Jelly Roll currently has a top 15 Country Airplay hit with his latest single, “Halfway to Hell,” from his album 2023 Whitsitt Chapelbut the singer says fans can expect more new music on the way — including some “crazy” collaborations, both within the country music genre and beyond.
The recently Grammy-nominated artist he said Audacy's KMLE 107.9, “I have some features. I've worked with some crazy people in and out of the genre. I'm here, man. I'm telling you, I'm not ashamed. I'll fire my shot.”
Of course, collaborations have been a constant part of Jelly Roll's music for years, whether with longtime friends like Struggle Jennings, or with Lil Wyte, Cody Johnson, Craig Morgan, Jessie Murph and his cover of The Judds' “Love Can Build” a Bridge” with the Fisk Jubilee Singers and K. Michelle.
Jelly Roll recently picked up three wins at the CMT Music Awards, an awards scene that holds special meaning for him, as 2023 served as a springboard to showcase an artist who earned three No. 1 Country Airplay singles in 2023: “Son of a Sinner', 'Need a Favor' and the Lainey Wilson collaboration 'Save Me'. “Son of a Sinner” was from his album Ballads of the Brokenwhile the last two are from the 2023 album, Whitsitt Chapel.
“I feel like CMT was the end of it Whitsitt Chapel era,” he continued on KMLE, noting that in 2023, he performed “Need a Favor,” his first single from the album, and earlier this year, he performed the album's final single, “Halfway to Hell.”
Over the past year, Jelly Roll has earned two Grammy nominations (for Best New Artist in any genre, as well as Best Country Duo/Group Performance for “Save Me”). He also won the Country Music Association's New Artist of the Year award last year.
When the nominations for the Academy of Country Music Awards were revealed last week, front-runner Jelly Roll earned four nominations, including the coveted Entertainer of the Year honor. Notably, the last artist to earn an ACM Entertainer of the Year nomination in his first year as a nominee was Billy Ray Cyrus in 1992, spearheaded by the hit “Achy Breaky Heart.” But Jelly is already looking at what lies ahead.
“New music is on the horizon,” Jelly Roll told KMLE. “It's a new chapter.”
Listen to his interview below:
from our partners at https://www.billboard.com/music/country/jelly-roll-new-music-collaborations-hints-1235658084/