Country music star Kelsea Ballerini, 30, shocks fans with “no pants” look at CMT Awards

Ever heard the saying ‘less is more’? Of course you have, you’re a human being, and while you’ll likely agree that it’s a notion that can be applied practically to a number of situations, there are also occasions where the approach kind of, well, falls on its face.

Just ask critics who had plenty to say over a specific outfit worn by country singer Kelsea Ballerini when she hosted the CMT Awards in Austin this past Sunday, April 7.

According to reports, it was the fourth time that Ballerini had taken on hosting duties for the event since 2021. Sunday marked her first time doing it solo, however, and she went through no less than nine outfit changes over the course of the evening.

Of course, glitz and glam and sometimes-questionable wardrobe choices are to be expected at music awards ceremonies, but there were a number of people who felt that Ballerini went slightly too far when she slipped into a gold bodysuit… and seemingly had nothing on underneath.

As per PEOPLE, the 30-year-old had pre-taped a reimagined version of Love Me Like You Mean It a few days before the awards ceremony, wearing the aforementioned gold bodysuit and towering heels, which was then played for the audience. The singer appeared to fully embrace her no-pants moment, but only a day later she opted to address online backlash.

In a video posted to her TikTok channel, Kelsea responded to apparent complaints made by others, including “You forgot your pants for your performance,” to which Kelsea replied “Shut up. No I didn’t.”

“Where are you pants?” another critic supposedly asked. “Shut up,” Kelsea said again.

Fans of the country music star were loving her snappy comebacks, taking to the comments section to show her their support.

“LMAO, kelsea, you look INCREDIBLE tonight,” one fan wrote.

“every outfit slayed,” another wrote.

“It looked amazing,” a third added, “ur perfect.”

At the closing of this year’s show – after 9 outfit changes in total – Kelsea revealed that the evening would mark her final time hosting the event.

“There’s something about this show, in particular, that feels like a summer party,” Ballerini told PEOPLE. “Everyone backstage is ‘cheers’-ing each other and running into each other’s dressing rooms. That’s the energy that I want to bring on screen and into the room.”

What did you think to Ballerini’s ‘controversial’ outfit? Let us know in the comments.