Kelsea Ballerini song questions putting career over motherhood

Country singer Kelsea Ballerini's newly released song questions chasing a career amidst desires to be a mother: "Is it my fault for chasing things a body clock doesn’t wait for?"

Ballerini's heartbreaking new song released last Friday, "I Sit in Parks," reveals a woman's longing to be a mother, with lyrics stating, “It breaks my heart 'cause I see just how far I am from the things that I want.”

The song, sung from the first-person point of view, questions whether chasing a career instead of building a family “missed the mark.” 

Key Takeaways:

• Country singer Kelsea Ballerini's new song, "I Sit in Parks" appears to question whether chasing a career instead of choosing to build a family is worthwhile.

• The song speaks of depression and longing, and of the emptiness that even a woman who achieves great success in a career might feel in reflecting upon her life choices.

• Culture consistently pressures women to suppress any desire for motherhood in favor of chasing career success, but there is nothing abnormal or wrong in wanting to build a family.

The Details: 

In the song, 32-year-old Ballerini depicts a scene of a young family playing at a park as she watches the playful interactions of their children.

Referring to the children’s mother, Ballerini sings, “We look about the same age but we don’t have the same Saturdays.” The lyrics ponder, “I wonder if she wants my freedom, like I wanna be a mother.”

Kelsea Ballerini - I Sit In Parks (Official Music Video)

The song calls into question the cultural narrative that suggests women should prioritize career over motherhood. Is having a career true “freedom” for women as culture seems to suggest? 

Ballerini laments in her lyrics, “Rolling Stone says I’m on the right road, so I refill my Lexapro.” These lyrics point to a lingering depression (as Lexapro is an anti-depressant), adding, “I hit the vape, hallucinate a nursery with Noah’s Ark.”

The Big Picture:

Many women have bought into the cultural ‘girl boss’ narrative, which suggests that success equates to a career without the ‘confines’ of motherhood. In fact, a poll from NBC News reports that, when asked, “Which of the following is important to your personal definition of success?” women ages 18-29 ranked “having a job or career you find fulfilling" as number one, while “having children” and “being married” were ranked numbers 10 and 11.

Culture has shaped women’s mindsets to value career above all else – even at the cost of motherhood. But, as Ballerini notes, biology waits for no one: “Is it my fault for chasing things a body clock doesn’t wait for?” the lyrics ask.

What the ‘girl boss’ culture does not equip women for is the biological reality that women’s fertility peaks in their early 20s. In fact, studies show that women are half as fertile in their 30s as they are in their 20s, and further evidence reveals that the probability of conceiving naturally after 35 decreases dramatically. 

What many women don't realize is that corporations care about keeping women in the workforce for their own profitability, not about truly empowering women to — quite literally — raise and nurture the next generation of human beings.

Why It Matters: 

While many women find fulfillment in their work, studies reveal that married women with children are more likely to report being ‘very happy’ when compared with unmarried women or women without children — even when accounting for education, age, and income. 

One former ‘girl boss,’ 28-year-old Henley Carr, shared with with Business Insider her story of chasing the corporate ladder. She said:

“I saw motherhood as a resignation from my success and identity. I adopted this narrative because of pressure to be what I thought was a ‘good feminist’... My interpretation of modern feminism never felt like a warm invitation to motherhood.” 

Despite wrestling with the pressure of the culture's definition of success, Henley recognized her innate desire to be a mother, stating, “Though it was hard to admit, I was certain that I wanted my legacy to be motherhood, not my capacity to rot away in a corporate office.” Since then, Henley has given birth to her first baby. “I’ve never felt more fulfilled than I have since becoming a mother,” she said. 

Both Ballerini's lyrics and Henley’s sentiments reflect the story of women who fall victim to the cultural lies about motherhood's alleged incompatibility with career success, and who recognize their longing for motherhood after seeking career success during their peak years of fertility. 

The reality is, as Live Action founder Lila Rose has stated, “Every woman is wired to motherhood. This doesn’t mean every woman will give birth, but it does mean that every woman is called to bring life.”

The Bottom Line: 

Culture consistently pressures women to suppress any desire for motherhood in favor of chasing career success. But in truth, there is nothing wrong or backward about celebrating the miracle of women's capacity to nurture life in the womb and the strength of motherhood. 

A career alone does not define success. Motherhood is not a limitation — it is an invitation to a higher calling. 

Society must embrace the life-giving role of mothers and stop downgrading the title of “mom.”