The American TV show, “CMT Crossroads” carries an intriguing premise. In each episode, country artists are paired up with pop, rock, and R&B artists to collaborate on a live performance. In 2020, the show struck gold by pairing pop queen Halsey with the young country legend, Kelsea Ballerini. Their voices matched flawlessly on their duet of Halsey’s hit, “Without Me,” with each line split between the two sounding studio-album worthy, while Kelsea’s smoky voice toned the highs of Halsey’s.
The duo’s chemistry was impeccable, sisterly and fueled by a bright passion for pop. The pair had already been friends for two years, after Kelsea attended Halsey’s 2018 Nashville gig and bonded after the show. Halsey even featured on Kelsea’s country track “The Other Girl,” taken from her third, self-titled album. This CMT gig comes at the height of their friendship, before their noted disagreement.
It’s no wonder their 2020 “Without You” rendition was so stunning. Halsey and Kelsea Ballerini had collaborated on CMT twice before — once in 2019 for a live gig of “The Other Girl,” and again with Halsey’s track, “Graveyard.” Amassing millions of views for each set over the years, Halsey & Kelsea’s collaborations continue to stun their audiences with their friendship and pop goddess energy.
Halsey, now 29 years old, is a New Jersey singer-songwriter with four studio albums, three Grammy Award nominations and a staggering 12 BMI Pop Awards to her name. Her #1 collab with The Chainsmokers, entitled “Closer,” was an explosive hit in the summer of ’16, launching Halsey’s name into the pop music spotlight – a hype that catapulted her 2018 solo single, “Without Me,” to the top of the Billboard Hot 100, earning her first US #1.
Born in Mascot, Tennessee, Kelsea Ballerini (30) is a country legend with seven #1 singles, four Grammy nominations, and multiple country music awards under her belt. Like Halsey, she’s had a host of other TV appearances including The Voice and as a guest judge on RuPaul’s Drag Race. Her music has been described as “magic” and “life-changing;” themes embodied by her most-watched music video on YouTube entitled “Peter Pan.”
Halsey and Kelsea’s “Without Me” duet is a flawless display of their unique talents and twists on pop music, threading their voices together seamlessly for their upbeat heartbreak song. With 30m YouTube views across their CMT Crossroads performances, 35m+ Instagram followers, and 13m+ YouTube subscribers combined, Halsey and Kelsea clearly captivated most viewers!
Enjoy more content from the talented Kelsea Ballerini by visiting her YouTube channel, and stay connected with her daily activities by following her Facebook and Instagram pages. You can also find more about Kelsea on her website. Enjoy the magical, musical journey she offers through her outstanding performances.