ABC/Image Group LA Kelsea Ballerini competes for Top Country Female Artist at Sunday’s Billboard Music Awards in Las Vegas. Even though she’s not set to perform on the show, the “I Hate Love Songs” singer says she wouldn’t miss it.
“I am gonna go! I love it!” she tells ABC Radio. “I mean, I love seeing other country artists there and, I dunno, I feel like country’s cool, and so I want to make sure that everyone knows it!”
Part of the appeal of a show like the BBMAs is the chance to rub elbows with artists from other genres, although Kelsea confesses she doesn’t feel like she’s any good at interacting with her heroes.
“No!” she says definitively. “I fangirl in country settings still. I’m, like, not good around famous people. It continues to get worse.”
“I admire from afar,” she goes on. “And then every now and again I’ll awkwardly go up to someone and fangirl. But not often.”
But Kelsea acknowledges that her run-ins with celebs usually go pretty well.
“Everyone’s always been very nice. Kelly Clarkson‘s hosting, and she knows that I’m just actually obsessed with her, so I’ll probably fangirl her,” she laughs.
Miranda Lambert and Maren Morris are also in the running for this year’s Top Country Female Artist trophy, with Maren also set to perform her pop hit “The Middle” on the show.
You can tune in to the show live from Las Vegas Sunday at 8 p.m. ET on NBC.
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