Here Are the Lyrics to Kelsea Ballerini’s ‘Homecoming Queen?’

Kelsea Ballerini's "Homecoming Queen?" lyrics are the most vulnerable she's yet shared with her fans.

Ballerini dropped "Homecoming Queen?" on Friday morning (Sept. 6), giving fans the first taste they've had of her upcoming third studio album. The song is a pensive, very emotional rumination on hiding one's true self behind a public facade, set to a gentle, melodic acoustic arrangement that emphasizes Ballerini's voice and storytelling.

"But what if I told you the world wouldn't end / If you started showing what's under your skin / What if you let 'em all in on the lie? / Even the homecoming queen cries," she sings in the chorus to "Homecoming Queen?"

Ballerini has not yet revealed the details for her third album, but she tells Nashville's Tennessean newspaper that despite her happy marriage to country singer Morgan Evans, much of the new material is sad and reflective.

“I’m writing the most heartbreaking songs I’ve ever written because I understand what went wrong before now. I think the older I get … the more confident I feel about writing that kind of stuff," she says. "I write my songs, and I play guitar, and I write about what I’m going through. I’m just really excited to clean the slate again."

Kelsea Ballerini's "Homecoming Queen?" Lyrics:

Hey homecoming queen / Why do you lie / When somebody's mean? / Where do you hide? / Do people assume / You're always alright? / Been so good at smiling / Most of your life

Pre-Chorus
Look damn good in the dress / Zipping up the mess / Dancing with your best foot forward / Does it get hard / To have to play the part? / Nobody's feeling sorry for ya

Chorus
But what if I told you the world wouldn't end / If you started showing what's under your skin / What if you let 'em all in on the lie? / Even the homecoming queen cries

Hey homecoming queen / How's things at home? / Still walking on eggshells / When that curtain's closed / Did your daddy teach you / How to act tough? / Or more like your momma? / Sweep it under the rug

Second Pre-Chorus
Look damn good in the dress / Zipping up the mess / Dancing with your best foot forward / Did you want the crown / Or does it weigh you down / Nobody's feeling sorry for ya

Second Chorus
What if I told you the world wouldn't end / If you started showing what's under your skin? / What if you let 'em all in on the lie? / Even the homecoming queen cries / Yeah, what if I told you the sky wouldn't fall? / If you lost your composure, said to hell with it all / Not everything pretty sparkles and shines / And even the homecoming queen cries / Oh yeah / Even the homecoming queen cries

Hey homecoming queen / Why do you lie? / When somebody's mean / Where do you hide?

Lindsay Ell Is a One-Woman RockStar With This "Criminal" Performance

29 Songs From Women in Country That Demand Attention: