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Taylor Hill<\/cite><\/p>\n Art is open to subjective interpretation, of course, but I\u2019m not convinced everyone debating the meaning and message of a new Kelsea Ballerini<\/a> song is doing it because they\u2019d like to engage critically with the artist\u2019s work.<\/p>\n The song in question is the country star\u2019s new single, \u201cI Sit in Parks.\u201d It\u2019s a melancholy reflection<\/a> on the feeling we all have from time to time about the lives we might have lived. Ballerini<\/a> describes sitting in a park watching a woman her own age having a picnic with her husband and kids. The singer wonders if it\u2019s too late for her to have her own family, which she makes clear she wants, and if she\u2019d be happier if she\u2019d gone after that dream instead of her dream career.<\/p>\n On YouTube, the music video has drawn mostly positive comments from people who relate to the feeling evoked by the song. Many are from women in their 30s who say they are trying to have their first children (for context, Ballerini is 32). Some talk about \u201cGod\u2019s timing,\u201d though others are less supportive, advising women not to \u201cwait\u201d or warning that the \u201cgreat millennial regret\u201d of putting off parenthood is coming.<\/p>\n And in even less supportive corners of the internet, things are getting more heated. Let\u2019s get into it on the latest TL;DR<\/a>\u2026<\/p>\n When you look at the lyrics alone, Ballerini is clear that she chose, of her own free will, to prioritize her career. The only outside voice she seems to be listening to is Rolling Stone<\/em> (\u201cBut Rolling Stone<\/em> says I\u2019m on the right road \/ So I refill my Lexapro\u201d). She\u2019s not even weighing two value systems (careerism versus family; left versus right; work versus home) or ideologies. She\u2019s simply contending with the biological reality of fertility<\/a>.<\/p>\n It\u2019s a pretty apolitical and personal stance, and one that many women of all ages understand. She\u2019s not debating whether or not she should or will have children, just acknowledging that she pursued her dreams and wondering what life would be like if she had taken another path.<\/p>\n At one point she does sing, \u201cI wonder if she wants my freedom like I wanna be a mother.\u201d Put another way, Ballerini recognizes that having a family requires some level of sacrifice of one\u2019s freedom.<\/p>\n In a nutshell, conservative commentators are blaming any sad feelings the song evokes on feminism, ascribing the fact that Ballerini doesn\u2019t have any kids to wokeness at large. \u201cHow many hearts has feminism broken with its lies?\u201d asks one Christian influencer on X.<\/a><\/p>\n An op-ed on Fox News<\/a> at least takes the song more seriously, pointing out that Ballerini isn\u2019t bitter and \u201cdoesn\u2019t villainize anyone,\u201d but the author does villainize society at large, writing that \u201cthe world\u201d told Ballerini not to want motherhood.<\/p>\n Meanwhile, The Daily Wire<\/a><\/em>\u2019s coverage says: \u201cThere is a group of women who feel duped by the subtle yet relentless messaging to build their careers and identities first and worry about marriage and family later\u2026or never.\u201d<\/p>\n These \u201ctakes\u201d operate from the premise that women are somehow brainwashed in and out of motherhood like it\u2019s a trend. If you look at the comments of the women relating to the song, however, that\u2019s not the reasoning they\u2019re giving for delaying having kids. The vast majority of comments on TikTok are from women who say they didn\u2019t meet their partners until their mid-30s, suggesting that it\u2019s the dating scene that\u2019s to blame (if we want to play the blame game here).<\/p>\n \u201cSo many women have felt this,\u201d wrote one. \u201cI never thought I wouldn\u2019t be a mother until my 30s. But that\u2019s what happened and that\u2019s what was meant to happen. So many years left ahead of all of us women. Anything is possible.\u201d Added another, \u201cThank you so much for this song, my 30-something soul broke for those of us who are questioning our yesterday\u2019s choices that made our today\u2019s\u2026but my heart smiled.\u201d<\/p>\n As another put it, \u201cValid feeling of not being where ya wanna be in life at a certain age.\u201d<\/p>\n We also have actual data to explain why women are putting off becoming mothers. Yes, prioritizing their career may be part of the decision. But also, kids cost a lot of money<\/a>. The average age of a first-time homeowner is skyrocketing.<\/a> And it\u2019s a precarious world that feels pretty risky<\/a>.<\/p>\n <\/a><\/figure>\n Celebrity News<\/p>\n Kelsea Ballerini and Chase Stokes Split After Almost Three Years Together<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n The country star and the actor\u2019s breakup was seemingly amicable.<\/p>\n Though she hasn\u2019t addressed the discourse directly, Ballerini did explain a bit about where she was emotionally while writing the song and the Mount Pleasant<\/em> EP at large. In a TikTok<\/a> video shared with fans on November 13, the singer-songwriter recounted a whirlwind spring\u2014including an arena tour and a stint on The Voice<\/em>\u2014that was followed by a period of solitude and reflection. It was during this post-burnout haze that she asked herself, What\u2019s a pulse check on myself at 32 if I have nothing to busy myself out of feeling it?<\/p>\n \u201cWhat I want in my life now is different than what I wanted at 25\u2026and also acknowledging that I\u2019m not 25 anymore, and having all these feelings come up to the surface and having all this time and space to not run from it,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n It\u2019s resonating with them, and they\u2019re helping each other through it. One of the most popular TikToks using the song is a video of a woman with cancer crying on her couch thinking about how she might have waited too long to have kids. Ballerini commented on it, sending the woman a virtual hug. Read through the comments if you want to be thoroughly heartened by tales of women in their late 30s and early 40s having healthy children, or just a lot of people relating to one another about the struggles of life in a nonjudgmental way. Here\u2019s the link!<\/a><\/p>\n Originally Appeared on Glamour<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\nWhat does \u201cI Sit in Parks\u201d actually say?<\/h3>\n
What is the debate over the song?<\/h3>\n
What has Ballerini said about all this?<\/h3>\n
How are her fans feeling?<\/h3>\n
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