The best Jelly Roll songs sound like confessions set to a Nashville backbeat, and the catalog rewards close listening. Jason DeFord moved from Memphis-style hip-hop mixtapes to country radio dominance without softening the honesty. This ranking blends established hits with newer releases, and every track listed is a real, verifiable release. Browse more picks in the songs category after finishing this guide.
Save Me with Lainey Wilson: The Song That Started It All
Written during the spring 2020 lockdown, the original version appeared on Self Medicated and opens with a count-off and fingerpicked guitar. The 2023 duet with Lainey Wilson added a harmony that turns a plea for grace into a conversation, and it earned a Grammy nomination for Best Country Duo or Group Performance. On headphones, the quiet space around the vocal makes every cracked note land harder.
Need a Favor: Hard Rock Guilt With a Country Heart
Released December 9, 2022 as the lead single from Whitsitt Chapel, this track was co-written with Rob Ragosta, Joe Ragosta, and Austin Nivarel, who also produced it. Pounding drums and a gritty guitar tone give it a rock edge, while the lyric flips the usual prayer into an admission of only calling on God in a crisis. It peaked at number 13 on the Billboard Hot 100 and topped Country Airplay, and it picked up the CMT Video of the Year award.
Son of a Sinner: The Country Breakthrough
Drawn from Ballads of the Broken and pushed to radio in 2022, this was Jelly Roll’s first single released to the country format. The arrangement stays simple, built around acoustic strumming and a chorus made for singing along in the car. It reached number 31 on the Hot 100 and went two times Platinum, and the video won three CMT Music Awards in 2023.
Halfway to Hell: Gospel Opening, Honky-Tonk Honesty
Released January 22, 2024 as the third single from Whitsitt Chapel, the album version opens with a preacher voice played by Jarrod Brown. Jesse Frasure and Zach Crowell produced it, giving the mix a bright, radio-ready punch. Meanwhile, the lyric name-checks musical heroes and prison time, and it climbed to number one on Country Airplay.
I Am Not Okay: A Plain Admission Set to a Big Chorus
Released June 12, 2024 ahead of Beautifully Broken, this song was written with Taylor Phillips, Ashley Gorley, and Casey Brown. The vocal performance carries the weight, moving from a restrained verse to a soaring chorus. It also reached number one on Country Airplay, proving that vulnerability can dominate radio.
Liar: Mid-Tempo Tension and Self-Examination
Released August 2, 2024, Liar was written with Ben Johnson, Ashley Gorley, and Taylor Phillips. The groove sits in a darker, slower pocket than the big singalongs, which lets the vocal grit come forward in the mix. In contrast to the anthemic singles, this one rewards quiet, late-night listening, and it also hit number one on Country Airplay.
Heart of Stone: A Recent Chart-Topper
Serviced as a single on March 31, 2025, Heart of Stone comes from Beautifully Broken, the album that became Jelly Roll’s first number one in the United States. That album later won the Grammy for Best Contemporary Country Album at the 68th Annual Grammy Awards. The song continued the run of Country Airplay number ones and shows a more polished side of the production.
Dead Man Walking: Early Country Crossover Momentum
Pulled from Ballads of the Broken in 2021, this track came before the full country breakthrough. Heavy guitars and a punchy hook keep it firmly in rock territory, with lyrics about living on borrowed time. Fans often rank it among his strongest pre-Whitsitt singles for good reason.
Dancing With the Devil: Temptation on the Edge
Written with Hunter Phelps and produced by Zach Crowell, this Whitsitt Chapel cut runs 3:37 and leans into Jelly Roll’s rock side. The theme is addiction and the thin line between control and collapse. Live, the song works especially well because the chorus is built for a crowd.
She: A Heartbreak Song With Minimal Fuss
Released on November 30, 2022 ahead of the album, She was written with Austin Nivarel and Kevin Gruft, who produced it. At 2:53, it is one of the tightest tracks in the catalog, with no filler between verse and hook. The restrained arrangement leaves room for a raw, close-miked vocal.
Unlive with Yelawolf: Hip-Hop Roots Return
This collaboration with Yelawolf arrived November 30, 2022 and was produced by Zach Crowell. The song nods to the rap background that shaped Jelly Roll, trading rhythmic verses over a country-rock bed. It stands out on Whitsitt Chapel as one of the album’s most powerful moments.
