Kelsea Ballerini Collaborations: Inside Her Unexpected Duet With LANY

Kelsea Ballerini and indie-pop act LANY come from radically different musical worlds, but they made magic together with their 2021 single “I Quit Drinking.” The musicians unveiled the single with a special performance at the 2021 Country Music Television Awards and went on to earn acclaim from critics and fans. Read on to learn more about the making of this celebrated cross-genre collaboration.

While they represent different musical genres, the partnership between Ballerini and LANY isn't as unlikely as it seems. In 2009, 15-year-old Ballerini moved to Nashville to pursue her music career. LANY began their musical journey in Nashville in 2014. While the indie-pop band is now based in Los Angeles, their Tennessee roots helped spark a connection with Ballerini, who said she's “been a fan of LANY for a long time.”

On Jan. 6, 2021, Ballerini wrote “I Quit Drinking” with LANY frontman Paul Jason Klein and Nicolle Galyon, who previously worked with Ballerini on “homecoming queen?” Production was a joint effort from Jimmy Robbins and Noah Conrad, who worked on “okay” for LANY and Julia Michaels.

Ballerini said “We found this sweet spot between rock, pop, and country for the song. It's a little different for the both of us.”

Ballerini and LANY launched “I Quit Drinking” on June 9, 2021, with a special performance at the 2021 CMT Awards. Ballerini, who hosted the awards show, stepped onto a rooftop at the intersection of 5th and Broadway in Nashville for a dramatic performance with Klein. The duo sang with their eyes locked, which heightened the emotion of the lyrics. The sky appeared to open up near the end of the song, drenching the performers, who never missed a beat.

In “I Quit Drinking,” Ballerini and Klein take on the parts of former lovers who have stopped drinking alcohol because it reminds them of their time together. The verses see the former couple reminiscing about their time together with lines such as “We used to be the life of the party” and “We used to be dizzy all morning, hungover, pouring cups of coffee black, kiss and crawl right back.”

The chorus transports us to the present day, reminding us of the way senses can spark memories through lyrics such as, “You're the reason I hate champagne, never used to turn it down, you're thе only thing I want when one drop hits my mouth.” The bridge highlights the way that alcohol can never mend a broken heart, noting, “I quit mixing, all my drinks and feelings, it's not fixing that you're gone.”

“I Quit Drinking” features conversational lyrics that relate to country and pop music. While the song's former lovers seem to miss one another, they have also grown to become more responsible sober individuals apart. The lyrics buck the trend of modern country songs celebrating drinking and partying with friends by instead showing people who have moved on from that stage of their lives.

The music video for “I Quit Drinking,” released on June 15, 2021, brings the powerful song to life. It starts with Ballerini, looking glamorous in an orange gown, strolling through the hills of California on a fine day. Storm clouds roll in as Klein, wearing all black, enters the frame. Director Blythe Thomas said she took inspiration from The Notebook. While Ballerini and Klein don't share a stormy kiss like Noah and Allie in the romantic film, their encounter in the rain has a similar emotional intensity.

“I Quit Drinking” enjoyed modest success on various Billboard charts. It reached No. 30 on the Hot Country Songs chart, No. 27 on the Digital Song Sales chart, No. 19 on the Adult Pop Airplay chart, and No. 8 on the Country Digital Song Sales chart. It went Gold in the United States and Platinum in Canada. It also enjoyed success in New Zealand, peaking at No. 31 on the country's Hot Singles chart.

“I Quit Drinking” was also well-received by critics and fans. Rob Costa of Music Talkers said, “Ballerini & LANY do a great job painting a picture of reflection, relationships, sacrifice, and the reasons for getting sober. The work put into creating conversational lyrics has paid off here, making the lyrics a real highlight of the song.” UMusic said, “Both Paul and Kelsea's musical styles blend perfectly, giving an indie-pop mix to a country song.”

Before working with Ballerini, LANY had only collaborated with other pop acts. After the release of “I Quit Drinking,” they began to experiment with artists outside their genre. They released the electronic-dance track “Stupid Feelings” with English DJ 220 KID and collaborated with Jonasu and KC Lights on remixed versions. Ballerini already had a history of cross-genre collaborations. Since the release of “I Quit Drinking,” Ballerini's collaborations include “Cowboys Cry Too” with folk-pop act Noah Kahan and a dance remix of “Penthouse” with DJ Brandi Cyrus.

“I Quit Drinking” is representative of a growing trend of country artists collaborating with stars in the pop world. The respect Ballerini and LANY showed for both country and indie-pop music, and the connection between the performers, helped make their contribution to this trend so special. It likely helped both artists attract new fans, which can only serve them well in their careers, although time will tell whether they focus on one genre or continue blurring the lines as artists such as Shania Twain and Taylor Swift have done.

The Kelsea Ballerini-LANY collaboration was a musical risk that their fans probably didn't expect, but it's one that paid off. Time will tell whether its success inspires other artists to follow their lead and forge their own cross-genre partnerships to create fresh new sounds.