Kelsea Ballerini Makes a Bold Declaration About Taylor Swift’s 'Cursing'

Kelsea Ballerini is giving credit where credit is due—and in this case, that means speaking freely on how she really feels about Taylor Swift recording music with curse words.

While promoting her new album, Patterns, the four-time Grammy nominee recently opened up about her early career, songwriting and what she's learned from observing the international pop superstar in a new interview with Taste of Country Nights host Evan Paul.

???? SIGN UP for Parade's Trending News newsletter & we'll keep you in the know on the viral pop culture moments & celebrity news everyone is talking about ??????

During their lively conversation, Ballerini let slip exactly how the "I Can Do It With a Broken Heart" singer influenced her as a songwriter and recording artist, telling Paul that, yes, they still keep in touch.

"I think when she started, like, cursing on her records, I think she kind of gave everyone permission to just talk ... write like they talk and write the full truth," Ballerini said of the 34-year-old pop star, who has made quite the name for herself utilizing autobiographical storytelling in her lyrics, "Easter Eggs" and intentional but limited use of more adult phrases and curse words.

"And so, yeah, I was very careful to not say anything on this record just for shock and awe, but if it felt like it was the right thing to say, I would say it," Ballerini added.

Early in her career, Swift didn't often curse on her records—so fans can count and pinpoint the exact lyrics in which she debuted what some may see as "naughty" language. "S--t" made its first recorded debut in "I Did Something Bad" on her sixth studio album, Reputation. And it wasn't until she changed labels and released her eighth studio record, Folklore, that the world heard Swift sing the word "f--k"—a detail that's probably made the already hard-hitting lyrics hit even harder. 

It also represents the clear division from the "Radio Disney" aesthetic artists like Ballerini and Swift, whose careers kicked off at such a young age with hits that "weren't calculated," as Ballerini suggested.

"I started so young and while 'Love Me Like You Mean It' and 'Dibs' were played on country radio, they were also on, like, Radio Disney. And so I just, I was really—not calculated in that—but, like, protective of that," Ballerini shared. "I'm 31, you know? And so I think especially with [Rolling Up the Welcome Mat], I was just like, I just want to write like I talk."

Related: We The Kings Singer Travis Clark Makes a Bold Claim About a Taylor Swift Song

And that's exactly what she did for her latest full-length record, Patterns, out everywhere on Friday, Oct. 25.

Hopefully, fans will witness more of Ballerini's authentic adult self next spring, during Season 27 of The Voice, where she will serve as a coach and be seated in the red swivel chairs alongside Michael Bublé, John Legend and Adam Levine. She was previously a Season 16 battle advisor for Kelly Clarkson and later made a guest appearance as a fill-in coach when the American Idol alum was sick during Season 20.

Here's to hoping Ballerini is willing to pass down advice shared with her by not one but two Grammy-winning pop sensations!

Next: Taylor Swift's Eras Tour Opener Offers Candid Opinion of the "Way She Does Business"