Introduction
Get ready for an emotional rollercoaster with this breathtaking Jelly Roll performance. The country sensation truly masters the art of wearing his heart on his sleeve onstage, creating memorable live moments like his soul-stirring rendition of “Save Me” alongside Lainey Wilson. The dynamic duo delivered this powerful duet at the 58th Academy of Country Music Awards, and from the very first note, it was evident that Tennessee’s beloved son was about to deliver something extraordinary.
The live performance would have been remarkable solely with Jelly Roll’s raw delivery, but Wilson’s haunting vocals and their harmonious blend in the latter half elevated the song to new heights. Jelly Roll’s courage to confront his personal struggles so candidly through his lyrics resonated deeply with audiences, who viewed this moving performance an impressive 12 million times.
Jelly Roll isn’t afraid to put his heart on the line, and his lyrics prompted many fans to share their own struggles and journey in the comments. Viewers also had plenty of love for the performance, adding comments such as “I listen to this song every day. Not religious or country, but you have no soul if this song does not move you” and “I always get on the brink of weeping when Lainey gets on stage and sings in this performance. No other song does this to me.”
There’s something about Jelly Roll’s live shows that just keeps people coming back. I can’t think of any emerging artist who can hit quite as hard with such raw and emotional performances so consistently. Another great Jelly Roll moment came on the 2024 The Voice finale when the Tennessee star brought the house down with “I Am Not OK.”
Jelly Roll released “Save Me” on June 25, 2020, as a single from his seventh studio album Self Medicated. He subsequently re-released the song as a duet with Lainey Wilson on May 12, 2023, this time as the second single from his ninth studio album Whitsitt Chapel. The country rap star co-wrote “Save Me” with Grant Sims and David Ray, with the latter also handling production duties. Readers might be interested to know that Jelly Roll told Howard Stern that he took inspiration from Bette Midler’s song “The Rose” when writing the song. He also dug into the writing of “Save Me” with Apple Music, stating that he wrote the song during a very dark time during the pandemic while also grieving for his father, who died the year prior.