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Kelsea Ballerini Defends Stella Lefty’s Appearance at the Grand Ole Opry

When the Internet attacked the "Boston" singer, who was entertaining kids backstage at the Nashville institution, Opry member Ballerini stepped in

Kelsea Ballerini is defending Stella Lefty after backlash from critics over her Grand Ole Opry debut performance. The Opry shared a backstage moment with two young St. Jude patients, with Lefty singing her viral song “Boston” to the children. Ballerini, a member of the Opry since 2019, stepped in to defend Lefty and the performance.

She explained that while the Opry preserves traditional country music, it also welcomes diverse expressions of the genre. Ballerini emphasized that the institution should be a place where all kinds of country music can coexist, whether traditional, contemporary, or something in between, and that this spirit of celebration should not be lost to criticism.

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