Jelly Roll has been building his career for more than two decades. He started as a rapper and gained a cult following. Then, a few years ago, he started to transition away from hip-hop. Finally, his long road led him to country music. He solidified that transition with his debut country record Whitsitt Chapel in 2023. Since doing so, he won New Artist of the Year at the CMA Awards and received a pair of Grammy nominations. This year, the Antioch, Tennessee native attended the Grammys for the first time.
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Jelly Roll’s music has changed several times over the years. However, he has consistently been authentically himself throughout the process. When it comes to the big, boisterous, tattoo-covered singer/songwriter, what you see is what you get. As a result, he feels out of place at fancy outings like the Grammys.
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Recently, Jelly Roll and Lainey Wilson attended an event at the Tin Roof in Nashville to celebrate their No. 1 singles—“Need a Favor,” “Watermelon Moonshine,” and “Save Me.” During the event, he reflected on the Grammy Awards ceremony and how boygenius helped him feel comfortable at the event.
How boygenius Helped Jelly Roll Feel Comfortable at the Grammys
“I don’t know if I belong here, man,” was Jelly Roll’s first thought when he took his seat at the Grammys. “They put me away from the country people,” he recalled. “I had Michael Trotter (The War and Treaty) with me, though. Thank God,” he added.
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“Across [the room] was Kelsea (Ballerini) and Lainey (Wilson), the real country music superstars. They had me in the ‘Barely in the building’ category,” he said. “We was watching them over there like, ‘How’s the weather next to Taylor Swift and Oprah,’” he added jokingly.
“As soon as I started feeling uncomfortable there was this group in front of me called boygenius. She turned around and said, ‘I like your energy.’ At that moment, I was like ‘We belong here,” Jelly Roll recalled.
That night, the supergroup comprised of Phoebe Bridgers, Julien Baker, and Lucy Daucus won three Grammys. The Record brought them Best Alternative Music Album and the track “Not Strong Enough” won Best Rock Song and Best Rock Performance. Bridgers also shared the win for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance for “Ghost in the Machine” with SZA.
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