He’s not just another artist hailing from one of the greatest musical regions in America, because Jelly Roll has a good story to tell, so we should be paying attention.
Most recently collaborating with mgk on the hit ‘Lonely Road’ and Post Malone on his new country album, F-1 Trillion; and of course having racked up Grammy nominations and a natural affinity for the top end of the charts, Jelly Roll is making it big in the music world. His punchy voice is worth lending a critical ear, and his lyrical finesse demands honesty – earning him an image as the most authentic new country artist in the game. There seems to be something for everyone to like about his music.
It feels like Jason DeFord (aka Jelly Roll) has come out of nowhere, but his rise is synonymous with those humble artists who have just had to wait for their moment – and it appears to have been worth the wait. Jelly’s been putting music out since 2003, but it was only in the last couple years that he’s broken the mold, and secured himself into stardom. He’s a versatile artist, showcasing his ability to meet country’s synergy with pop & RnB, featuring himself in numerous singles with other artists of his time. The husk over his voice gives it longevity and breadth, with a vocal range to be envious of. In the mid ranges he seems comfortable, but it’s the belted notes delivered in a semi-baritone manner which satisfies us. The raspy, almost crack, of his voice never misses a crescendo.
With country music being so hot right now, his presence in the community is welcomed by both musicians and audiences. Many artists are collaborating with him left, right, and center, and it’s almost hard to keep up with the output. It’s important to note that Jelly wasn’t always a country artist though, in fact he first started making music back in 2003, independently releasing original hip-hop and rap mix-tapes. He soon began to collaborate, firstly with rapper Lil Wyte on the track ‘Pop Another Pill’ which garnered 6.3 million views on YouTube in 2010. It seems that this experience laid the foundation for Jelly Roll to establish himself as someone who could effortlessly blend styles, coinciding with the resurgence of country and adding a modern flare that lands strongly with active listeners.
His voice has been the bedrock of his music though, beginning with exclusively rapping, until his confidence to sing was strong enough to resonate and keep resonating. We continually get to revisit his ascending rasp that creeps in tastefully throughout his repertoire. He has a slight croon and waver in his vocal range, synonymous with country singers. The finesse about his vocal performances enables him to align with other artists with ease and often take a hybrid approach to his stylistic choices, blending country with genres nearby. The most notable example of this recently was his feature on ‘Wild Ones’ by Jessie Murph. The song features a boom-bap country backdrop, while Jessie lays down some bars, before Jelly Roll comes in the second half with a tight rap. A well-executed hybrid indeed, and if this modernist flare on country is your thing, then he has plenty to go around.
For those who perhaps prefer the traditional roots, his first official country single was ‘Son of A Sinner’, which was the second single from his Ballads of the Broken album, which also experienced much commercial success and ultimately paved the way to his first sold out shows in Nashville and further tours of the US circuit. But it was his breakout country album Whitsitt Chapel that takes this style to a new level of commitment and prowess. His voice remains the focal point, but the backing instrumental arrangement is often rife with tenets of country dynamism. Banjo, choir, and violin are just some of the subtle inclusions throughout the album, and it’s especially well put together on ‘Need A Favour’, another of his major hits. Overall, Whitsitt Chapel made shear legacy for the biggest country album debut release in Billboard Consumption Chart’s history – that is quite the statement for your first fully dedicated country album.
But perhaps the most notable and important offering from that album, was the heartfelt single ‘Save Me’ showing that Jelly Roll can be tender and connect with a wide array of audiences. Lainey Wilson joined the song at the 2023 ACM Awards, following the single’s huge 28-week residency at No. 1 on Billboard’s Emerging Artists chart. ‘Save Me’ became Jelly’s third consecutive number one single, after ‘Need A Favor’ and ‘Son of A Sinner’ set the hattrick in motion. At the CMA’s, country music’s biggest night, Jelly Roll was nominated for five categories, including New Artist of the Year and Male Vocalist of the Year, winning the former. His acceptance speech went viral for its inspiring message about finding success later in life, and that no matter where people are at, they have so much in front of them. All this success culminated with both Lainey and Jelly earning a nomination for Best Duo/Group Performance at the Grammy Awards last year!
Jelly has quickly climbed the ranks to country stardom with fellow genre archetypes, such as Morgan Wallen and Luke Combs. All the aforementioned reaching a special club last year, each earning three Country Airplay number 1’s in 2023. He has even been compared by Variety to Americana pedigrees such as the Bruce Springsteen of our yesteryear. Quite the accolade for such an emerging artist.
But it hasn’t been an easy road to the top for Jelly. The artist has this underdog persona, which he embraces through recognising the trials and tribulations that have shaped who he is. His upbringing had its challenges with drug addictions and short stints in prison, but he’s ultimately risen above it all and found his voice in music. This background gives him an edge; with such a humble beginning, it makes for a great story, and his conviction to his art is therefore always obvious.
Even Jelly himself can’t quite believe the success he’s having and often publicly expresses gratitude for this; another reason people love him, for his authenticity. Jelly has been quoted saying he feels lucky to be living a modern-day American fairy tale. Most recently, he expressed his gratitude for having been announced to perform on SNL, during its 50th season premiere – a season which will feature Chappell Roan, Billie Eilish, & Stevie Nicks among others, so he’s rubbing shoulders with some massive names.
With a career clearly gaining much traction and momentum, we’re looking forward to Jelly Roll dropping his next album, Beautifully Broken, which will be released on the 11th of October 2024. The upcoming album features the single ‘I Am Not Okay’, an emotionally earnest song about mental health and how it’s alright not to be ok. Jelly Roll performed the song at the Emmy’s during the ‘In Memoriam’ segment, delivering a poignant performance that has spurred much praise online. Other than that, there hasn’t been a great deal of information ahead of the release, other than the artist revealing that it will be his most proud body of work to date, and that he wants to give the album time to live, stating that he doesn’t intend to release any projects in 2025. We look forward to hearing what he’s cooked up for us.
