Kelsea Ballerini Details Writing Love Songs for Chase Stokes on New Album Patterns

Nearly two years after debuting romance with Chase Stokes, Kelsea Ballerini gushed on including songs about the Outer Banks star on her new album Patterns.

Kelsea Ballerini wrote Chase Stokes a love song, but not because he asked for it.

Nearly two years after the country singer confirmed she was dating the Outer Banks actor, she shared that her new album, Patterns, released Oct. 25 includes a nod to the onset of their relationship.

“‘First Rodeo’ is the first love song I wrote for Chase,” Kelsea gushed on the Oct. 25 episode of Today. “Really, it’s essentially the first song where it’s kind of like, ‘Okay, I feel a little fragile, I feel a little scared to open myself up to the capacity that I want to, but I love love, and I really love you.’”

Indeed, the lyrics to Kelsea’s new track give a glimpse into the behind-the-scenes of her blossoming love story with Chase.

“I fell off babe, but I found you,” Kelsea sings on the song. “Take my heart, but take it slow / ‘Cause this ain’t my first rodeo.’”

But that’s not the only song on her album inspired by their romance. As the singer shared at her listening party hosted by Spotify Oct. 24 in New York City, her track “How Much Do You Love Me?” serves as another heartwarming ballad.

“This song is the softest song on the album,” she shared during the event’s Q&A, “I remember writing it downstairs on guitar and Chase was like ‘What’s that?’ And I was like, ‘This is a love song.’”

And while Kelsea sings of having experience with romance—the country singer was married to Morgan Evans for six years before divorcing in 2022—she goes on to reveal that parts of her relationship with Chase were totally new. In “How Much Do You Love Me,” she notes the natural anxiety that comes with a maturing relationship.

“Do I sound needy and dramatic?” she sings in the song’s bridge. “I know that it’s love, but sue me, for asking how much.”

As Kelsea explained, this entire record stands out about the rest.

“I would argue that this is the most love-filled record I’ve ever made,” she noted at her listening party. “I think the presence of love in every song is at the forefront.”

The tributes are certainly romantic, but it’s not the couple’s first rodeo in doing that, either. In fact, when it comes to praising his girlfriend, Chase doesn’t hold back. After all, his social media is full of glimpses into their relationship—and he doesn’t care if anyone has a problem with it.

Getty Images for Spotify

“Sometimes it feels like maybe it’s an oversharing situation, or maybe there’s a lot of details,” he told E! News in March of his posts with Kelsea. “But I truthfully believe that my personal life is really, really private.”

Meanwhile, Kelsea recently emphasized how good of a place she and Chase have reached in their romance.

“I’m happy,” Kelsea told E! News recently. “And everything is as it should be.”

Keep reading for a full timeline of Kelsea and Chase’s romance.

—Reporting by Kisha Forde