Kelsea in Bloomington, MN

How do you know
Kelsea Ballerini
remains a country singer despite the sleekly modern sound of her third album? She still follows traditions, making sure she sings songs about her hometown and drinking, plus she names the record
Kelsea
because "it's a little more personal" than her previous two. It's not hard to discern what she means by "personal."
Ballerini
begins
by admitting she's one to "Overshare" and she concludes the LP with "L.A.," a ballad where she talks herself out of calling up her "famous friends" because she's not sure if she's cool enough, thereby proving her opening thesis.
is filled bluntly candid confessions about universal emotions, all married to glistening pop productions where all the electronic elements (and there are many) are softened so they feel warm. The deft intermingling of personal anxieties and bubbly melodies is happily, thoroughly modern, designed to slide onto any manner of streaming playlist. To that end,
underscores her connection to pop not merely through the album's extended cool shimmer but by inviting
Halsey
-- the queen of suburban Jersey angst -- to cameo on "The Other Girl" and writing "Love & Hate" with
Ed Sheeran
. The presence of these two superstars not only overshadows
Kenny Chesney
's duet on "Half of My Hometown" -- his presence seems designed to reinforce her country roots -- but shows how
is designed to push
right into the thick of the mainstream, where she would no longer have to worry about being cool enough to call another celebrity. It's a calculation, but
doesn't seem crass, thanks both to the soothing throb of the production and to
's charm. An assured singer, she settles into a hushed, urgent intimacy for
, an approach that suits the songs and her intent and also helps make the whole stylish production seem genuinely intimate. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine