Kelsea Ballerini, a 30-year-old singer, is responding to fashion critics after wearing a gold sparkly bodysuit with no pants during her hosting gig at the 2024 CMT Music Awards, where she went through a total of nine outfit changes. She took to Tiktok to defend her outfit choice, telling critics to “shut up” and that it looks hot. The video garnered mixed reactions from her fans and fellow country singer Megan Moroney.
Despite the backlash, Ballerini seemed unfazed and continued to prepare for another outfit change while filming the TikTok in a black smock getting her hair and makeup done. Her fans joined in on the fun, with one fan admitting feeling attacked for questioning where her pants were during the performance. Fellow country singer Megan Moroney also commented, calling Ballerini’s outfit choice “iconic.”
The bold sparkling bodysuit, worn with black sheer tights, was part of Ballerini’s performance of her hit song “Love Me Like You Mean It,” which debuted in 2014. She also released a slowed-down version of the song on April 5, reflecting on her journey in the music industry for over a decade. Ballerini expressed pride in the progress she’s made throughout the years while mentioning the growth she’s experienced both personally and professionally.
The CMT Music Awards marked Ballerini’s fourth time hosting the event, alongside singer Kane Brown since 2021. In an interview with Variety, Ballerini shared that hosting the show has given her the opportunity to explore her talents outside of music and discover new interests. She expressed excitement about taking on new challenges and projects, while leaving the door open to potentially hosting the CMT Awards again in the future. Despite the criticism, Ballerini remains confident in her artistic choices and plans to continue pushing boundaries in both her music and fashion.
