‘Catch of the Day’ – Kelsea Ballerini – “Yeah Boy” [AUDIO]

Today we take a look (and listen) at the latest from an artist who was born in Tennessee and grew up in Nashville, and who lists artists as varied as Britney Spears, Frank Sinatra and Alison Krauss as her early musical influences. An artist who recently became only the second female artist in country music history to score number one hits with her first three singles.

Kelsea Ballerini was born in Knoxville, TN and began performing at age 3, taking dance classes and also sang at church and school choirs. Her father was a country radio programmer, giving her an early introduction to the country music business. Kelsea began writing song at age 12, when she wrote a song for her mother while her parents were going through a divorce. Songwriting became young Kelsea's escape from the upheaval in her life, and 3 years later Kelsea's mom packed them up and moved to Nashville to give the young singer a better chance at a music career.

After high school, Ballerini attended Lipscomb University for 2 years, while shopping her songs around Music Row, always approaching meetings with music companies with an opportunity to learn and grow professionally, that way, she was never disappointed in the outcome. But it didn't take long for Nashville to recognize Ballerini's vision, ambition, natural talent and down-home, genuine charm. Black River Publishing signed Ballerini to a publishing contract in 2013, and Black River Entertainment's CEO Gordon Kerr soon followed suite, offering the singer a record contract at the company's Christmas party.

Kerr's faith in Ballerini didn't go unrewarded. The company released her first single, "Love Me Like You Mean It" in October of 2014, releasing a self-titled EP featuring the song in November. She was quickly named one of CMT's Women of Country, and when the single hit #1 in July of 2015, Ballerini became the first female country artist to hit #1 with her debut single since Carrie Underwood hit the top of the chart in 2006 with "Jesus Take The Wheel", and only the 11th female country solo artist in history to accomplish the feat. When her follow-up single was released soon after, and when "Dibs" hit #1 in March, Kelsea became only the fifth female solo artist to top the charts with her first two singles, the first since Jamie O'Neal in 2001.

Both singles were featured on Balerini's debut album, which was appropriately titled The First Time, which was released in May of 2015. The third single from the album put the singer in some pretty elite company. When "Peter Pan" hit #1 on the Billboard Country Singles chart on September 24, Ballerini became only the second female solo country artist to hit #1 with her first three singles, the first since Wynonna in 1992. With the song, she also became the first female country artist in history to top both the Billboard Country Singles and Billboard Country Airplay charts simultaneously.

With the fourth single from the album, Ballerini is taking a shot at history. No female artist has ever topped the country charts with her first four singles, and we have that single in our spotlight today. Kelsea Ballerini and "Yeah Boy" is today's Catch of the Day, new music you haven't heard, but you'll want to hear it again.