Kelsea Ballerini Vents Extreme Frustration After Being Pitted Against Female Artists

Burak Cingi / Contributor / Getty Images

For the second time in just a few days, a country star has taken to social media to dismiss something that pits her against another female artist.

On Saturday (April 7), one Twitter page posted a poll asking its followers to vote for the most iconic winner of American Idol. The choices they were given to pick from were Kelly Clarkson and Carrie Underwood.

The poll happened to catch Clarkson’s attention, and she called it out, saying, “I think we’re both winning in life and pretty blessed!” Underwood also responded over the poll, saying, “But seriously, I do wish more publications would just celebrate women’s success without pitting them against each other…”

Now, another female country star is expressing her frustration over a different poll that she recently spotted. In summary, she was not happy with what she saw.

While surfing Twitter, Kelsea Ballerini came across a poll asking followers to vote for the female artist they are most looking forward to watching perform at the ACM Awards. The options given were Lauren Alaina, Maren Morris, Ballerini, and Clarkson.

Seeing the poll as a pitting of herself against her fellow female artists, Ballerini shared how it made her feel to see it, writing, “This made me really bummed today.”

Writing of the struggles females have faced in country music, Ballerini wrote about how they’ve been able to finally get their voices heard within recent years. Then, she explained why she feels this particular poll fights against everything they’ve worked for:

“Then there’s something as simple and seemingly harmless as this, that sets us back. it takes the dozens of talented, determined, hard working, kind women that want to continue the incredible marks on the genre the woman before us have made, and it makes us feel like there’s only one spot available. so then there’s tension.“

Ballerini went on to write that stuff like this makes her feel “insecure” when she encounters other successful female artists. “Which is actually CRAZY,” she said.

She then explained why she never wants to see stuff like this:

“I just don’t want the new females in country music to be misrepresented to the fans or the media as the popular girls in high school that pose for photos like were bffs but secretly despise the one that dates the quarterback. And more than that, I don’t want US to feel like that. This isn’t mean girls, this is country music. Where you actually CAN sit with us.“

You can read Ballerini’s full post below.

This made me really bummed today. Since I put out my first single over 4 years ago, every interview includes some form of question about the females in country music… or the current lack thereof. so we swim upstream and wear ourselves out trying to be heard and finally see the charts start to mention a few more of our names, the categories recognize a few more of our songs, and even start to cheer each other on. but then there’s something as simple and seemingly harmless as this, that sets us back. it takes the dozens of talented, determined, hard working, kind women that want to continue the incredible marks on the genre the woman before us have made, and it makes us feel like there’s only one spot available. so then there’s tension. And insecurity. and this magical bond that females have when we truly, actually want each other to win…it gets compromised. It makes me sad because I feel it. Heck, it makes me insecure. It makes me feel tension in a room where there is another girl that is successful. It makes me awkward. It makes me overthink conversations. It makes me assume the worst. Which is actually CRAZY. this is definitely an instavent, because I just don’t want the new females in country music to be misrepresented to the fans or the media as the popular girls in high school that pose for photos like were bffs but secretly despise the one that dates the quarterback. And more than that, I don’t want US to feel like that. This isn’t mean girls, this is country music. Where you actually CAN sit with us.

A post shared by Kelsea Ballerini (@kelseaballerini) on

What do y’all think of what Ballerini had to say? Do you agree with her, or do you see nothing wrong with the poll that got her so fired up? We’d love to hear your thoughts on this whole thing.