Kelsea Ballerini praises Kelly Clarkson’s response to fans throwing objects at concerts
Kelsea Ballerini has praised Kelly Clarkson for her reaction to the recent trend of fans throwing objects at artists during live performances.
The 29-year-old country singer is among several artists who have been faced with “disrespectful” interactions with fans on stage. In late June, Ballerini was struck in the eye by a bracelet thrown away by a fan during her concert in Idaho.
She eventually left the stage before returning to tell the audience, “All I care about is keeping everyone safe.
“If someone is pushing too much or you just have a gut feeling, just always report it. Don’t throw things.”
Speak with The Associated Press In a recent question-and-answer session, Ballerini addressed the series of attacks, recalling a clip she recently saw of Clarkson warning concertgoers at her Las Vegas residence: “If you put anything on the Throw stage, then better diamonds.”
“I think she says it best,” Ballerini said. “I think there just has to be a mutual desire to keep everyone safe. That’s kind of my biggest thing. Live shows are meant to be a place of escape, connection and safety. And that’s my job.”
She continued, “My job is to definitely do a show. But it’s also my job to make sure everyone is safe and feels safe in this moment. So yeah, I think it’s important for all of us to have conversations and figure out how we’re going to pull this off. I think being mindful when going to shows is very important. And if you want to throw something, throw diamonds.”
Kelsea Ballerini Portrait Session
(Invision 2023)
To understand the phenomenon, Ballerini posited that it had now become a “trend”.
“You see it happen to one of your favorite artists, for example, and then it just becomes a trend and people want to get the artist’s attention or just get attention. So I think that’s a very delicate path,” she added.
When asked if this fan behavior made her reconsider her desire to perform in front of people, the “This Feeling” singer replied, “No, no, no, no. All I know is that it’s my job to keep everyone safe.”
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Fellow musicians Adele and Charlie Puth were also quick to condemn the series of attacks in which Bebe Rexha was hit in the head with a phone, suffering a black eye and requiring stitches.
Days later, while performing in Los Angeles, Ava Max was hit by a stage intruder. Then Pink was left confused when a fan threw her mother’s ashes on stage as she was performing as part of the British Summer Time Festival in London’s Hyde Park.