Kelsea Ballerini And Her Career-Defining Debut Single “Love Me Like You Mean It” 

Country-pop singer Kelsea Ballerini made history with her debut single “Love Me Like You Mean It” in 2015. 

The song, which was also the lead single of her debut studio album, The First Time, hit number one on the Billboard Country Airplay chart and made her the first solo female to top it in nine years. That is since Carrie Underwood’s track “Jesus, Take the Wheel” took over the chart and reigned for six weeks in 2006. Not only that, but it also marked the first of the three consecutive singles (“Dibs” and “Peter Pan”) from the same album that earned number one. 

According to Ballerini, she had been writing songs since she was 12 and she had several moments of doubt whether she was good at it or it was what she was supposed to be doing. But seeing it work, and at the start of her career no less, definitely reassured her. Her independent record label, Black River, was also incredibly proud of her achievement. The success of her debut single also led her to earn a Grammy nomination for Best New Artist. 

Meaning Behind the Song

Kelsea Ballerini co-wrote “Love Me Like You Mean It” with Josh Kerr, Forest Glen Whitehead, and Lance Carpenter. It was first released as a promotion of her self-titled EP in 2014. 

The song is about a young woman expressing her not-so-subtle interest in a young man. Ballerini opened with a catchy line, singing,”Love me, love me, love me,” and then straight up made a flirty remark of how she liked the boy’s hat back style. And she’d shoot him straight up if he wanted to walk her way. 

But in the second verse, she delivered a warning that she didn’t have time to waste on boys who like to play games and leave girls crying. And then closed it with a challenge, saying, “So tell me, baby / Do you got what it takes?” 

She then went on and listed what it was like to really love her like he meant it – to hold her like she was leaving, to kiss her like he needed it, and to keep her like he lost her. But if he couldn’t, it was best that he left. But if he could, he should say it to her and make her believe it. Because she already had her share of losers, liars, and users, and she wasn’t going to let someone break her heart again. 

So, if he really loved her, he should love her like he really meant it. 

Catch Kelsea Ballerini’s “Love Me Like You Mean It” in the video below. And make sure to check out Kelsea Ballerini’s songs! We guarantee that you’ll love them.