted that the album is "not a love record", saying: "I think the whole record takes you through a very real journey of people that come together that have relational history and public relational history and different upbringings and different family dynamics and all these things, and you come together as adults and you have lives to sort through to be able to build one together. And to me, that is the most appealing part of love, sorting through all that and finding those dynamics that you're able to undo those patterns together. And I think it's a love record. It's just probably not what people are expecting".

Ballerini credited boyfriend Chase Stokes as being present during the entire creation process for ''Patterns'', and the inspiration for the song "How Much Do You Love Me?" which she declared the "softest song" on the record. She referred to "Beg for Your Love" as the record's most vulnerable moment and the next step following "Leave Me Again", the closing track on ''Rolling Up the Welcome Mat''.

On October 28, 2024, Ballerini released an exclusive digital download of ''Patterns'' through her official website that included two bonus tracks, a stripped acoustic version of "Two Things" and "To the Men That Love Women After Heartbreak". A deluxe re-issue of the album was released on March 7, 2025, which includes "To the Men That Love Women After Heartbreak" and four new bonus tracks.

Critical reception

''Rolling Stone'' writer Jon Dolan gave the album three-and-a-half stars out of five, speaking favorably of the album's "characteristically varied collection that finds her looking inward with honesty and resolve, staying strong without sounding too heavy about it". Jof Owen with ''Holler'' rated the album a nine out of 10, declaring it a "country pop grand slam" and favorably comparing it to Taylor Swift's ''The Tortured Poets Department'' and Kacey Musgraves' ''Star-Crossed'', while stating that Ballerini's "recovery technique feels more straightforwardly out-with-the-old-and-in-with-the-new. There's a new bed for her boots to go under, and she doesn't spend a lot of time reminiscing over what went on between the sheets of the old one she used to sleep in".

Chart performance

''Patterns'' debuted at number 4 on the ''Billboard'' 200, marking her highest-charting album to date, and second top 10 entry following ''Unapologetically'' (2017). It also debuted atop the ''Billboard'' Top Country Albums chart, Ballerini's first album to reach number one on the chart. It arrived with 54,000 equivalent album units earned — her best week by units.

Singles

The album includes a collaboration with Noah Kahan on "Cowboys Cry Too", which was released as the lead single on June 28, 2024. "Sorry Mom", "Two Things", and "First Rodeo" were all issued as promotional singles ahead of the album release, and all were accompanied by the release of music videos.

Promotion

Ballerini celebrated the album release with a headlining show at Madison Square Garden on October 29, 2024, and embarked on her first headlining arena tour in January 2025.

Track listing

Personnel

Musicians

* Kelsea Ballerini – vocals (all tracks), background vocals (tracks 1–14), acoustic guitar (10)
* Alysa Vanderheym – programming (tracks 1–4, 7–9, 11–14), electric guitar (1–3, 5, 7, 9, 12–14), synthesizer (1, 2, 4–9, 11, 12, 14), acoustic guitar (1, 2, 5–7, 9, 10, 12–15), background vocals (4, 8, 14), mandolin (13)
* Derek Wells – electric guitar (tracks 1–11, 13–15)
* Craig Young – bass (tracks 1–7, 9, 12–14)
* Todd Lombardo – acoustic guitar (tracks 1–4, 6, 7, 12, 14, 15), mandolin (4, 14), banjo (12)
* Aaron Sterling – drums (tracks 1, 2, 5, 8)
* Alex Wright – synthesizer (tracks 1, 3, 4, 6, 10, 11, 13), Hammond B3 (1, 12, 14), piano (11)
* Ilya Toshinskiy – acoustic guitar (tracks 1, 3, 5, 8, 13), mandolin (1, 3, 5, 8), Dobro (1, 11)
* Hillary Lindsey – background vocals (tracks 1, 4, 8)
* Dan Grech-Marguerat – programming (tracks 2, 4, 5, 12, 14)
* Justin Schipper – steel guitar (tracks 3, 4, 7, 12, 14), Dobro (12)
* Nir Z – drums (tracks 3, 4, 7, 9, 12, 14)
* Kris Donegan – electric guitar (tracks 3, 4, 7, 12, 14)
* Jeff Braun – programming (tracks 3, 13)
* Tyler Tomlinson – acoustic guitar, Dobro, electric guitar (tracks 4, 11)
* Devin Dawson – acoustic guitar (tracks 4, 13), bass (8, 11)
* Caitlin Evanson – fiddle (tracks 4, 13)
* Aspene Taylor – piano (track 7), Hammond B3 (11), synthesizer (14)
* Marcus Wiles – piano, synthesizer (tracks 11, 13); Fender Rhodes (15)
* Noah Kahan – vocals, background vocals (track 12)
* John Osborne – electric guitar (track 12)
* Kelly Bolton – background vocals (track 13)

Technical

* Alysa Vanderheym – production (all tracks), mixing (tracks 1, 6, 10, 15), recording (10, 15), additional recording (1–9, 11–14), editing (15)
* Kelsea Ballerini – production
* Andrew Mendelson – mastering
* Dan Grech-Marguerat – mixing (tracks 2, 4, 5, 12, 14)
* Jeff Braun – mixing (tracks 3, 13)
* Serban Ghenea – mixing (tracks 7, 9, 11)
* Alex Ghenea – mixing (track 8)
* Mike Stankiewicz – recording (tracks 1, 2, 5, 6, 8, 9, 11, 13)
* Drew Bollman – recording (tracks 3, 4, 7, 12, 14)
* Gabe Simon – Noah Kahan vocal recording and production (track 12)
* Louis Remenapp – editing (tracks 1, 2, 4–7, 12, 14), recording assistance (tracks 1, 2, 5, 6, 8, 11, 13)
* Chris Small – editing (tracks 1–3, 5, 6, 8, 9, 11, 13, 14)
* Luke Armentrout – mastering assistance
* Adam Battershell – mastering assistance
* Joey Salit – mastering assistance
* Andrew Darby – mastering assistance
* Taylor Chadwick – mastering assistance
* Luke Burgoyne – mixing assistance (tracks 2, 4, 5, 12, 14)
* Seb Maletka-Calata – mixing assistance (tracks 2, 4, 5, 12, 14)
* Zach Kuhlmann – recording assistance (tracks 3, 4, 7, 9, 12, 14)
* Maddie Harmon – Noah Kahan vocal recording assistance (track 12)
* Alyson McAnally – production coordination

Visuals
* P Tracy – art direction, design, packaging
* Ashley Kohorst – art production
* MC Demetriades – art production
* Nyk Allen – photography
* Kelsey Deenihan – hair and makeup
* Brittany Leslie – hair and makeup assistance
* Danielle Priano – hair
* Rob Zangardi – styling
* Mariel Haenn – styling
* Jill Petry – styling assistance

Charts

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Accolades

References

{{Kelsea Ballerini

2024 albums
Kelsea Ballerini albums
Black River Entertainment albums