We take you behind the scenes and explore the making of one of our favorite tunes with The Song Remembers When…
Song: “Half Of My Hometown”
Songwriters: Kelsea Ballerini, Ross Cooperman, Nicolle Gaylon, Shane McAnally, and Jimmy Robbins
Album: kelsea
Kelsea Ballerini and Kenny Chesney both come from the Knoxville, Tennessee, area. They both grew up going to the same restaurants, listening to the same radio station, and driving some of the same roads. So, it only made sense that when Kelsea wrote “Half Of My Hometown” and recorded the demo, she wanted Kenny to sing on it.
It was about two in the morning when Kelsea texted Kenny the song and asked if he’d join her. The next day, he replied that he loved it and to count him in!
In 2021, the two performed the song live at the 56th ACM Awards. And, at Kenny’s recent concert in Nashville, Kelsea surprised the crowd by jumping on stage and singing the song with him. That was a moment she’d dreamed about! Pretty amazing, right?!
In March, “Half Of My Hometown” reached to the top of the chart. It was the fourth and final single from her self-titled project, kelsea. And, it earned both Kelsea and Kenny honors at the 56th CMA Awards in the Musical Event and Video of the Year categories.