Subject to Change

by Kelsea Ballerini

Overview

What's Subject to Change for Kelsea Ballerini? Pretty much everything, if her fourth album is to be believed. Written and recorded during a period of personal turmoil -- she announced her divorce from singer Morgan Evans weeks before the album's September 2022 release -- Subject to Change finds Ballerini addressing upheaval directly and sideways, alternating heartbreak with empowerment. Often, she veers toward the explicitly confessional, as in "Doin' My Best" a sprightly chronicle of the "weird year" of 2020, a time when her "album dropped at a weird time" and she entered couples therapy (it also takes a direct swipe at Halsey), but she also peppers the record with sharply crafted pop songs designed to have listeners see themselves in their reflection. While Ballerini retains her gift for bright, breezy melodies, they don't quite sound so chipper here. Subject to Change is simultaneously glossy and softly lit, an album with plenty of modern electronic flair -- the kind that recalls Kacey Musgraves's Golden Hour, only without a penchant for psychedelia or camp -- but designed to offer comfort and warmth. The record could be a balm in troubled times or relaxation in happy ones. It's a testament to Ballerini's light touch that she can channel such pain into an album that's frictionless. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Product Details

Release Date:	06/02/2023
Label:	Black River
UPC:	0196925367561
Rank:	3585

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Kelsea Ballerini   Primary Artist,Vocals,Clapping,Vocals (Background)
Kelly Clarkson   Vocals,Featured Artist,Vocals (Background)
Craig Young   Clapping,Guitar (Bass)
Shane McAnally   Clapping,Vocals (Background)
Carly Pearce   Vocals,Featured Artist,Vocals (Background)
Jenee Fleenor   Fiddle
Cary Barlowe   Guitar (Acoustic),Vocals (Background)
Kris Donegan   Guitar (Acoustic),Guitar (Electric)
Justin Schipper   Dobro,Clapping,Guitar (Steel)
Derek Wells   Guitar (Electric)
Julian Bunetta   Clapping,Mandolin,Percussion,Synthesizer,Guitar (Bass),Guitar (Acoustic),Guitar (Electric),Vocals (Background)
Josh Reedy   Vocals (Background)
Evan Hutchings   Drums,Percussion
Ilya Toshinskiy   Ukulele,Clapping,Guitar (Acoustic)
Whit Wright   Guitar (Steel)
Todd Lombardo   Banjo,Dobro,Mandolin,Guitar (Acoustic)
Sol Littlefield   Clapping,Guitar (Acoustic),Guitar (Electric)
Alysa Vanderheym   Vocals (Background)
Alex Wright   Piano,Clapping,Synthesizer

Technical Credits

Shane McAnally   Composer,Producer
Joe Zook   Mixing Engineer
Ashley Gorley   Composer
Drew Bollman   Engineer
Cary Barlowe   Composer
Karen Fairchild   Composer
Lisa Ray   Management
Nathan Dantzler   Mastering Engineer
Josh Osborne   Composer
Julian Bunetta   Composer,Engineer,Producer,Programming,Digital Editing
Jason Owen   Management
Ryan Gore   Assistant Engineer
Jimmy Robbins   Composer
Jesse Frasure   Composer,Producer,Assistant Engineer
Evan Hutchings   Programming
Jordyn Shellhart   Composer
Patrick Tracy   Design,Art Direction
Kam Luchterhand   Assistant Engineer
Parker Welling   Composer
Kelsea Ballerini   Composer
Sasha Alex Sloan   Composer
Alyson McAnally   Production Coordination
Jeff Gunnell   Digital Editing,Assistant Engineer
Miranda Glory   Composer
Alysa Vanderheym   Composer,Producer,Programming,Digital Editing,Assistant Engineer
Matt Wolach   Assistant Engineer
Joel McKenney   Assistant Engineer
Ashley Kohorst   Design,Art Direction
Daniel Prakopcyk   Photography
Harrison Tale   Assistant Engineer
Molly Dickson   Stylist
Ross Vewbauer   Assistant Engineer