Kelsea Ballerini Delivers an Acoustic Set to Celebrate ELLE's Women in Music Issue
'[Our Women in Music issue] is one of my favorites to put together,' Garcia said in her toast at the beginning of the night. 'It's really about identifying and celebrating the women whose music and voices are changing the industry and influencing our culture.'
Guests were then invited to enjoy a family-style meal featuring a delicious assortment of dishes from chef Jean-Georges, including fresh salads, gourmet pizzas, prime tenderloin, crispy French fries, and classic rigatoni pomodoro.
For the perfect nightcap, ELLE's digital cover star Kelsea Ballerini performed a cover of 'Dreams' by Fleetwood Mac. Garcia praised the country singer, who just finished a tour and wrapped up a season of The Voice. 'She's not only talented and beautiful, but also an incredibly gifted musician and writer,' she said. 'We are so happy to have you here.'
A known advocate for women's and LGBTQ+ rights, Ballerini was natural fit for ELLE's Women in Music issue. On her album Patterns, she worked with an all-female songwriting team, and even brought drag queens onstage for her performance at the CMT Music Awards. In her cover story, the country star said, 'I never really was loud about anything for a really long time, because I just had to get my footing. And then I was like, 'At the end of the day, I want the people who listen to my music to know what I stand for and hopefully align with it.''
Dessert brought the evening to a sweet close, featuring rich chocolate cake, fresh fruit, and coffee. Click through the gallery below for exclusive photos from inside the event.
Samuel is the Content Strategy Manager at Hearst. Prior to this role, he was an Associate Editor and the Assistant to ELLE's Editor-in-Chief, Nina Garcia. Raised in Des Moines, Iowa, Samuel attended Northwestern University and currently resides in New York City. He is probably humming a tune at his desk right now.
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