Kelsea Ballerini 'Was Totally Starstruck' When She First Met Lady Gaga — But Pop Star 'Quickly Put Her at Ease'

Kelsea Ballerini might be a showstopper on stage, but the country singer was reportedly in awe when she met Lady Gaga for the first time.

According to an insider, “Kelsea is a huge Gaga fan. She was totally starstruck when they first met, but Gaga quickly put her at ease.”

Though Ballerini’s country background might be an unlikely match to Lady Gaga’s demonic pop music, the two musicians instantly hit it off and have furthered their friendship over time. “Gaga loves country music and was very complimentary. They exchanged info, and things grew from there,” the source revealed.

Since meeting each other, the hitmakers have linked up on multiple occasions, even bringing along their significant others. “When Kelsea is in town, they often get together, and the last couple of times she’s brought Chase [Stokes] with her,” the source told Life & Style.

The confidant added of their hangouts, “There are usually a small group of friends there. And a lot of times, they all end up gathered around the piano after dinner. Gaga loves to host. She gets a lot of joy from making a great meal and sharing it. She’d rather do that than go out to dinner a lot of the time.”

Though Lady Gaga and her fiancé, Michael Polansky, “don’t leave their compound in Malibu much,” the source said Ballerini would like to invite the couple to her home one day — or to her boyfriend’s estate.

“Kelsea would love to return the favor and invite Gaga and Michael over, either to Chase’s place in L.A. or even to her place in Nashville,” they shared.

Ballerini started dating the Outer Banks star in January 2023, while Lady Gaga and her fiancé have been engaged since April 2024.

Two years before the “Cowboys Cry Too” singer stepped into the music scene, Lady Gaga told Rolling Stone in a 2016 interview that she has “a general and deep respect for all country musicians” — a factor that helped them bond.

The “Poker Face” artist continued, “Everyone thinks of rock & roll and country in different ways. Rock & roll, country and blues — they all have babies. So I love Johnny Cash, I love Neil Young, I love Garth Brooks. When I was little, my father used to play ‘I’ve Got Friends in Low Places’ really loud in the basement, and I’d catch him down there dancing by himself, screaming real loud. I thought it was cool.”