CMT’s latest installment of its musical crossover series CMT Crossroads pairs the pop country of singer-songwriter Kelsea Ballerini with the electronic-pop of the performer Halsey. The mash-up, which was filmed at Ascend Amphitheater in Nashville in October, premieres March 25th.
Ahead of the episode’s airing, CMT has released the first video of the two singers, a buoyant if moody collaboration on Halsey’s “Graveyard.” The single, off of Halsey’s 2020 album Manic, finds the artists trading verses and complementing each other with vocal runs.
This marks the 70th episode of CMT Crossroads, which has evolved toward more pop-centered artists since its roots-y premiere with Lucinda Williams and Elvis Costello in 2002.
Ballerini is gearing up to release a new album later this year, the follow-up to 2017’s Unapologetically. In the fall, she unveiled the single “Homecoming Queen?” which she also performed at November’s CMA Awards. Halsey also performed at the CMA Awards, joining Lady Antebellum on “Graveyard” and the trio’s “What If I Never Get Over You.”
CMT Crossroads with Ballerini and Halsey airs March 25th at 10 p.m. ET. Earlier this week, CMT announced that it would program a 50/50 balance of music videos by both male and female artists, effective immediately. It’s the latest effort by the network to further gender parity in country music and comes shortly after CMT announced its Next Women of Country class for 2020.
