Kelsea Ballerini showed off her new ink at the 2023 MTV Video Music Awards on Tuesday.
The country star – who celebrated her 30th birthday on the same day – walked the red carpet with boyfriend Chase Stokes, revealing a tattoo of a hummingbird on the middle of her back as she turned to the cameras.
Ballerini shared a photo on Instagram at the awards, posing with the tattoo in full view before performing on stage.
“I’m about to perform at freaking @vmas on my freaking 30th birthday, pinch me and tune in ❤️💋,” she captioned the post.
Before the show, Ballerini told MTV that she came up with the idea of combining red with Stokes. Ballerini wore a custom silk Mônot gown with a plunging neckline. Stokes, 30, wore a red blazer over a black shirt, with white trousers and black loafers.
Chase Stokes and Kelsea Ballerini at the 2023 MTV Video Music Awards at the Prudential Center on September 12, 2023 in Newark, New Jersey.
Kevin Mazur/Getty
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“It’s too much to really process to be honest with you,” Ballerini said. “I’m overstimulated in every way. To be able to perform at a show like this of all genres and represent country music (hopefully well) but also myself — I feel like this has been such a big year in my personal life and career and I feel really lucky to be able to present it tonight. My mom is here, my man is here, my friends are here. I’m happy.”
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The “Penthouse” singer shared the stage with several superstars, including Megan Thee Stallion, Cardi B, Demi Lovato, Doja Cat, Lil Wayne, Olivia Rodrigo, Anita, Stray Kids and host of the ceremony, Nicki Minaj, among others.
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Global Icon Award winner Sean “Diddy” Combs and Video Vanguard Award winner Shakira performed later in the evening.
Although Ballerini attended this year’s VMAs for the first time, the singer-songwriter knows how to rock an awards outfit. In April, she co-hosted the CMT Music Awards with Kane Brown and changed into lots of fun looks to lift the spirits.
She also sang her 2022 song “IF YOU GO DOWN (I’M GOIN’ DOWN TOO)” with RuPaul’s Drag Race contestants joining her in vocal harmony, as a way of protesting against laws targeting drag performers.
Earlier this week, the singer teased her VMA debut on Instagram, captioning a pre-birthday post with, “THIRTY to life would go faster with them 🫶 now let’s *officially* usher in this next decade on Tuesday at the VMAs, shall we? !”
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Source: HIS Education