Kelsea Ballerini is clapping back at haters after receiving criticism over her pantsless CMT Music Awards performance.
The "Rolling Up the Welcome Mat" singer took to TikTok to respond to the criticism over her outfit when she performed "Love Me Like You Mean It." Internet trolls poked fun at the bedazzled leotard, asking: "Where are your pants?"
"'You forgot your pants for your performance' - shut up. No I didn't," Ballerini said, mocking critics in the new social media video.
Ballerini brushed off the negativity by insisting that she was a fan of her outfit, which was complete with a pair of sheer tights and high heels, with Ballerini sporting a long ponytail.
"It looked hot. Period. Bye," she laughed as she shut off her camera.
Other social media users quickly came to her defense, stating that she looked "incredible" and that her outfits were "on point." The video was posted immediately following the broadcast while she was getting her makeup touched up. Throughout the ceremony, the "Blindsided" singer had nine outfit changes.
@kelseaballerini ♬ original sound - Kelsea Ballerini
The costume is similar to what typical pop singers wear during their performances, which led another TikTok commenter to point out that "Taylor Swift does it no one says anything."
Leading up to the ceremony, Ballerini's only concern about her outfits would be tripping over the large heels she typically wears at the CMTs. This was her first year hosting it solo, without being able to lean on Kane Brown.
"I wear a lot of very large heels, and now I don't have a friendly arm next to me to help me not trip. So that's terrifying," she told Variety before the awards show.
The "Penthouse" singer went on to discuss her love of experimenting with fashion throughout the awards ceremony. She says that her hopes her fashion sense can show off her "goofy" side, while still maintaining her credibility as an artist.
"I do know going into these moments that I love having fun with the fashion and the looks and all that stuff, and I really pride myself on not taking myself too damn seriously. And I think especially with this show, and really with the script this year in particular, I get to lean into that more and just kind of be who I am," she states.
Ballerini is never one to back down from making a statement at the awards show. In 2023, she performed her song "If You Go Down (I'm Goin' Down Too)" with several drag queens, right as states like Texas and Tennessee were formulating anti-drag and anti-LGBTQ bills and legislation.
Following the performance, Ballerini told Alex Cooper on the Call Her Daddy podcast that she thought it was a "really important time to show up" for the community.
"What I'll say is I can't imagine what it feels like to be the drag queen on stage because the hate that I got for that was the loudest I've ever gotten from the public, but it doesn't compare to what they're getting all the time," said Ballerini.
