Kelsea Ballerini, I Sit In Parks

Grammy-nominated country singer-songwriter Kelsea Ballerini shines on her short but sweet, and reflective single, “I Sit In Parks.”

“I sit in parks, it breaks my heart / ‘Cause I see just how far I am from the things that I want.”

Ah, reflection mode – you’ve gotta love it! Grammy-nominated country singer-songwriter Kelsea Ballerini (b. 1993) has experienced her fair share of success, with multiple gold and platinum singles and albums. The brief but potent single, “I Sit In Parks”, is the opener from her EP Mount Pleasant. Ballerini penned “I Sit In Parks.” She produced it with Alysa Vanderheym.

“I Sit In Parks” begins with a gorgeous, enigmatic introduction. The record is set in a lilting, compound duple meter. Ballerini excels with her chill, easygoing vocals. Her tone is lovely. Though it is labelled country, at best, “I Sit In Parks” sounds only moderately country. The chorus, the centerpiece, is more country than anything else, but could pass for pop:

“Did I miss it? By now, is it

A lucid dream? Is it my fault

For chasing things, a body clock

Doesn’t wait for? I did the damn tour

It’s what I wanted, what I got

I spun around, and then I stopped

And wonder if I missed the mark.”

The songwriting is intriguing and well-rounded. Ballerini even throws in some salty language: “So I sit in parks, sunglasses dark / And I hit the vape, hallucinate a nursery with Noah’s Ark / They lay on a blanket and goddamn it he loves her.” That is slightly un-country-like… on recording, at least.  One of the most interesting lyrics also hails from the second verse, where Kelsea asserts, “But Rolling Stone says I’m on the right road / So, I refill my Lexapro, thinkin’.” Although “I Sit In Parks” is brief, it is another enjoyable and respectable song from Kelsea Ballerini.