1 Kelsea Ballerini Song Was Inspired By a Pinterest Quote
Even this award-winning country singer is searching Pinterest for inspo — not for birthday parties or home decor, though. Kelsea Ballerini wrote one song based on an undeniably honest Pinterest quote. Here’s what we learned about “Stilettos” from The First Time.
‘Stilettos’ by Kelsea Ballerini lyrics and meaning
Ballerini wears her pain in the most fashion-foward way. In 2015, this country artist released “Stilettos” off The First Time. She co-wrote the track with Forest Glen Whitehead and Kevin Savigar, earning over 13 million Spotify plays since its debut.
The high heels are a kind of metaphor in this track, representing a strong female lead as she reacts to her breakup. The narrator says that she learned to be strong, covering her pain with something beautiful, like stilettos.
“I’ll wear my pain like stilettos,” she sings in the chorus. “As bad as it may hurt, no, you’ll never know I’ll keep walking with my head up, putting on a show / And fronting like nothing is wrong I talk the talk like I’m a tough girl / Cause there ain’t room for weakness in a rough world / That keeps saying you were never enough, girl.”
The narrator said they would rather hear the truth than a sugarcoated version. In an effort to make herself (and even her former partner) feel better, she would wear a mask and hide her hurt. Ballerini discussed her people-pleasing tendencies during an interview with Atwood Magazine.
“I’m still getting my footing on what I really want to stand for,” Ballerini noted, “but I think the way that you do that, especially as a chronic people pleaser, is you just kind of word vomit all the things that you’ve experienced in your life, and you find the things that you’re really passionate about standing up for, and then you just do your best to show up for those things.
Kelsea Ballerini found inspiration for ‘Stilettos’ on Pinterest
Ballerini gets songwriting inspiration from several places. For “Stilettos,” in particular, this artist noted Pinterest’s role in her real-life career.
“I saw a quote on Pinterest that inspired that one,” she told Axs.com (via Song Facts). However, the songwriter didn’t specify which quote inspired her, as the image-sharing social media platform is full of uplifting, insightful, and inspirational quotes.
Does Kelsea Ballerini write her own songs?
Ballerini is the mastermind (or at least a co-writer) behind most of her original songs, including one of her most popular releases, “I Quit Drinking.” During an interview with AXS, Ballerini said that her initial songwriting approach wasn’t always comprehensive — when it was time for her debut album, she threw 12 songs together.
“This time, every song that I wrote, I knew it had the chance to be on an album, so it was just a different perspective,” the artist noted regarding 2018’s Unapologetically. She was more involved in the production of her second collection, adding that it has “more heart” as a result.
In 2023, she released her six-song EP, Rolling Up the Welcome Mat. Now, music by Ballerini is available on most major streaming platforms.
