Subject To Change＜限定盤＞

Whats 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 albums 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 dont 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 Musgravess 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. Its a testament to Ballerinis light touch that she can channel such pain into an album thats frictionless. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine