Seeing Jelly Roll live is always an unforgettable experience. The larger-than-life country star brings energy, passion and so much raw emotion to every performance. Jelly Roll transmutes his pain into triumph on songs like “Need a Favor,” “Son of a Sinner,” and “Save Me.” And the singer isn’t anywhere close to tapped out on potential material. He proved this once again during his most recent performance at the Grand Ole Opry, when he debuted a red-hot unreleased track.
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Jelly Roll Tests Out “Liar” For Grand Ole Opry Audience
The Grand Ole Opry is already sacred ground in country music. Add Jelly Roll into the mix, and the atmosphere becomes downright spiritual. The venue is a safe space for the East Tennessee native, which is why he chose the venue to test out some new material during his Tuesday (April 16) performance.
“Is that okay with y’all?” Jelly asked the crowd. “We might not ever release this song. We’re just gonna play it for y’all and see if it works.”
It worked, all right. Jelly Roll confronted his demons head-on in the seething pre-chorus to “Liar.”
“Saying drink another whiskey / Pop another pill / Money makes you happy / Heaven isn’t real.”
Continuing into the chorus, Jelly’s singing only grew more urgent and furious. “Yeah I walk right out that fire / Yeah you try to keep me down / Try to put me underground / I know we’re going higher.“
You can hear it in his voice — the demons won’t win. Jelly Roll has seized full control of the narrative. It’s only getting better for the three-time County Music Television award winner. And the Opry crowd is ecstatic to be along for the ride.
Fans Can Look Forward to Some ‘Crazy Collaborations’ in the Future
Few could have predicted Jelly Roll’s career trajectory. The 39-year-old country star got his start in hip-hop, drawing inspiration from acts like Three 6 Mafia and UGK. He broke into country radio in January 2023 with “Son of a Sinner,” which hit No. 1. Now, the genre-bending artist is teasing even more surprises. Jelly Roll recently told Audacy’s KMLE 107.9 that he “collabed with some crazy people in and out of genre.”
[RELATED: 3 “Out of Genre” Artists You Could See on Jelly Roll’s New Album]
“I tell you what, I ain’t got no shame,” the GRAMMY nominee said. “I’ll shoot my shot.”
Featured image by Terry Wyatt/Getty Images
