Jelly Roll had a big year last year, and believes this coming year will be even better. Ahead of this weekend’s Grammy Awards, the 38-year-old predicts he will be able to attend the ceremony next year as a nominee, honoring his forthcoming new record.
“As we go into Grammy weekend, I would like to speak into existence that this time next year my entire family will be in LA celebrating a Grammy nomination for the album we drop this year — from my mouth to God’s ears.”
As we go into Grammy weekend , I would like to speak into existence that this time next year my entire family will be in LA celebrating a Grammy nomination for the album we drop this year — from my mouth to Gods ears
— Jelly Roll (@JellyRoll615) February 2, 2023
Jelly Roll recently celebrated a No. 1 hit with “Son of a Sinner,” and is back at radio with “Need a Favor.” Both songs will be from his new project.
“I’m working on my album right now,” Jelly Roll told Audacy’s Rob + Holly. “I didn’t want to come back to country radio with another sad, slow song. So I came back with a sad, mid-tempo song.”
The Tennessee native says the record should be available this spring. For him, it’s a way to prove to country music fans that he is here to stay.
“I got a country album coming in April or May. I’m all in. I’m here for the long haul. [In] 2022 I climbed the mountain of country music,” Jelly Roll said. “2023, I’m gonna plant the flag to show y’all I’m here… Let me claim a little space.”
Jelly Roll hasn’t been shy about his previous struggles. The singer-songwriter spent time in a detention center as an adolescent, and was also incarcerated as an adult. It was a path he says he likely would have never gone down if he had received help for his mental health struggles, which is why he is outspoken about them now, and advocate for providing services for those who need them.
“This is something I think people really need to hear,” Jelly Roll said on Audacy’s I’m Listening podcast. “I woke up, and for no reason, I did not want to get out of bed. I could not pinpoint [why]… I just woke up and felt a cloud over my bed. Like the blanket was too heavy to push off of me.”
“Then the anxiety sets in, the unrealistic anxiety,” he continued. “‘Is this a bad omen? Is something bad going to happen to somebody around me and this is the feeling it’s fixin’ to happen? Is something going to happen to me? Then the next thing you know, you’re checking your blood pressure for no reason.”
In hindsight, Jelly Roll now understands that all of his struggles, which led to criminal activity, came from a place of not feeling like he belonged.
“I would have realized that my need for acceptance stemmed from feeling like I wasn’t good enough,” he acknowledged. “I felt like nobody accepted me…When you feel like nobody accepts you, there’s always that one group that will and it’s always the trouble. I feel like I might have made some crazy different life decisions if I could have sat down and felt vocal enough to say, ‘Hey, I’m leaning towards this because I don’t feel accepted anywhere else.’”
The 2023 Grammy Awards will be held on Sunday, February 5, at 8:00 PM ET. The ceremony will air on CBS, and will also stream live and on-demand on Paramount+.
Find all of Jelly Roll’s music and upcoming shows at JellyRoll615.com.
