Kelsea Ballerini is permanently looking ahead while putting her past relationship in the rearview with her new EP, Rolling Up the Welcome Mat (For Good), which arrived on August 11. Coinciding with the release, the country music star shares the project’s never-before-heard track, “How Do I Do This,” which ushers her into the next phase of life post-divorce.
“How Do I Do This” finds Ballerini being honest about feeling out-of-touch with the dating game.
She admits, “I haven’t been on a date since I was twenty-two.” However, with the help of a few buddies, she is able to slip into a little black dress and jump into the possibilities of what may come by putting herself out there and letting her guard down.
Listen To “How Do I Do This” Below
Despite taking steps forward, Ballerini confesses she still is nervous about the unknown of meeting someone new as she navigates life after a breakup.
“I’m scared of looking stupid / Said I, I’m ready, now I gotta prove it / Got a little black dress, I wanna use it / And maybe lose it / On a floor that ain’t mine / I think it’s probably time to keep it moving / I talk a big game that I’m scared of losing / Everything I knew about love is ruined / It’s so confusing / So, how do, how do I do this?” Ballerini sings the brutally honest lyrics of the chorus.
Dating Outer Banks‘ Star Chase Stokes
“How Do I Do This” is very personal to Ballerini as it sets the tone for her new and budding relationship with actor Chase Stokes. The lyrics suggest she penned the tune with him in mind. Ballerini had previously confirmed dating rumors between her and the Outer Banks star while appearing on the Call Her Daddy podcast, where she admitted she slid into his DMs.
“I was ready to open back up,” Ballerini told host Alex Cooper in February, according to Billboard. “I just felt, why not? I’ve never really dated; I don’t know how it works. I’m like, ‘Let’s just put ourselves out there — let’s just vibe.’ And it’s been fun.”
“I’ve never seen his show, but I just knew of him, and I just swan dove right on in. … His handle is ‘@hichasestokes,’ and I said, ‘Hi, Chase Stoke,’” she added.
How Did Kelsea Ballerini Meet Chase Stokes?
Ballerini and Stokes met at the end of 2022 but didn’t officially announce they were dating until the next year. The pair made their first official red-carpet appearance as dates on April 2, at the CMT Music Awards.
Earlier this year, Ballerini put her vulnerability on display with her six-track project, Rolling Up the Welcome Mat, pairing the EP with a self-directed and self-written short film that gave fans a visual of her expressing all the emotions that come with a breakup. Her project arrived in the aftermath of her public divorce from Morgan Evans following five years of marriage.
With the success of Rolling Up the Welcome Mat, Ballerini immediately got back to work with plans to extend the project. Working alongside longtime collaborator Alysa Vanderheym, the two came up with Rolling Up the Welcome Mat (For Good).
Several New Healed Versions Of Previously Released Tunes
The deluxe version of the EP finds Ballerini sharing more of her side of the story with an updated version of “Penthouse (Healed Version)” from one of her live shows and a reworked rendition of “Blindsided (Yeah, Sure, Okay),” which includes the lyrics she added during her recent guest slot on Saturday Night Live.
In addition, the newly updated EP features the extension of “Interlude” from the original project. Rather than keeping the tune at 45 seconds, she adds an extra two minutes.
“I wonder what we’ll say when we see each other ’round town,” Ballerini sings in the extended version. “We said we’d handle this the right way / I guess we’ve done each other wrong now / I hope you sleep better at night now that you got an army / Of people that believe I’m the word you used to call me / Needed to be the angel for someone that doesn’t Jesus / I told you mine, so when location died / What was your secret?”
“How Do I Do This” serves as the final track on Ballerini’s Rolling Up the Welcome Mat (For Good).
Of the extended version of her EP, Ballerini shares in a press release, “Even when we were recording Rolling Up The Welcome Mat, I knew it wasn’t the end of the story. We couldn’t know what was to come, so Alysa and I left the project exactly as it was when it was written and recorded… and because of the open dialogue I have with my fans, it only felt right to finish this story before starting on the next chapter of my life.”
