Just days after scoring his fourth straight Billboard Country Airplay No. 1 with “Halfway to Hell,” Jelly Roll has released his new ballad, “I Am Not Okay.” Jelly Roll (real name Jason DeFord) wrote the song with songwriters Ashley Gorley, Casey Brown and Taylor Phillips.
“I Am Not Okay” is an emotionally raw song that delves into the singer's emotional pain and struggles with mental health. “I know I can't be the only one/ Who's holding on for a good life,” sings Jelly Roll, eventually concluding, “I'm not well, but everything's gonna be alright.”
Former hip-hop artist Jelly Roll has seen his star rise in country music thanks to his 2023 album Whitsitt Chapel, along with a string of hits including “Need a Favor” “Son of a Sinner” and the Lainey Wilson collaboration “Save Me”. “Save Me” earned Jelly Roll and Wilson a Grammy nomination for Best Country Duo/Group Performance, while Jelly Roll also earned a nomination for Best New Artist at this year's Grammy Awards (he won New Artist of the Year at last year's CMA Awards ).
“I Am Not Okay”, first performed by Jelly Roll as part of the season finale The voice, previews new music from the rising star. In an April interview with Audacy, Jelly Roll noted that fans can expect some “crazy” collaborations down the road, including some out of the country collaborations.
“I have some traits,” he said. “I [collaborated] with some crazies in and out of the genre. I'm here, man. I'm telling you, I'm not ashamed. I'll fire my shot.”
He also performed the new song during CMA Fest in Nashville, where he closed Saturday's (June 8) shows at Nissan Stadium. His performance also marked the fulfillment of a lifelong dream for the Antioch, Tennessee native, as he appeared near the Nashville Juvenile Detention Center, a place where Jelly Roll was previously incarcerated as a teenager. He dedicated his performance to teenagers currently at the center, growing emotional as he said, “I know they can hear us because I was one of them, once. I've been in and out of jail and in and out of drug addiction, and tonight I'm headlining CMA Fest at Nissan Stadium.”
Watch the lyric video for “I Am Not Okay” below:
from our partners at https://www.billboard.com/music/country/jelly-roll-i-am-not-okay-stream-1235708095/
