I Remember the first time I heard Jelly Roll it was a few years back in 2021 on Sirius XM. The first song that I ever heard from jelly roll was Dead man walking which was absolutely mind blowing when I first heard it. The funny part was that it was on Octane for those who don’t know, octane is a new metal/rock channel on Sirius XM. Nowadays Jelly Roll is mostly on the Country radio but to my knowledge he started on the metal channel. He is very rarely on the metal channel nowadays, so he leaned more into the country side of the music industry.
Now let us fast forward into 2024 where he released his newest album Beautifully Broken. Before I get into listening and reviewing the songs on the album there are a few I have heard prior to writing this blog. Ironically right this very second, I am not okay is playing on the radio in my home. I know this song is pretty popular however I don’t care for the song. I think I am just in the stage of my life where I can’t really connect to the song which is okay. Liar is another I have heard of this album since it’s played a lot on both country and rock radio stations (There is a rock remix version of it). I enjoy this song a fair amount, however since it’s always played on the radio, I am not going to go into an analysis of it that way I can focus on the ones I don’t know and there are a lot of them; so then let us get into the album.
Winning Streak
I stopped the song a minute into, and my first thought is it sounds like a Christian song. I am not a huge fan of jelly roll’s singing however I have no complaints about this song. Everything songs so good and the lyrics are good. There aren’t any real instruments so far but mostly a beat in the background which works well for his style. Around the minute mark the song picks up using instruments and a chorus behind him. I like the vibe of the song and in addition the message is good. The greatest thing people should know is that success comes from failure. This is true whether you are fighting addiction or starting a business. I think this song really shows how much he is improving as a singer because the chorus is solid and does showcase his singing ability in a very good way.
Burning
I think the intro to this song is really cool. I absolutely love the guitar parts it drives the song while not being overly complicated. This song is a prayer to God it’s very clear from the start. It’s about asking for God because you are burning, and you can’t save yourself. Everything you do to try and save yourself really just digs you further into a whole. This song has a similar vibe to the previous, except that there is more intricate guitar parts including a solo; however, but so far are great!
Heart of stone
From a lyrical side of things this starts very deep theologically. If you believe in God and you haven’t read Calvary Road, you should. The premise really is crawling back to God every time you fall of the road (Sin). That is the idea that I hear in this song. About a minute into the song, you have another idea that I like. Which is being shackled and haunted me every time you say I will change and yet never do. That would make you feel chained up because it’s like you are a prisoner of your bad habits. “Somehow you can make a heart of gold from this heart of stone”
When the drugs don’t work
This song features ILSEY and I don’t know anything about her however her voice goes really well with Jelly Roll. I don’t have anything too notable to say on this song other than it flows really well and it is a chill song to listen to. I like the rhythm of it and the song is composed really well the song really focuses on the line who is “going to drive you home when the drugs don’t work”.
Higher Than Heaven
This song features Wiz Khalifa which I believe was one of Jelly Roll’s goals to have happened. The song is very cinematic and is the most gospel sounding of all of them thus far. I think the song is literally just about getting high when you are hurting. Not sure if it really follows the theme of the previous songs, but it is still him singing about pain which is on theme.
Everyone Bleeds
This song is done very well, in fact I can hardly tell its even Jelly Roll singing. It sounds like modern country and is another song that shows how far he has come as far as his singing ability. He adds more grit and some range as far as the music in the background it’s very simple which allows the focus to be on lyrics and vocals.
Get By
This songs has such a familiar sound to it. Kind of sounds like the same beat as working 9 to 5 to me. This song doesn’t really do anything for me just kind of is.
Unpretty
This has an old timely gospel vibe I believe it uses an organ. The song has a get message about your past and the way you use to be unpretty. All you can do is get better day by day.
The Album is pretty big with it containing 22 songs in total. I found it difficult to get through all of the songs especially since in the middle of the album they tend to be short and sound very similar. The album does follow a theme which is nice to see since it makes the album flow very well. It addition I was pleasantly pleased to see how well Jelly Roll can sing since I have been skeptical about his singing ability. I don’t think it was a good idea to make an album with so many songs since most of the songs get lost because they seemed rushed and just blend into each other. Jelly Roll has really come a long way since I first heard him in 2021.
Jelly Roll has even won some awards like new artist of the year in 2023 and performance of the year in 2024. Overall, Jelly Roll is a very kind human being with a lot to say and a heart to help people through his music. The comments on his songs are filled with how many people are saved and helped through his music. Jelly Roll very recently came into such fame, and I look forward to the types of music he grows into as he his exposed to the music scene and experiment’s with new elements.