WORD SALAD

During a radio event at Nashville’s The Analog, Black River Entertainment star Kelsea Ballerini joins a perky photo op with Team RCA, who schooled her in, among other things, how the word “buddy” acquires new meaning with the tiniest changes in inflection. For example, Co-President Joe Riccitelli elaborated, “Buuu-uuu-dddy” means “Our understanding was that spins would go up in Tuscaloosa this week,” whereas “Buu-uh-ddy” means “I will have the hot chicken with a side of potato salad, please.” Seen saying it all with their eyes are (l-r) RCA’s Jeff Rizzo, Andy Flick, Melanie Kassis, Jessie Maldonado and Wendy Goodman, Ballerini, Nipper’s Riccitelli, Pam Kaye and Val Pensa, and BRE’s Rick Froio and Brian Rhodes.