Kelsea Ballerini took the cutout trend to a daring new level at the Time100 Next Gala in New York City on Tuesday, October 24.
The 30-year-old singer graced the red carpet in a sexy black Stella McCartney gown that featured a risky shoulder-to-hip cutout, exposing her cleavage, torso and bikini line. The dress was finished with metallic knots and a thigh-high slit. Ballerini complemented the garment with black sandal heels from Aquazzura and diamond stud earrings from Kwiat.
For glam, the “Peter Pan” artist opted for gold eyeshadow, bronze cheeks and a glossy pink lip. She had her blonde mane pulled back into a sleek updo. Ballerini finished her look with metallic nails.
Ballerini attended the glitzy soirée with boyfriend Chase Stokes, who matched her in a black shirt, coordinating pants and a camel-colored coat. The lovebirds — who have been romantically linked since January following Ballerini’s August 2022 divorce from Morgan Evans — couldn’t keep their hands off each other, posing for photos while kissing and hugging.
Ballerini also took snaps while holding the 2023 Time100 Next issue, which features her on the cover. (The franchise celebrates rising stars in entertainment, sports, politics and business.)
In her cover story, Ballerini revealed that she’s on a mission to diversify country music.
“It’s making sure that we’re giving a voice to new artists,” Ballerini explained. “We’re giving a voice to the unsigned artists who represent underrepresented groups in Nashville because they’re not getting a chance to be signed.”
She continued: “Nobody says people don’t want to jam out to guys on the radio. I do. I also want to hear from women. Just as much, maybe more. I also want to hear from people of color, from the LGBTQ+ community. I want to hear all the voices we hear on pop radio on country radio.”
In addition to her fight for inclusivity, Ballerini’s impressive eight-year recording career is the reason she’s one to watch. She’s earned two Academy of Country Music Awards and two Country Music Association Awards, as well as seven platinum or multi-platinum singles.
Ballerini’s success serves as motivation to pave the way for others. In April, she cohosted the CMT Awards with Kane Brown, making a memorable statement by performing her song “If You Go Down (I’m Going Down Too)” alongside four drag queens from RuPaul’s Drag Race.
“At the time, a lot of anti-drag legislation was being proposed in Tennessee. I was not only hosting the CMT Awards, but I had a performance for a song of mine that is all about friendship and standing up for people that you love, and being ride-or-die for your people,” Ballerini told Time. “I realized that that would be a really good, important, loud, big stage to make that statement on, and CMT was all for it.”
