In this current decade of country music, a few principal characters have separated themselves as the premier stars of the time. The “big three” Morgan Wallen, Luke Combs, and Zach Bryan should come readily to mind, as well as fast-rising stars like Megan Moroney, Riley Green, and Lainey Wilson. Directly between these two tiers resides the face-tattooed softie professionally known as Jelly Roll.
In less than three years, Jason DeFord has firmly established himself as a legitimate arena draw in this format; previously, he was something of a genre agnostic, regularly straddling the line between trailer-trap, rap-rock, and southern hip-hop. That was until Mr. Roll struck a spark with the single “Son of a Sinner.” Suddenly, his variant of Morgan Wallen-esque, mid-tempo radio country was in high demand, and he wasted no time riding that wave to the top.
“Son of a Sinner” was never a bad song, and in 2022, it was just what Nashville was looking for. At the time, Morgan Wallen was still working his way back into the industry’s good graces, and no one was eager to wrap their arms around the reluctant superstar Zach Bryan. The old guard of Jason Aldean, Luke Bryan, and the like had run their course, so Luke Combs was the only true A-lister who could signal that mainstream country’s next generation had arrived. Now, there was an affable, new character with an inspiring story of redemption willing to wear his heart on his sleeve.
The proceeding LP Whitsitt Chapel was the ideal follow-up to “Son of a Sinner.” Across the record, he covered the same forlorn themes about reckoning with a sordid past and unlocked a sound that was all his own. Mixing radio-country, gospel, and Southern rock, Jelly Roll had arrived; aligned with country radio’s most productive hit-makers, there was no stopping him and his ever-fervent passion for mental health.
This brings us to Whitsitt Chapel‘s sequel, Beautifully Broken. Since Jelly Roll has planted his flag as an A-lister, the coming-out party is over. We know about his road to spiritual absolution and his battles with addiction. Whitsitt Chapel defined him as a protagonist: now is the time for him to cement himself as an artist with something to say, not just a nice story.
The problem is that Beautifully Broken does none of that. As the title implies, Jelly Roll spends a whooping 22 songs meandering through concepts about fighting his inner demons, learning to be okay with emotional brokenness, and reminding us that everyone is going through something. If any of that sounds familiar, it should. In a very short period, Jelly Roll has become a one-trick pony without an emotional fastball, which utterly nerfs his songs’ desired impact. From the very first track, the groggily confessional “Winning Streak,” you start to suspect that he has no new lyrical tricks up his sleeve and is more content to ride the angst-ridden momentum of Whitsitt Chapel.
The most searing indictment of Beautifully Broken’s songwriting is that, yes, it is one-note and topically limited, but it’s also just not very good. Empty platitudes about “walking through the fire” and “slipping through the shadows” permeate this album, and we seldom, if ever, get any specificity about DeFord’s troubled life experiences. Jelly Roll is promising us something raw and real that he refuses to deliver.
Mr. Roll’s proponents have argued that because his songs are about mental infliction, they ought to defy disapproval by default. But these topics aren’t sacred ground, and Jelly Roll is not the only one covering them. Today, songs about mental health are a dime a dozen. DeFord’s rough facade has mostly shielded him from criticism, which has effectively lowered the bar for mainstream country songwriting. If one of the biggest artists around is skating by with cliché songs about the same four topics, what message does that send to younger artists mastering their craft?
As a country music community, we need to come to grips with the fact that being vulnerable does not make it okay to be mediocre. We already went through this in the boyfriend country era. For years, more hardened country fans argued that those soft, lily-white simps made country fans dumber. But looking at Beautifully Broken, who is Jelly Roll but Brett Young for dudes with no game?
If Jelly Roll’s songwriting range is as limited as his last two albums have projected, he should strongly consider going the Kenny Chesney route and simply cutting the best tunes pitched his way. Undeniably, he’s a powerhouse vocalist, but a lack of good songs and original ideas has poisoned his brand. No one asked for the adult-contemporary NF of country music, and continuing to pretend otherwise only sells him and his audience short.
The bottom line is this: Jelly Roll’s music enables Nashville’s institutions to feel good about themselves by platforming a big dude with a passion for mental health, but until he assembles a fresh-sounding body of work with a broader span of lyrical ideas, his ascent will continue to be a net negative for country music. His blend of Southern rock and contemporary Christian music doesn’t push the envelope musically, and after hearing all 64 minutes of the bloated Beautifully Broken, it’s hard not to feel unmoved and uninterested.
