Kelsea Ballerini Combats ‘Country Fried’ Hair in New Retro Pantene Spot (Exclusive)

Kelsea Ballerini kicked off the first half of 2025 with a North American tour, her own seat as a judge on season 27 of The Voice and many sexy red carpet appearances alongside her boyfriend, actor Chase Stokes.

Now, the singer is bringing her vibrant personality, beautiful blonde waves and signature country sass to Pantene’s new “Country Fried Hair” campaign, offering a playful take on how to combat damage with the brand’s new regenerative oils collection.

The backdrop? A country diner that takes inspiration from the most iconic era in country music —a time that spans from the 50s to the 70s— and serves up restorative hair products for healthy, shiny strands.

“I wish country fried hair was my idea. It’s brilliant!” Ballerini tells PEOPLE. “It’s so fun — it’s retro and a little cheeky. I get to wear this really cool diner outfit.”

The singer adds that big, styled hair is so synonymous with country music, the theme really resonates.

“The phrase, the higher the hair, the closer to Jesus, I feel like that’s very country music because it’s all glitter and big hair,” she says. “Historically, if you look at specifically the women in country music, it’s Dolly Parton, Loretta Lynn, Reba [McEntire], Shania [Twain]. I grew up listening to music from women that just had the style and the hair of the classic country woman.”

With all that big hair comes a lot of heat styling and inevitable damage, which this campaign tackles head on.

“It’s great to be able to show that side of hair damage, that things that aren’t perfect don’t have to heavy… it can be fun and cheeky,” she says. “And I think just having that narrative around everything that we’re heading towards is important to me.”

Ballerini first partnered with Pantene in October 2023, during her self-described “healing era,” where she focused on mending from her broken heart after her 2022 divorce from Morgan Evans. She also focused on healing her hair. The partnership continues to follow the superstar’s evolution following the hit off her latest album Patterns, as she shares her music across the country — and world — on the Pantene’s Fixins Truck tour.

Upcoming tour stops include Ballerini’s hometown of Knoxville, the Texas State Fair and Red River Rivalry weekend. (Follow along on Pantene’s Instagram and with #PanteneFixins for the latest updates!)

“There’s a reason that I love Pantene — it’s nostalgic for me and it has such an iconic smell,” she says. “Those products that you can travel with, that can bring consistency to you when you’re living a very inconsistent life are really important to me. It makes you feel comfortable.”

Below, Ballerini opens up more about her haircare routine, style evolution and what inspires her music.

PEOPLE: You rock short hair in this campaign. What about short hair makes you feel confident?

KELSEA BALLERINI: I think the fun part about being a girl is being able to play and change up your look. Whether it’s length or style, all of it is fun and it just requires keeping up with it and taking care of it.

PEOPLE: You are heat styling your hair a lot. How do you keep it healthy?

BALLERINI: I’ve been trying to do the wash three times a week and training my hair to do that. It’s so hard. But my favorite thing is before a hair-wash day, just soaking my hair. And for me, I’ll use the Pantene Miracle Rescue Regenerative Hair Oil, and I sleep in it, and it just feels so good. And then the next day you shower and you’re like, “Okay, I know I did something good for myself.” It’s like a ritual kind of thing. It becomes your meditative time. I will also fully just take a day and do the hair oil, slick it back and go out and live my life. I probably would’ve never done that a couple of years ago, I was still full beat going to the grocery store with heels on, and now I cannot be bothered. I really want to be comfortable.

PEOPLE: The vibe of the whole ad is very retro. Is there a trend you’d love to bring back from the past?

BALLERINI: I’m loving a strong shoulder. It’s so funny. A couple of years ago, I was like, “I don’t want a big brow and you’re never going to get me in a shoulder pad.” And now I’m like, “Let’s get this brow super lined and give me that shoulder pad.” It feels like it has a boss energy to it.

PEOPLE: Be honest: Does Chase [Stokes] steal your Pantene?

