Kelsea Ballerini spoke about her connection with Noah Kahan following their emotional CMA Fest duet, offering heartfelt praise for her friend and collaborator.
During a conversation with People, she said, “I adore Noah,” and added, “I got to know him as an artist and a collaborator, but now we’re dear friends and I just can’t say enough about the human being that he is. He’s a good human.”
At CMA Fest 2025, the duo shared the stage at Nashville’s Nissan Stadium, performing their 2024 collaboration “Cowboys Cry Too” and Kahan’s hit “Stick Season.”
Ballerini mentioned she had texted Kahan shortly before the event. “I was like, ‘I’m sure the answer is you want to be a hermit right now, but just in case, do you want to come play CMA Fest?’” His reply: “‘I’ve never done CMA Fest. I’ve never played a stadium.’ I was like, ‘Didn’t you headline Fenway?’ And he said, ‘Yeah, but a proper football stadium.’”
She noted that Kahan accepted the invitation at the last moment. Although her set was interrupted by rain, she insisted they still perform “Stick Season.” “You came all the way down here with your friends and your family,” she said. “We have to do ‘Stick Season.’”
Ballerini described her experience performing with Kahan, saying, “[Noah] is just a joy to be on stage with,” and added, “He has that ‘I’m just happy to be here’ mentality, which I love.”
Their collaboration on “Cowboys Cry Too,” released in April 2024, was previously described by Ballerini as a significant moment in her career. She had written, “Thank you @noahkahanmusic for adding your uninhibited perspective and songwriting brilliance into this song,” and added, “I couldn’t be more proud to put this music and message out alongside such a lovely artist and friend.”
This year has been filled with accomplishments for both. Kahan’s Stick Season (Forever) reissue reached the top five on the Billboard 200 in February, while Ballerini returned to the CMA Fest main stage and became a brand ambassador for Celsius, which she nicknames “Kelsius.”
