The former couple announced their divorce in August.
Morgan Evans is using music to heal. ET's Rachel Smith spoke with the 37-year-old singer at the 2022 CMA Awards on Wednesday, and he revealed how his new track, "Over for You," helped him get through his divorce from Kelsea Ballerini.
"It was a really rough time and writing the song helped sort through a lot of it," he explained. "Sharing it was very vulnerable, but it was cathartic at the same time."
Evans first debuted the song in September at the CMC Rocks QLD Festival in Queensland, Australia. It was fans' response to that performance that inspired him to release the track.
"I just shut my eyes and sang it. It just felt like something I needed to say at the time," Evans told ET of first performing the song. "I didn't know what was gonna happen, but afterwards my phone and the social media and the conversations I was having turned from, like, 'Great show, man,' or 'Come back to Kentucky soon,' to really meaningful things."
"[People would say,] 'Thank you for writing the song. It's helping me get through my divorce,' or, 'I wish I had these words to describe how I felt when I went through my divorce,'" he continued. "I just started having all these meaningful interactions with people and I knew then that it was something I needed to record properly and share like this."
Ballerini, 29, announced her and Evans' divorce in August, nearly five years after they tied the knot.
"This deeply difficult decision is the result of a journey of love, growth, and effort that ultimately has come to an end," she wrote in part. "It's hard to find the words here...but I feel extremely grateful for the years of marriage to Morgan and hopeful for the next seasons."
Evans spoke out shortly thereafter, writing, "I am very sad to confirm that after almost 5 years of marriage, Kelsea and I are parting ways. I wish it were otherwise but sadly it is not."
Then, in October, Ballerini discussed the split once again, this time on CBS Mornings, while promoting her album, Subject to Change.
"I think when there's a big life decision like that, it’s not a sudden one, there is a lot that happens before that becomes public," she said. "So, I'm on my active healing journey. And a big part of that is showing up for this album and showing up for myself like I never have."
"I’m a peacemaker. I’m a people pleaser, so, to do something that kinda goes against those two things is really difficult and I’m really proud of myself," she added. "It’s not chaotic, it’s not volatile, it just didn’t work. And that sometimes is a difficult narrative to get your head around when you're just like, 'Oh my gosh, this is a good person and I'm a good person and this just isn't good anymore.'"
Later that month, multiple outlets reported that the former couple, who had a prenuptial agreement, reached a divorce settlement, as part of which they moved out of their Nashville home and planned to split the profits from its sale.
Don't miss the full list of 2022 CMA Awards winners.
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