Written by: Abbie Alonzo
One of the most amazing ways to show appreciation for your favorite artists and connect with people around the world is through fan accounts. The ability to form relationships with people over loving the same artist is a surreal feeling. This week, we are getting the inside scoop about running a dual-owned fan account from Kelsea Ballerini superfans Ashley and Jenna! @kelseacentral has been running since 2016 and posts everything from updates, to photos and videos of the singer! 🤩
Ashley recalls that she first started listening to Kelsea in 2015. Amid her busy schedule, she did not have time for many leisure activities, but she says she always found time to listen to Kelsea! What drew Ashley to Kelsea was not only her vivacious, feel-good music, but her sincerity and devotion to her fans. Jenna could not agree more, telling us that she found Kelsea to be a down-to-earth, relatable person who she could not help but love and support. She became a fan of Kelsea after first hearing “Love Me Like You Mean It.” ❤️
When asked about their favorite song, both women had a lot to say about “Legends.” Ashley admired Kelsea’s ability to write it as a breakup song, but release it as a love song. She notes that it is a relatable tune that can cater to a multitude of emotions. From happily singing this song at the top of her lungs, to grieving ends of life chapters, this song has been there through it all. Jenna shares that she feels this song has brought her and many friends she met because of Kelsea together. In fact, around the time of its release, she and others came together to get “Legends” to the top of the radio charts! To celebrate this achievement, they also created a #1 banner for Kelsea which hung outside of her management company on Music Row in Nashville! It is truly amazing to see a song evoke such strong emotion and have such a tie to core memories. ☺️
Something that brings us great joy is watching videos of artists we look up to. Whether an interview, performance or music video, there is an element of seeing that artist in this context that registers with fans that they are a real person! We also asked what Ashley and Jenna’s favorite videos of Kelsea were! 📹
For Ashley her favorite videos usually involve watching Kelsea react to something, and there were 3 videos that came to mind! Ashley says, “The first is when she found out 'Love Me Like You Mean It' went number one (her first number one song). The second is when she won her first ACM award. The third is when we presented her number one banner to her at her fan club party one year. She’s sobbing in each of these videos, but it’s such an authentic and genuinely grateful reaction. It truly shows the kind of person she is.” 💗
Jenna had two videos that she absolutely loves. One of them is the music video for “Half of My Hometown.” She says, “So many people wonder where they would be, had they made one decision differently, and that’s what this video is all about.” Jenna also shared an incredibly beautiful story about a video that @kelseacentral made for Kelsea’s birthday in 2019! “We drew inspiration from her single at the time, ‘homecoming queen?’ in which we all shared our biggest insecurity, and then after what Kelsea means to us. It was such a heartwarming video seeing everyone willing to be so vulnerable, and it turned out better than we could have ever hoped!” 😍
With both of these women being fans for so long, we could not wait to hear what their favorite memories with Kelsea are, and honestly, these are pretty tough to beat! Ashley fondly remembers when Kelsea showed up to her birthday party! A friend of Ashley’s had given Kelsea an invitation, not expecting anything to come out of it. Much to everyone’s surprise, though, Kelsea came to the party and hung out with Ashley and her friends! Talk about an unforgettable experience! Jenna has also had the pleasure of spending time with Kelsea! She says that getting to know Kelsea on a real level has been such a privilege. She tells us that Kelsea is the kind of person who will, “take the time to look you in the eyes” and have a genuine conversation with you. Jenna is not only thankful for these meaningful interactions she’s had with Kelsea, but for the people she has connected with because of the singer. These superfans also shared that Kelsea will interact with their account quite often - even going as far as giving them a heads up on when new things will be happening in her career! What an amazing relationship these three have formed! 👩👧👧
Perhaps the most intimate thing fans get from artists is seeing them live. That connection is unlike any other, and Ashley and Jenna can attest to that! Ashley describes Kelsea’s concerts as “a religious experience,” and that her stage presence is unreal! Ashley feels like a different person when Kelsea comes onstage and says every time she sees her she gets an adrenaline rush. Jenna shares how surreal it is to have seen Kelsea go from being an opening act to the main headliner and from playing small venues to arenas. She describes how the connection between Kelsea and her audience is so special, and everyone in the room can feel it. We love that! ✨
With their expertise of Kelsea concerts, we wanted their input on who they would LOVE to see Kelsea play with and what that ideal setlist would look like. Both women recount seeing Kelsea play with Kelly Clarkson, and how it was such an unforgettable experience. They agree that they would LOVE to relive that tour again, or see another up-and-coming, strong, female artist share the stage with Kelsea. Ashley admits she really wants to see a show full of older songs Kelsea doesn’t play live anymore, and Jenna dreams of seeing album cuts or the whole kelsea album live! These sound like GREAT concerts, and we’re crossing our fingers for Kelsea fans everywhere that one day, this will become a reality! 🤞🏽
Being a fan account is TONS of fun but also takes hard work and dedication! We asked Ashley and Jenna what their favorite part about running a fan account is, and here is what they shared! ⭐️
Ashley: “My favorite thing about having our account has been having the creative freedom to express myself. A lot of my creativity comes out within this account, whether that be through the website, fan projects, or finding ways to promote in a way that’s never been done before. I also enjoy meeting followers at events and shows. We have met so many incredible people that will be lifelong friends.” 💞
Jenna: “Being a part of Kelsea Central has been so rewarding. The interactions with Kelsea herself are beyond great, but I think my favorite part is being such a resource for other fans. I love meeting other fans at shows that love Kelsea just as much as I do. I love interacting with them on a daily basis, whether it be regarding a new announcement or a never before seen picture.” 📸
That being said, these two have a ton of memorable experiences running a fan account. Ashley says the most rewarding thing about what she and Jenna do is knowing they have created such a community. Jenna chimes in to explain how this community has contributed many wonderful things, such as making donations to organizations close to Kelsea’s heart for her birthday. This fanbase truly is the gift that keeps on giving! 🤗
At the end of the interview, we asked Ashley and Jenna what message they would want to send to Kelsea. Here is what they said!
Ashley just wants to say a simple thanks! “Thank you so much for being a constant in my life over the years. You are such an incredible person and changed my life in countless ways. I’ll never forget it!” ☀️
And Jenna would want Kelsea to know that she is so proud of who Kelsea is as a person. Of course, Jenna loves Kelsea’s music and is grateful for that always, but Jenna says, “She is one of the best humans I know. She has remained so grounded, so thankful, and has the best heart, and I am so proud of her for remaining the same Kelsea she has always been.” Suddenly our eyes are a bit watery…🥺
Getting an inside look at @kelseacentral has been an honor! We are so happy to be able to share about the amazing women behind the account as well as their inspiration. Running an account like this takes hard work and dedication, and these ladies are crushing it! Thank you so much, Ashley and Jenna, for giving us a behind-the-scenes look at what it takes to run a successful fan account! Make sure you are following @kelseacentral on Instagram, and stay tuned for another Behind the Fan exclusive soon! 🎉
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