Kelsea Ballerini Was a Rockstar Barbie at the CMT Awards, and the Internet Is Obsessed

There's a *lot* to love about this pink pleather look!

Kelsea Ballerini owned the 2021 CMT Awards last night. And that’s that on that. The “Hole in a Bottle” singer-songwriter co-hosted the annual fan-voted award show alongside country music sensation Kane Brown and won her first-ever CMT award for CMT Performance of the Year, which honored her performance of “The Other Girl” with Halsey from the last year’s award show. Ballerini also casually took to the CMT stage to debut her brand new song with Paul Klein of LANY called “I Quit Drinking.”

It was an epic night for Ballerini, to say the least, and she started it off by rocking a Janet Mandell pink pleather two-piece suit, an outfit fitting of a country rockstar Barbie. 

“peace, love, & pink pleather,” the “Half of My Hometown” singer wrote on Instagram with a photo of her rockstar Barbie-inspired look styled by Molly Dickson. To complement the hot pink ensemble, Ballerini’s longtime friend and celebrity makeup and hair artist, Tarryn Feldman, gave her brushed-out waves with long face-framing braids. 

Fans of the country music star lit up the comment section. “hello country pop star Barbie! Obsessed with this look,” one follower wrote. Another added, “CMT BARBIE” with a row of pink hearts. There were also fans who said the pink pleather was giving them major ’90s vibes. One person referenced Pretty in Pink, while another wrote, “Barbie meets Britney vibes.”

Ballerini also rocked numerous other outfits throughout the night, including a peachy-orange number, a floor-length blue gown, and another pink look with strategically placed cutouts. Every look was flawless, but the Barbie outfit she started in is still our fave.

Ballerini sure doesn’t hold back when it comes to her fashion, and for that we are very grateful. We can’t wait to see what she wears on tour with the Jonas Brothers come this fall!

Emily Weaver
Emily is a NYC-based freelance entertainment and lifestyle writer — though, she’ll never pass up the opportunity to talk about women’s health and sports (she thrives during the Olympics). Read more
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