Jelly Roll has a second No. 1 hit, with “Need A Favor.” The song, the debut single from Jelly Roll’s 2023 Whitsitt Chapel album, follows his first chart-topping single with “Son of a Sinner.”

“A second No. 1 at country radio is something I wouldn’t have even allowed myself to dream about,” Jelly Roll admits to Billboard. “‘Need A Favor’ has absolutely changed my life. It’s been incredible to watch the fan reaction and see what’s happening out there on the road. Thank you to everyone who has continued to believe in this song since the beginning and thank you to country radio for supporting therapeutic music like ‘Need A Favor’ since day one. It’s amazing to have your support and I’ve seen first-hand the impact the music continues to have with people across the country.”

Jelly Roll wrote “Need A Favor” with Rob Ragosta, Joe Ragostaand Austin Nivarel, inspired by his own complex relationship with his Christian faith.

“I loved everything about it,” Jelly Roll reveals on The Bobby Bones Show. “I felt like the production was probably going to be the most important part of it, for us. I wanted it to feel like an old church hymn. I grew up — I’ll give you a typical Sunday in the South for me yesterday. I woke up and my brother became a deacon in a little small church in South Nashville, and my daughter’s best friend got baptized. That’s not a normal thing for me, but also, it wouldn’t surprise me if either one of them had a drink on Saturday night.

 

“And one of them’s a 50-year-old deacon, and the other one’s a 16-year-old high school [student],” he adds. “I think that’s also indicative of a Sunday in the South, or a Saturday in the South. And I wanted it to feel that way. I was like, ‘What does worship music for real sinners feel like?”

Perhaps ironically, it was Jelly Roll attending church one Sunday morning that served as the inspiration for “Need A Favor.”

“I was sitting in the back of a church one day and listening to worship music,” Jelly Roll tells  Grammy.com. “And just not being able to relate with it and where I am with my walk and spirituality. You look at it from that perspective, and you’re like, ‘What is my connection? How would my song to God sound?’ And I feel like it’s, ‘I only talk to God, when I need a favor. I only pray when I ain’t got a prayer.’ The third line in [‘Need a Favor’], to me, is the most powerful line, ‘So who the hell am I, who the hell am I to expect the saving?‘ Just think about the word ‘expect’ in that line, the entitlement of that.

“It was just being honest about how I view the church, and then there’s my personal walk with God, and they’re definitely different,” he adds. “So to me, it was trying to create that music with that spirit.”

 

Having a second No. 1 single is just part of a whirlwind year, which included one of the biggest highlights of his life: when he won three CMT Music Awards.

“I didn’t go to prom,” Jelly Roll reflects. “I didn’t have a prom. I didn’t graduate. I’m sure that’s what it felt like … It was the greatest night.”

Jelly Roll just kicked off his Backroad Baptism Tour, where he hopes to not only perform his hits, but serve as an inspiration for those who feel like there is no hope, as he once did.

“It’s the biggest tour we’ve ever done, and the way the record is already performing live is a testament to the fans coming out and resonating with the music,” the 38-year-old says. “I think [the tour] is one of the places you really feel the impact of the music— seeing the fans, hearing their stories, and seeing the signs people make. They’re sharing a piece of their soul with us. I hope they leave feeling seen, heard, and like they’re not alone in their struggle.”

Find Whitsitt Chapel and all of Jelly Roll’s music and upcoming shows at JellyRoll615.com

Read ‘Jelly Roll: 11 Things to Know About the Reformed Singer’ here.

Photo Credit: Michael Buckner for Billboard