The Lost: Faith and Doubt in the Church Pew
Track three on Whitsitt Chapel explores faith and spiritual wandering, a recurring theme across the record. The writing keeps the language plain, which makes the emotional point easier to feel. Alongside Church and Dancing With the Devil, it forms the spiritual core of the album.
Church: Gratitude With a Co-Write From HARDY
Track two on Whitsitt Chapel is a HARDY co-write, and it finds Jelly Roll thankful for where life has landed. After the preacher-led opener, the gratitude hits with warmth. The song plays well as a bridge between the heavier moments on the album.
Behind Bars with Brantley Gilbert and Struggle Jennings
This three-way collaboration speaks to time spent in prison, with a double meaning that plays on addiction too. Brantley Gilbert brings a southern-rock grit, while Struggle Jennings adds a rapped perspective. It is a strong live-energy track and a clear example of the genre blending that defines Jelly Roll.
Hungover in a Church Pew: Sunday Morning Reflection
Closing Whitsitt Chapel as track 13, this song looks at lifestyle choices and the feeling of coming down on a Sunday. The title says it all, and the writing leans into dark humor and regret. It works well as a closer because it ends the album on introspection rather than a big finish.
Hold On Me: The Devil on the Shoulder
Track six on Whitsitt Chapel dramatizes the pull between heaven and hell through the image of a devil on the shoulder. The arrangement stays moody and the vocal sits low in the mix for a confessional feel. Anyone drawn to the duality in Dancing With the Devil will find a natural companion here.
Somebody Save Me with Eminem: A Rap Fan’s Dream Collaboration
Released in 2024, this team-up with Eminem appears on The Death of Slim Shady (Coup de Grâce). The pairing makes sense, since both artists write openly about struggle and addiction. It also shows how comfortably Jelly Roll moves between genres.
Get By: A Pre-Album Single From Beautifully Broken
Get By was released ahead of Beautifully Broken and rounds out the early run of singles for the album. The song sits in a hopeful, getting-through-the-day lane that complements the heavier confessions elsewhere. For a recent release, it adds a useful change of pace to any playlist.
Smoking Section: Mixtape-Era Honesty
From the 2015 project Therapeutic Music 5, this track touches on addiction, depression, and thoughts of death in the chorus. The production is rawer than the later country work, which suits the subject matter. It is essential listening for anyone tracing the path from underground rapper to country star.
Only: Passion and Worry from Addiction Kills
Released on the 2017 album Addiction Kills, Only mixes passion, worry, despair, and a love of life in a single track. The rap-leaning delivery shows how much melodic instinct existed long before the crossover. Closing the list here connects the newest hits to the earliest signs of the songwriting that made them possible.
How to Listen to These Songs
Jelly Roll’s vocals carry plenty of grit and low-end warmth, so a good pair of headphones brings out detail that phone speakers flatten. Anyone shopping for a better setup can compare options in the headphones comparison guide. For commuting or workouts, the earbuds comparison page covers lighter picks that still handle heavy guitar tones.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the most popular Jelly Roll song?
Need a Favor is the biggest chart performer, peaking at number 13 on the Billboard Hot 100 and reaching two times Platinum status. Save Me and Son of a Sinner also rank among the most streamed and most requested tracks.
Which Jelly Roll album should new listeners start with?
Whitsitt Chapel from 2023 is the best entry point because it contains Need a Favor, Save Me, Halfway to Hell, and Dancing With the Devil. Beautifully Broken from 2024 follows naturally and includes I Am Not Okay and Liar.
Did Jelly Roll win a Grammy?
Beautifully Broken won the Grammy for Best Contemporary Country Album at the 68th Annual Grammy Awards. Earlier, Jelly Roll received nominations for Best New Artist and for Best Country Duo or Group Performance with Lainey Wilson on Save Me.
Who collaborated with Jelly Roll on Save Me?
Lainey Wilson joined for the 2023 duet version. The original solo version first appeared on the 2020 album Self Medicated.
Which songs show Jelly Roll’s hip-hop roots?
Unlive with Yelawolf, Smoking Section, and Only all lean on the rap delivery that defined his early career. Behind Bars also blends rapped and sung styles through Struggle Jennings.