When you go to a Kelsea Ballerini show, you’re in for an unexpected treat. The up-and-comer surprises audiences with a blast from the past during her live shows with a medley of '90s pop hits, including songs by Britney Spears, Backstreet Boys and Destiny’s Child. What made her decide to include such an unexpected blend of songs into a country show?

The fun lightning-round of covers is a tribute to the music the 21-year-old grew up listening to, she says. Ballerini explains to Taste of Country that she and the band were trying to come up with cover songs for full-band shows, and she wanted to do songs she loves.

“Britney was my first concert, so I was like, ‘lets just make a mash-up of all these songs,’” she says. “It took us forever to get them all together, but I think it’s our favorite part of the live shows."

Ballerini recently released the music video for her first single, ‘Love Me Like You Mean It,’ off her debut album The First Time, which will be out May 19. The artist has been very busy getting ready for its release, performing on the Today Show and touring with Billy Currington. She created a lot of buzz in early March 2015 when Taylor Swift tweeted about listening to her EP. Not a bad endorsement to have in your back pocket!

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