Photo: Getty Images
Kelsea Ballerini covered a song from the wildly popular Broadway musical and two-part film adaptation, Wicked, while performing her own vulnerable ballad on stage.
Ballerini, 32, released āEmerald Cityā on her latest 6-track EP, Mount Pleasant. The project also includes āI Sit In Parks,ā āPeople Pleaser,ā ā587,ā āThe Revisionistā and āCheck On Your Friends.ā āEmerald Cityā is an intimate, emotional track that sees the singer opening up about feelings of insecurity and jealousy, symbolized by the color green. The lyrics share a vulnerable perspective of comparison, and seek support and reassurance: āNever known this shade of envy/ Just tell me Iām your Emerald City.ā
The title, āEmerald City,ā is a creative take on the enchanting land in The Wizard of Oz, one of the most beloved and retold stories of all time. Author L. Frank Baum published the childrenās novel, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, in 1900, and the iconic film starring Judy Garland made its debut in 1939. Since then, there have been countless nods to The Wizard of Oz in popular culture. That includes the Broadway production of Wicked, based on author Gregory Maguireās novel by the same title, unearthing the story of what happened before Dorothy landed in Oz and sharing new perspectives of well-known characters. The two-part Wicked movie adaptation, directed by Jon M. Chu, stars Ariana Grande as Glinda and Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba, The Wicked Witch of the West. Erivo sings āIām Not That Girlā in the first film, and Grande sings a reprise in the second film.
āDon't wish, don't start/ Wishing only wounds the heart/ I wasn't born for the rose and pearl/ There's a girl I know/ He loves her so/ Iām not that girlā
Fan account Kelsea Central shared a TikTok posted by a concertgoer in Sydney, Australia, where Ballerini āmashed āIām Not That Girlā with āEmerald City,ā states the caption on Instagram. Kelsea Central said āthis is everything to us yāall donāt even understand.ā Watch that moment here: