Kelsea Ballerini made use of her Mount Pleasant EP pop-up in Nashville on Nov. 17 to clear up some online speculation surrounding her new song “Emerald City,” stating that her music is based on feeling, not internet drama. The event, staged as the Mount Pleasant Experience, featured performances of all five tracks from the EP, with Ballerini pausing between songs to discuss their meanings and respond to the escalating conversation surrounding her work.
While discussing standout track “Emerald City,” Ballerini, 32, pointedly told the crowd, “I write songs to relate to, not to make a point on the internet.” Earlier in the day, her ex Chase Stokes publicly clashed with fans in her TikTok comments, telling them to “grow up” for their “f—ing weird” speculation that “Emerald City” is about his Outer Banks costar and former girlfriend Madelyn Cline. The persistent rumors have fueled days of social media debates linking the track’s lyrics to Stokes’ past relationship, despite Ballerini’s repeated calls for privacy.
The singer also expressed appreciation for supporters who have embraced the more vulnerable direction of her recent music. “Thanks for embracing the not-so-glittery parts of me over the last few years,” she said. “I know that I’m the luckiest to be able to have all these very big feelings and be like, ‘I need to put it in music or I will combust.'”
Media coverage has highlighted Ballerini’s emotional response to the speculation and her efforts to redirect attention toward the creative intent behind the EP. During the Nashville appearance, she reiterated that her music is intended to resonate with listeners, not to stir online theories. She also acknowledged her professional network and their continued support as she navigates both artistic evolution and public scrutiny.
“To have a team and a label that has allowed me to do that over the years, whenever it feels right … I just want to say that the biggest thank you to the trust fall that it’s been consistently back and forth with Black River and Sandbox and CAA and, and everyone that’s here that’s been a part of this that just allows me to just do this — good, bad, ugly, red, green, and happy and sad.”
The broader conversation around “Emerald City” has also revived interest in Ballerini and Stokes’s relationship timeline, which spans late 2022 through 2024. After their September breakup, sightings of the pair together in Croatia sparked reconciliation rumors, though neither has confirmed any renewed relationship. Both have continued to request privacy amid speculation.
