Jelly Roll is back at the top of the charts again. The Nashville native is celebrating his sixth No. 1 single, with “I Am Not Okay.” The song is the debut single from his latest Beautifully Broken album, released last month.
“I believe in the power that music has to connect with people, and being able to see the response out on the road touring and seeing and hearing from people about this song – it’s been unreal … Thank you for continuing to shine a light on therapeutic music.” Jelly Roll tells Billboard.
Not one to shy away from songs with a message, Jelly Roll says the success of “I Am Not Okay” means more to him than any of his previous hits, because it talks about mental health, a subject he is passionate about.
“This means more to me than people will ever know,” Jelly Roll said when the song hit the Top 10. “To have a Top 10 on country radio is always special but to have it with a song about Mental Health is even cooler.”
Jelly Roll is on a bit of a winning streak of his own. The 39-year-old has already lost more than 100 pounds, vowing to lose even more in 2025. Jelly Roll has been open about why he is focusing on his health, and how it ties to his traumatic upbringing.
Photo Credit: Courtesy of NBC
“Part of this journey has really led me back to my childhood,” Jelly Roll said. “I’m starting to feel a difference. Been back walking, soaking up sun, playing basketball. It’s deeper than just losing weight. I’m getting back in touch with myself in a way I haven’t in a long time. I feel less inflammation, I feel less pain, I have more clarity. I’m a little tired and sore but that’s a small price to pay. The transformation has begun.”
Jelly Roll spent a lot of his youth in and out of both juvenile and adult jail, making poor choices that he now understands were largely the result of his surroundings.
“I’ve been able to do the work and forgive myself for being that, for being what I was, but I definitely did a lot of work to change my whole outlook on people and love… I didn’t cry until I was 33,” Jelly Roll said on the On Purpose with Jay Shetty podcast (via People). “Now I can’t quit. I mean, it’s like, I thought I’d caught up by now, but I mean, I still just, just for no reason, I’ll just sob.”
Following the success of “I Am Not Okay,” Jelly Roll will release “Liar” as his next single, also from Beautifully Broken. He also released Beautifully Broken (Pickin’ Up the Pieces), with six more songs, all collaborations, with Keith Urban, ERNEST, Halsey, mgk, Russ, and Skylar Grey. In addition to new music, Jelly Roll is also working on his own Nashville bar,
“I am opening my bar on Broadway in Nashville, Tennessee,” Jelly Roll revealed on the Joe Rogan podcast (via News Channel 5). “Which is a real big deal. You’ve been to Broadway. It’s all after country music stars. I’m the first Nashville native to get a bar.”
Find all of Jelly Roll’s music and upcoming shows at JellyRoll615.com.
Photo Credit: Courtesy of NBC