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Kelsea Ballerini proved she only needs a guitar and her voice to capture the attention of a crowd, mesmerizing the audience at the 57th annual CMA Awards with a raw performance of her powerful ballad "Leave Me Again."
Armed with only an acoustic guitar, a single spotlight and a gorgeous glittering gold gown, Ballerini drew the eye of everyone in the room when as she sang about looking after herself, wanting to remember who she is and not lose her sense of self, something she alludes to experiencing in a past relationship.
"I hope when I see you that you smile/ I hope that you find somebody new/ I hope that you get the house, and the good wife, and the kids/ And I hope I never leave me again," she sweetly crooned. After the last note rang out and her voice faded in the quiet, she was met with a standing ovation throughout the arena.
Ballerini seems to be enjoying the relationship she's currently in with Outer Banks star and boyfriend Chase Stokes, who also joined her at the CMA Awards. The pair made a beautiful couple, with Stokes handsome in an all-black suit and Ballerini stunning in a baby pink one-shoulder gown with thigh-high slit.
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Ballerini recently returned to her hometown in Knoxville for a homecoming show, and while it was already a memorable performance, it was made even more unforgettable when she brought out special guest Kenny Chesney, another country superstar from East Tennessee. After performing her ballad "half of my hometown," Chesney said it "felt so great to be back home with a great friend."