Kelsea Ballerini’s new EP, Mount Pleasant, has ignited speculation that a new track, “Emerald City,” is a candid reference to Madelyn Cline, the ex-girlfriend of Ballerini’s partner, Chase Stokes.
Released on November 14, the song features lyrics that fans quickly interpreted as detailing feelings of jealousy. “I always liked the color of my eyes ’til I knew she had brown / I’m green,” Ballerini sings, seemingly contrasting her green eyes with Cline’s. She continues, “Always liked my naive innocence ’til I learned she got around / I’m green… If I got you, why does she still get me? / I hate to say it, but damn, she’s pretty.”
The bridge explores these insecurities further: “I’m not crazy / I’m just a girl, kinda jealous, kinda insecure / And I hate how it takes me / down an old road where she used to be yours.”
Listeners immediately took to social media to connect the lyrics to Cline, who dated her Outer Banks co-star Stokes from 2019 to 2020. “Kelsea Ballerini ‘Emerald City’…. Madelyn Cline? 🧐,” one user posted on X, while another claimed the track was about “fighting Madelyn Cline for Stokes.”
The song’s apparent theme of envy stands in contrast to Ballerini’s previous public statements. During a 2023 appearance on the “Call Her Daddy” podcast, she described Cline as “lovely” and “wildly talented,” dismissing rumors of any friction. “I think the internet did its best to make it really weird and it just didn’t work for them,” Ballerini said at the time. “People want drama, they don’t want consistency and happiness… I don’t feel insecure with my relationship.”
The EP arrives after Ballerini and Stokes briefly split before reconciling in November. A source reported that the couple “never really stopped being in touch” and have since “worked through some of their ‘issues.'” The insider added that Stokes “never wanted the breakup” and believed they just needed time to “figure things out.” While Ballerini has not commented on the inspiration for “Emerald City,” its raw lyrics have left fans intently dissecting the personal story behind the song.
