Kelsea Ballerini appeared on the Grand Ole Opry on Saturday, January 22, where she debuted an uplifting new tune, “What I Have.” Ballerini addressed the crowd before launching into the song, revealing that she’s working on her next album and that the project, so far, is taking on an air of gratitude.
“One of the themes, I’m finding, is what I think probably a lot of us have found in the last couple of years as we’ve kind of been forced to step back and look at our lives and have a lot of time to do that,” she shared on the Opry stage. “It’s made you look at what you have differently. For me, I’ve started to really appreciate the little things a lot more.”
Ballerini then began the song, singing in the first verse about comparing her own life to the lives of others, which she calls “the root of the thief of my joy.” Accompanied only by acoustic instruments, she then launched into the sincere chorus, during which she lists the simple things she’s thankful for.
“I’ve got roof over my head, I’ve got a warm body in bed / I’m doing alright, right where I’m at with what I have,” she sang.
This theme of contentment continues in the second verse, as she sings about buying high heels with red on the bottom and wondering who she’s “trying to impress.” She then takes off those very heels and stands barefoot for the rest of the song, singing about her realization that “even the Joneses can’t keep up with the Joneses.” She reworks the lyrics in the chorus twice before ending the song, concluding that “the bad days ain’t all the bad with what I have.”
Although it’s not officially released, “What I Have” is the first new song from Ballerini since “I Quit Drinking,” a duet with pop band LANY, released in June 2021. She released her latest single, “Half of My Hometown,” a duet with Kenny Chesney, in April of last year.