Heartfirst: Kelsea Ballerini wants us to know she and Taylor Swift were together in some capacity

I decided to not do a huge long write up and just let the work speak for itself.  I think Kelsea is purposefully referencing Taylor’s work.  Not to get clout, but because they had some kind of fling.  My best guess based on Kelsea’s lyrics is sometime between 2017 and 2020.  And it was an off and on situation.  

Met him at a party, accidentally brushed his body

This is the only male pronoun in the song. 

The rest is you, we, and baby.

On the way to get a drink at the bar

I couldn’t wait ’til later, talking in the elevator

Then we’re kissing in the back of the car

We know that Taylor often sings about two people:  He and YOU.  You, being a woman she’s secretly dating. 

Is Kelsea doing the same thing here?  

That voice in my head says to slow down

But it can’t see the way you’re looking at me right now

It may not be next week, what I need

Then again, maybe it might be

Could be forever or we might break

That’s just the kind of risk that we take

My head is yelling that I could get hurt

But I’m gonna jump right in

Baby, with my heart first

I gotta have ya, gotta see if this works

I gotta have ya, wake up in your t-shirt

Kelsea’s shirt says “He was sunshine I was Midnight rain”

and I don’t know if she just woke up, but the eye mask seems like a first thing in the day type of thing…

Who knows what’ll happen, ain’t that always kinda magic

When you don’t know who’s holding the cards

Could be a wish I never knew ya or permanently tattoo ya

Kelsea has at least 3 tattoos:  One with lyrics from Amazing Grace the first song she learned and her first solo. 

The second is taken from a letter from her parents after her first single came out with “love” in each of their hand writing. 

The 3rd is for the song Square Pegs:

Only the moon knows what’s in the stars (what’s in the stars)

Mm, that voice in my head says to slow down

But it can’t feel your hands on my hips right now

It may not be next year, what I need

Then again, maybe it might be

Could be forever or we might break

That’s just the kind of risk that we take

My head is yelling that I could get hurt

But I’m gonna jump right in

Baby, with my heart first

I gotta have ya, gotta see if this works

(I gotta have ya)

I gotta have ya, wake up in your t-shirt

I gotta have ya, diving in heart first

(Heart first)

I gotta have ya

Ooh, I gotta have ya

Taylor’s song 22 ends with that phrase repeated twice.

And also include 

And I can’t even stop myself anymore

(Ooh, I gotta have ya)

Oh, we couldn’t end the perfect night outside my front door

Could be forever or we might break

That’s just the kind of risk that we take

My head is yelling that I could get hurt

But I’m gonna jump right in

Baby, with my heart first

I gotta have ya, gotta see if this works

(I gotta have ya)

I gotta have ya, wake up in your t-shirt

(Wake up in your t-shirt, yeah)

Pairing the 22 lyrics with wake up in your shirt ties it to Taylor Swift.

I gotta have ya, diving in heart first

(Diving in heart first)

I gotta have ya

Yeah, I gotta have ya

She ends the song the exact same way Tayor ended 22!

Maybe that’s not strong enough to convince you. 

But look at Kelsea’s music video. 

The commonalities with Taylor’s imagery seems intentional.

Heartfirst Video

Sunglasses and earrings:

Traveling downward in a rainbow sky:

Clouds and rainbow in the sky:

Pastel tie dye shirt:

Sparkle eye:

I mean, Kelsea can’t do a full heart, that would be really obvious.

Groom knocked over:

Sitting on the ground in a desert with a big cat:

Tulle, layered, blue dress:

(these tulle and layered and blue dresses are all worn in the Me! video)

Sneakers under dress:

Falling from clouds:

Rainbow on buildings:

Are you convinced? Because I am!