Just days after notching his fourth consecutive Billboard Country Airplay chart-topper with “Halfway to Hell,” Jelly Roll has released his new ballad, “I Am Not Okay.”
“I Am Not Okay” is an emotionally raw song that delves into the singer’s emotional pain and struggles with mental health. “I know I can’t be the only one/ Who’s holding on for dear life,” Jelly Roll sings, ultimately concluding, “I’m not okay but it’s all gonna be alright.”
Jelly Roll, a former hip-hop artist, has seen his star surge in country music thanks to his 2023 album Whitsitt Chapel, along with a slate of hits including “Need a Favor” “Son of a Sinner” and his Lainey Wilson collaboration “Save Me.” “Save Me” earned Jelly Roll and Wilson a Grammy nomination for best country duo/group performance, while Jelly Roll also picked up a nomination for best new artist at this year’s Grammy Awards (he won new artist of the year at last year’s CMA Awards).
“I Am Not Okay,” which Jelly Roll first performed as part of the season finale of The Voice, previews new music to come from the rising star. In an April interview with Audacy, Jelly Roll noted that fans can expect some “crazy” collaborations on the way, including some non-country collabs.
“I got some features,” he said. “I [collaborated] with some crazy people in and out of genre. I reached, man. I tell you what, I ain’t got no shame. I’ll shoot my shot.”
He also performed the new song during CMA Fest in Nashville, where he closed out the Saturday (June 8) performances at Nissan Stadium. His performance also marked the fulfillment of a life-long dream for the Antioch, Tennessee native, as it look place close to Nashville’s Juvenile Detention Center, a place where Jelly Roll was previously incarcerated as a teen. He dedicated his performance to teens who are currently at the center, growing emotional as he said, “I know they can hear us because I was one of them, one time. I was in and out of jail and in and out of drug addiction, and tonight I am headlining CMA Fest at Nissan Stadium.”
Watch the lyric video for “I Am Not Okay” below:
