Kelsea Ballerini is boasting about the success of her husband, Morgan Evans, who just had a party in his honor, celebrating the success of his first No. 1 hit, “Kiss Somebody.” Evans co-wrote “Kiss Somebody” with Chris DeStefano and Josh Osborne.
“I remember him coming home and having written with Josh for the first time and obviously hitting his stride with Chris DeStefano,” Ballerini told PEOPLE. “I remember this song being the ticket to getting the record deal and the ticket to his first big American success, so getting to be a part of that whole process on the sidelines, it’s nice to be able to just wear jeans and show up and celebrate someone as a wife.”
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Ballerini has enjoyed several runs at the top of the chart, including with hits like “Peter Pan” and “Legends,” but she is always happy to toast her husband’s accomplishments as well, especially since their time together is often rare.
“We’re both super busy,” Ballerini told PEOPLE. “He’s out on the road killing it for his first record [Things That We Drink To], and he’s been out promoting that. Every time we’re together, we have something to celebrate. We always carve out our time together and protect it. It’s a fun chapter.”
The couple did get almost a month together over the holidays, which they fully embraced.
“We didn’t even really play guitar or sing,” Evans said of their time together. “We made a very conscious decision to really take the time off โ even though a week and a half in, we were both so ready to get back to it. It was nice to have the extra time to actually sink into a holiday kind of vibe.”
One thing the pair insist they don’t do is compete with each other, even though they both are in the same industry.
“It’s definitely not competition ’cause I feel like we’re both in country music but not in the same world,” Evans maintained. “It’s really inspiring and easy to be a fan and a supporter and I think that’s one of the things that really works well for us.
“We’re also each other’s biggest critics, by the way,” he continued. “When I bring home a song like ‘Kiss Somebody,’ and she digs it, it’s like, it must be good because I think the other way is something like, ‘Ooh yes, it’s not my favorite.’ I know that’s one to probably never play again … I couldn’t be happier for every success she has.”
That success for Ballerini includes a Grammy nod for Best Country Album, for her latest Unapologetically record.
“I wouldn’t miss it for the world,” Evans, who is on the road with Old Dominion, said of the Feb. 10 ceremony. “I’m finishing a show in D.C. the night before and getting on the earliest flight to L.A. to be there and cheer when they say her name.”
Photo Credit: Getty Images/Jeff Kravitz