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Kelsea Ballerini pulled off a jaw-dropping wardrobe change during her powerful MTV VMA debut — which also took place on her 30th birthday — on Tuesday night (September 12). Ballerini performed “Penthouse,” a vulnerable ballad that quickly became a fan-favorite when she released her deeply personal EP and accompanying short film, Rolling Up The Welcome Mat, earlier this year.
“(Rolling Up The Welcome Mat) was necessary for me personally and my journey for making sense of my life at that time,” Ballerini told iHeartRadio’s Amy Brown during her exclusive iHeartRadio LIVE show in Nashville, Tennessee. “And now, in this season, I’m learning that it was necessary for me to open up more as an artist and as a songwriter and learn that the more zoomed in I can get, the better it is all around. It’s been a huge learning experience and necessary.”
The 6-track project told her side of the story of her divorce after nearly five years of marriage. She later extended the EP with a seventh track (about dating again, now that she’s with boyfriend and Outer Banks star Chase Stokes) and added widely-requested updates to some of her previously-released songs, including “Penthouse.” Ballerini’s Rolling Up The Welcome Mat (For Good) related last month, including lyric swaps in “Penthouse” — “Penthouse (Healed Version)” — that she performed on tour and at the VMAs on Tuesday night.
Ballerini took the stage in a stunning white gown to begin her performance of the song. After the now-iconic lyric “knowing you got half,” Ballerini was briefly covered by a cloud of smoke, and when it cleared, she rocked a short black dress instead. She gleefully danced as the audience applauded after she finished her debut VMAs performance.
That marked Ballerini’s second wardrobe change of the night, after walking the red carpet in a smoldering red dress that perfectly matched Stokes’ jacket. The pair began talking in December 2022, and they spurred dating rumors on social media after posting a photo at the College Football Playoff National Championship on January 9. Ballerini confirmed their relationship in an interview shortly after that. She said she’s not single and they’re “having fun” together.