Kelsea Nicole Ballerini[1] (born September 12, 1993)[2] is an American country pop singer and songwriter, signed to Black River Entertainment. Career[edit] Kelsea Ballerini was born in Mascot, Tennessee[3] and grew up in Knoxville, Tennessee.[4] Her father, a country radio programmer, is part Italian.[5][6] Her mother has worked in marketing for Thomas Nelson Bible publishing and a sponsorship company.[6] She started taking dance lessons at 3 and stopped ten years later.[7] She sang in the church and school choirs.[5] She wrote her first song at 12 for her mother[8] and moved to Nashville, Tennessee three years later.[4] She attended Lipscomb University for two years until she pursued a musical career.[9] At 19, she signed a deal with Black River Entertainment.[4] In late 2014, she released her debut single "Love Me Like You Mean It", which debuted on Country Airplay in October 2014.[10] She released a self-titled extended play for the label in November.[11] She was named one of CMT's Next Women of Country in 2014. She performed for the first time on the Grand Ole Opry on February 14, 2015 and sang "Love Me Like You Mean It".[5] For the chart dated July 4, 2015, "Love Me Like You Mean It" reached number one on the Billboard Country Airplay, making Ballerini the first solo female country artist to score a number one hit with her debut single since Carrie Underwood with "Jesus, Take the Wheel" in 2006, and only the eleventh in history to achieve the feat.[12] Ballerini also became only the fifth solo female country artist to score back-to-back number one hits with her first two singles when "Dibs" reached the top of the Country Airplay chart dated March 5, 2016. She became the first to do it since Jamie O'Neal in 2001.[13] The album's third single, "Peter Pan" released to country radio on March 21, 2016. Artistry[edit] Ballerini has been influenced by both artists in the pop music and country music field. Originally influenced by pop music, Ballerini states "I grew up on Top 40 pop. I didn’t know what country music was, which is so funny because I grew up on a farm in East Tennessee." [14] Ballerini lists Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera, and NSYNC among these early artists influencing her. [15][16] It was not until Ballerini heard Stupid Boy by Keith Urban that she decided to delve deeper into country music by listening to albums by Taylor Swift, Sugarland, and The Dixie Chicks. Ballerini cites Shania Twain as her greatest influence.