If you’re anything like me, you have a Spotify playlist for every occasion.
When it’s rainy and I’m driving, the only acceptable playlist is my “In My Feels” playlist. If I’m at a cookout with a group of friends, and I get handed the aux cord, I have no choice but to pull out the “Cookout” playlist. (It is quite literally called that.) During my daily walk up the hill to class in the morning, I always have to whip out my “Morning Hike” montage. Each is different and purposefully separate from the others.
Kelsea Ballerini’s “Subject to Change” ultimately feels like what would happen if she mixed together all of her playlists.
The contentedness she adopts on the album closer, “What I Have,” flows perfectly with the vulnerable, acoustic production and album theme of coming to terms with life changing.
It does not, however, flow perfectly with the album’s lead single and Top 30 hit, “Heartfirst.” The single is quite literally the definition of bubblegum pop and does not match the energy of the promotional single, “What I Have.”
What’s even more interesting is how neither sound like the Kelly Clarkson and Carly Pearce-featured “You’re Drunk, Go Home.” My first listen transported me to an old-fashioned saloon from the days when western films were graced by Clint Eastwood.
None of these songs are bad. As a matter of fact, I hold a positive opinion about the better half of the songs on this record. My biggest complaint really arises between the tracks.
Most albums have happy and sad songs, ballads and bangers, but it put me on a rollercoaster of emotions to have the tracklist go from saloon banger, “You’re Drunk Go Home,” to clappy TikTok-esque tune, “Doin’ My Best,” to vulnerable and metaphorical, “Marilyn.”
It just doesn’t stand well altogether.
While most songs fit the album theme astonishingly well, Ballerini fails to solidify a sound for herself on this project.
“Subject to Change” checks off a lot of boxes: The songwriting is superb, the theme is obvious and relatable and it radiates strong positivity. The only real problem here is that it isn’t consistent in the production department.
The aforementioned “What I Have” is the easy standout for me, but I also heavily suggest checking out the good time that is “If You Go Down (I’m Goin’ Down Too).” The latter is a tale of friendship that I’m sure listeners will be able to pin to someone in their life.
Ballerini’s fourth album gets a 7/10 from me. Despite the confusing production, it still sounds good and, strangely, doesn’t cause me to lose sense of what the album is about. I’ll be dividing many of these songs into my collection of playlists, but I doubt I’ll ever listen to the album all the way through again — despite there being minimal skips.
Ballerini is an incredibly talented singer-songwriter, but I wish “Subject To Change” understood its sound a bit better.
