Taylor Swift Reaches out to Kelsea Ballerini About New Song, ‘High School’

Kelsea Ballerini is gearing up to release her sophomore album, Unapologetically, on Nov. 3, and the country star has so far released three tracks from the LP — lead single “Legends” as well as the title track and a new song called “High School.”

In the lead-up to her new album, the 24-year-old has been receiving advice from some very big names, including friend Taylor Swift.

“I love her, I was texting with her today,” Ballerini told Billboard at the iHeartRadio Music Festival of the 27-year-old star. “She’s amazing and she’s supportive.”

“She’s just really good at just being yourself,” the singer added. “That’s always been her advice, go with your gut, go with your heart, follow that and not anything else.”

Ballerini shared that Swift had been texting her that day about “High School,” which is a bittersweet ode to adolescence and a reflection on making the choice to live in the past or move on with age. Ballerini wrote the song entirely by herself, and the track makes clear that she and Swift share a talent for storytelling and drawing fans in with their relatable lyrics.

“We’re obviously in different genres now,” Ballerini explained, “but we’re both songwriters at heart and we root each other on.”

As fans know, Swift was a major force in country music before making her mark as a pop star with her last album, 1989. Swift’s new album, Reputation, drops on Nov. 10, and Ballerini is just as excited to hear it as the rest of us.

She’s the biggest superstar in the whole world, so I’m excited to hear her record,” she said. “I’m stoked.”

Photo Credit: Getty / John Shearer / LP5