It’s a given that any country star with a little bit of pop potential and a youthful fanbase will, at some point, attempt to make a crossover into the world of Top 40. Today, it’s Grammy nominee Kelsea Ballerini’s turn. Her third album kelsea is an often quite convincing synthesis of the lighter end of radio pop and earnest country balladry; on a song like “club,” which screams early Taylor, or the Halsey collab “the other girl,” I can genuinely envision a world in which Ballerini is a Top 40 staple. There’s something a little old fashioned about it, sure, but if you’ve been yearning for something comforting and entirely earnest, this is your ticket. — SD

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