Small town life is a unique experience. The tug to leave is crushing, nearly claustrophobic. Then, when you leave, bounding out of county and state lines, something inevitably calls you back again. Kelsea Ballerini explores the push and pull with a song called “Half of My Hometown,” featuring an appearance by Kenny Chesney.
The chorus, especially, unpacks a heavy melancholy, and the pressure to figure out your life against racing time is immense. “Half of my hometown’s still hangin’ around / Still talkin’ about that one touchdown / They’re still wearin’ red and black ‘Go Bobcats,’” she sings.
She then draws parallels to “the other half” who “all got out,” she notes. “Some went north, some went south / They’re still lookin’ for a feelin’ half of us ain’t found / So stay or leave, part of me will always be / Half of my hometown.”
Listen to “Half of My Hometown” below.