Kelsea Ballerini's new single, "Homecoming Queen?" provided an emotional wallop from the get-go when she dropped it on Friday (Sept. 6), but the video for the song takes its message to an even deeper level.

The clip, directed by Shane Drake, is deceptively simple in execution, but conveys a highly sensitive, raw vibe. It begins with Ballerini dressed glamorously in a hot pink outfit with matching boots and lipstick, sitting in a chair, singing. As the camera pans around her in a circle, the singer suddenly is changed into casual gray sweats and no makeup. At the very end of the clip, she begins to cry what appears to be very real tears.

"I'’ve learned there’s a lot of strength in vulnerability," Ballerini posted on Instagram. "I’ve learned that cliche catchphrase 'nobody is perfect' is actually true, and when we let ourselves believe it we get freedom from ourselves. I’ve learned that I’m allowed to be happy, glittery, bold, sassy, and to never apologize for that side of myself. I’ve learned to also give myself permission to have a bad day, to feel insecure, to still be discovering who I am as a young woman, and to unzip the mess.

"I was never the literal homecoming queen," she admits. But damn, am I this homecoming queen."

Ballerini has not yet revealed the details for her third album, but she recently told Nashville's Tennessean newspaper that despite her currently positive state of mind (she's happily married to fellow country singer Morgan Evans), the new set will definitely carry an overall sad and reflective tone.

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