In Kelsea Ballerini’s song “Peter Pan,” she presents the idea of immaturity through the use of her male partner. He is a significant motif used to portray adolescent behavior. His childish and irresponsible actions are often depicted throughout the music video. One incident includes scenes where he is piloting an airplane negligently and recklessly. He acts as though the airplane is a toy, and he is simply playing with it. She compares him to the well-known movie character Peter Pan because his actions closely mimic those of Peter. Both will always remain in an adolescent state of mind, will never grow up, and will never reach their true potential. The visual motif of the man piloting the airplane, presents the idea that those who will always be childish and careless will eventually cease to be a part of other’s lives. 

The male character is a significant recurring motif throughout the music video “Peter Pan,” as he exhibits the childish behavior Kelsea references throughout her song. At one point in the video, he is flying an airplane which is continuously flipping and cruising around the main vocalist (1:30). The airplane which he is flying stands out significantly in the context of this scene because it is bright red, and the background is a light tan desert. This display makes it drastically noticeable and catches the attention of the viewer. Red is also the most common color of a toy airplane, emphasizing the use of the plane by the man as a toy. Kelsea wants the audience to recognize and focus on the plane because her male partner’s immaturity is illustrated by the way in which he operates the machine. His maneuvering of the plane represents and emphasizes his adolescent behavior. He perceives the plane as a plaything. There are several close-ups of the male character, which catch the eye of the viewer. He often covers the entire screen in order to emphasize his importance in the song; he is the focal point. Kelsea looks upon the plane with annoyance. The audience can interpret her being irritated with his ridiculous behavior. While all of this is occurring, Kelsea sings the words, “You’ll never grow up. You’re never gonna be a man, Peter Pan” in the background. These lyrics encompass the main idea of this song. Her male partner will always be selfish and immature; he will never grow up. He is more concerned with having fun than with his responsibilities or obligations. In his eyes, having a good time is the most important aspect of life, just as a young child views life as a game. It is also notable that Kelsea never mimics this juvenile behavior. For instance, she does not accompany him in the plane but rather remains on the ground, showing a drastic difference between the two individuals’ maturity levels. She has a more realistic outlook on life, while his head is essentially “in the clouds.” 

Earlier in the music video, the same motif of the male character is presented. The image of the man is magnified with a long-shot perspective of the airplane and the character (1:07). This allows the background to be more incorporated into the scene and the plane to stand out significantly against the dull desert. He is shown smiling throughout this scene, displaying that he is excited and thrilled to once again dismiss his responsibilities in order to play with the “toy.” This is similar to the way a child acts upon receiving a new toy. The male character is overjoyed to fly the airplane because it helps him forget reality for a while. Flying the plane is a game in his eyes. It is also notable that the man piloting the airplane throughout the scene does not gaze at the camera, making him difficult to identify with, just as his idea of life is not understandable to the singer. He avoids eye contact with Kelsea because he knows he is not relatable to her. Many adults cannot comprehend the idea of acting like an adolescent their entire life and therefore, are unable connect with him. Kelsea, on the other hand, looks directly at the camera, enabling her to make that connection with the audience. Many can relate to her because they have interacted with someone whose immature behavior is similar to that of the main character and realize that it is intolerable. The viewer is also able to observe the perspective of the pilot in this scene (1:08). This reinforces his childish conduct, as the audience is able to view his lack of responsibility through the tricks and flips he operates with the plane. His constant laughing showing how he views life as a joke. The lyrics that accompany this scene are, “You’re always gonna fly away just because you know you can. Never gonna learn there’s no such place as Never Land.” These lyrics demonstrate the recurring theme of immaturity and refer back to the movie “Peter Pan.” Once again, he is flying irresponsibly and carelessly in the airplane, which represents his ignorance. The man in the video perceives life to be a game, and he feels no need to act responsibly, imitating Peter Pan’s behavior. He lives in a fantasy world because he is so unsophisticated and foolish.

Kelsea Ballerini’s song “Peter Pan” embraces the concept that some people will always remain immature, which will eventually result in their alienation from other’s lives. Kelsea presents this throughout her song, both visually and vocally, with the use of the male character, the airplane and her lyrics. She often sings, “You’re never gonna grow up.  You’re never gonna be a man, Peter Pan.” These words portray the man as being extremely naive and demonstrate that he will always be this way. Toward the end of the song, she stares at the male character annoyingly, which represents that she is appalled with his obnoxious behavior. It leads the audience to conclude that he will suffer the consequences of being eliminated from her life because she can no longer accept nor condone his actions. Throughout the video, the male character depicts his childishness to the audience through his actions while flying the airplane. The airplane is regarded as a toy by him. The plane reverts back to the main idea that the man piloting it will never grow up and will always be reckless and irresponsible. His actions are very similar to those of Peter Pan. Both have an adolescent outlook on life and feel no need to assume any responsibilities. The man in this music video is extremely callow, and he exhibits this behavior by naively and witlessly flying around, just like Peter Pan does. 
