Kelsea Ballerini Releases Vibrant Drinking Song “hole in the bottle”

 

It’s a crazy season for new music, and Kelsea Ballerini is spearheading it, preparing to release her third studio album, kelsea, out March 20th. Ahead of its release, Ballerini surprised fans by releasing “hole in the bottle”, first heard at Amazon’s “Country Heat” CRS showcase. It’s a fun, vibrant drinking song that shows off her songwriting chops as well as her vocals.

“hole in the bottle” was written by Ballerini, Hillary Lindsey, Jesse Frasure, Ashley Gorley, and Steph Jones. The song begins with a clever sample all about alcohol. “There are many people who drink in moderation with no problems, social, moral or medical,” a woman’s voice says. “They learn to enjoy liquor without letting it upset the functioning of their body and mind.” Ballerini concludes, “I just had one sip!” and laughs as the beat drops and the guitar starts sliding and the drums start slapping.

Lyrically and melodically, “hole in the bottle” is smart and catchy. It’s easy to start singing along to, and the words prove that Ballerini isn’t afraid to have fun and she doesn’t always take herself too seriously. In the first verse, she describes going out to forget an ex and let go. “The way it looks / ain’t what you think / This cabernet has a way of vanishin’ on me,” she sings casually. Part of what makes this song so enjoyable is how ear-pleasing it is. Melodically, it hits each note you want it to, but lyrically, you don’t necessarily know where it’s going to go. “There’s a hole in the bottle / Leakin’ all this wine / It’s already empty and it ain’t even suppertime,” she sings on the chorus nonchalantly. At the very end of the song, the sample returns, simply saying, “She has abused her system and she’s paying for it.” It sums up the whole song perfectly and makes Ballerini seem just like anybody else: someone who sometimes gets lost in a wine glass.

The production on this song is unlike anything fans have heard before. Ballerini produced it with Frasure, and they created this neo-country-pop jam, making it sound new and vintage at the same time. The electric guitars have honky-tonk undertones that make it sound tipsy, which plays on the lyrics perfectly. It’s an ode to tradition as well as the new country generation that Ballerini is a part of.

Ballerini has released a diverse range of singles leading up to the release of kelsea, but they all cohesively follow a theme of self-awareness. The nine remaining tracks are out March 20th, and the album is available for pre-order now.

To keep up with Kelsea Ballerini, follow her on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook. Make sure to check out kelsea, out March 20th.

“hole in the bottle” is now available everywhere you buy or stream music. Take a listen and check out more new recently released music here on our ‘New Country Music’ playlist. Be sure to give the playlist a follow for your weekly new country music fix.