BALLERINI: He does. He has great hair and it grows like a weed. It’s crazy. We share pretty much everything. He’s 32. I’m 31. So I think getting in that healthy routine is [important]. The 30s, they come in real hard.

PEOPLE: Has your approach to wellness and self-care changed since being in your 30s?

BALLERINI: I really care about taking care of myself more than I ever have. I don’t know if that’s being in my 30s or what it is, but I think in all the ways I want to be a healthy person. That goes from doing therapy for my brain and my heart to doing masks and hair oils for my hair to red light for my face. To Pilates for my body-ody. I really do try to do it all and prioritize that in my life now. Instead of playing catch up, it’s just being consistent with healthy habits.

PEOPLE: Who do you look to for inspiration right now?

BALLERINI: I’m inspired by people that have their own kind of style. The people that are the trendsetters. In country [music], people like Karen Fairchild. She’s just been this classic pillar in our genre for so long, and she’s always been so fashion-forward and I think in a way that’s not traditionally country and that’s always been really inspiring to me. I’m always like, “Karen, what do I wear to this? Karen, what do you think about this?”

I also love people like Reba. You’ve seen her really be, she’s been Reba McEntire. She’s stuck to her look and she stuck to the way that she’s always presented herself. I watch her and it’s like, “God. First of all, you look like you haven’t aged in 17 years.” She’s just always kept that same aesthetic. I respect that.

PEOPLE: How has your style evolved?

BALLERINI: For me, in the 10 years that I’ve been touring and doing music, I’ve had 17 versions of myself. But I also like that because that’s showing that you’re playing and you’re growing and you’re changing. You’re growing up.

PEOPLE: Do you have a go-to red carpet dressing philosophy?

BALLERINI: I’m never consistent! I really love playing with different looks and I work with amazing stylists who are always pushing me in different directions. It’s play for me. I remember when I was a kid, that the things that I would do would be in my mom’s bathroom and use her curler, her mascara and all that. I had this trunk of clothes and I would just play dress up all the time. And I feel like that’s part of what I get to do now and what I’m lucky enough to get to do. There are certain carpet looks that I look back on and I’m like, “You know what? Not my favorite, but I’m glad I tried it.”

PEOPLE: What’s your approach to stage dressing?

BALLERINI: All the glitter, all the time. The things that I wear on stage, I would never wear in real life, but I think it’s just a place where you can be larger than life. And I really do lean in. My shows have really become, for the girls and the gays. When I see a straight man at a show, I’m like, “Was it your girlfriend that dragged you here or what’s going on?” Everyone’s welcome and I want everyone to be there, but I put on my show for the girls and the gays.

PEOPLE: What does a perfect day look like for Kelsea Ballerini?

BALLERINI: I really get bored easily, so every day looks different. When I’m home, I crave having a routine and consistency. And when I’m gone from that home base, having something new every day that keeps me on my toes, whether it’s doing a shoot or in rehearsals with my band or back in the studio or being on the road or being in the seat for The Voice. I love that I’m getting to play and wear all these different hats and there’s no space to get bored. And I’m always challenged in some way. And I think that is a perfect day for me.

PEOPLE: What makes for a better song — a broken heart or falling in love?

BALLERINI: Great question. I’m probably the wrong person to ask. When I’m happiest, it’s hardest for me to write. I really have always been drawn to songs, writing them and just as a fan and listener, that dig into the complexities of life, whether that be relational heartbreak or family dynamics or the nuance of growing up and the ickiness of that. That to me is what I relate to the most. Even when I’m happy, I feel like there’s something that… This is why I think Adele is the greatest ever. When you’re happy, you’re probably going to spend your Saturday night getting dressed up and going out with your partner or going out with your girlfriends and dancing and having a beautiful meal. When you’re heartbroken, you’re probably going to spend your Saturday night singing in your comfy pants crying, listening to Adele.