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Kelsea Ballerini Debuts Hilarious, "Don't Worry Darling"- Inspired Video for "If You Go Down (I'm Goin' Down Too)"

The 2023 CMT MUSIC AWARDS will air LIVE from Austin, Texas' Moody Center Sunday, April 2nd (8:00-11:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network.

When Kelsea Ballerini wrote "If You Go Down (I'm Goin' Down Too)" with Julian Bunetta and Shane McAnally, she thought of it as an ode to girlfriends - an anthem of loyalty to her besties who have stood beside her. Since then, she realized the song could stretch further than its original intention. But Ballerini opted to embrace the original sentiment when it comes to its video. 

Abi Perl produced the artistic clip, and P. Tracy directed it. The video is a highly stylized mini-movie that leans into the Harry Styles/Florence Pugh "Don't Worry Darling" vibe with vintage pastel fashion mixed with current Versace and Chanel paired with midcentury modern homes.

The video shows Ballerini as the ultra-fashionable wife next door with a gaggle of friends. As the footage unfolds, it balances Lucille Ball and The Chicks' "Goodbye Earl." Ballerini is hilariously sharpening knives, pushing mowers, going to tea parties, and riding in police cars with her head hanging out of the window.

"I wanted something that had a real look and feel to it," Ballerini said in a statement. "But it needed to be fun... and funny. I wanted something that made people laugh and clink their glasses because when I wrote this, I wanted 'If You Go Down' to be a song that was a reason to turn up the dial."

Ballerini, who will co-host the CMT Music Awards on Sunday with Kane Brown, has carved out a thoughtful place for women in country music through humor, vulnerability and transparency. She's not afraid to cry, laugh at her wardrobe malfunctions or be on the best-dressed list at any event. 

However, this song is more tongue-in-cheek than reality.

 "Obviously, it's not true, but it's fun to sing a line like 'Hypothetically, if you ever kill your husband, Hand on the Bible, I'd be lying through my teeth...'," she said in a statement. "Nobody would ever do that, but it's the kind of joke you can take in a song that's funny."

Ballerini will sing the song at the 2023 CMT Music Awards Sunday night. 

The 2023 CMT MUSIC AWARDS will air LIVE from Austin, Texas' Moody Center Sunday, April 2nd (8:00-11:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network and will be available to stream live and on-demand on Paramount+.

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