I sing about love a lot. There is a need for more love in the world, and my goal is to connect people with it. That being said, love can look a lot of different ways. During a meeting with my team, they were adamant about getting me to talk my shit on a record. “Do you not know who you are? You’re Ballad! There isn’t anyone else like you. You can’t be afraid to say that and believe it.” That got me thinking of the kind of love I don’t usually sing about. That’s when “Stories” was born. It’s about having love for yourself and keeping those who don’t deserve your love out.
We often let people enter and exit our lives without recourse. They take from us, and they leave us no better off than w...