Whitsitt Chapel Debuts Top 2 on Billboard Country Chart and
Top 3 on the Billboard 200 All Genre Chart
Billboard’s Country Power Player Issue Cover Star Honored With Billboard’s 2023 Breakthrough Artist Award (6/6) and Surprised Fans With Nissan Stadium CMA Fest Performance (6/9)
BBR Music Group’s Highest Charting First-Week Release Ever From a Debut Country Artist
Multi-Platinum singer/songwriter Jelly Roll’s debut Country album, Whitsitt Chapel, debuted #2 on the Billboard Country Album Charts and Top 3 on the Billboard 200 all genre chart with 90,000 album equivalents, earning the biggest opening week for a first entry on the Top Country Albums charts since the list adopted a consumption-based methodology in 2017 and the strongest first week album sales from a debut country artist release in 2023. Additionally, Whitsitt Chapel marks one of the Top 3 Country album debuts of 2023 and the highest charting first week release from a debut Country artist in the history of BBR Music Group. The album also reached #1 on the Country Album chart in Canada, #4 on the UK’s (OCC) Official Country Artists Album Chart Top 20, and debuted #15 on ARIA Top 40 Country Albums Chart in Australia. Listen to Whitsitt Chapel now HERE.
Whitsitt Chapel features 13 tracks co-written by Jelly Roll, including his current single “Need A Favor,” which is currently #11 on the Mediabase Country Chart, #12 on Billboard Country Airplay Chart, and Top 3 on the Mediabase Active Rock Chart. The album also features the fan-favorite track, “She,” and “Save Me” ft. Lainey Wilson, which he debuted at this year’s ACM Awards. Featured by GMA, GMA3, Nightline, The New York Times, The Tennessean, Billboard, Variety, American Songwriter, CMT, Entertainment Tonight, as well as The Joe Rogan Experience podcast and more, the album Whitsitt Chapel has earned rave reviews. In celebration of the album’s release, the Nashville native was also honored last week by Pandora as a Pandora Billionaire – recognizing over a Billion career streams on the platform – as well as a Billboard 2023 Breakthrough Artist after being revealed as the cover of Billboard’s Country Power Player Issue. Read the full Billboard cover story where he shared his journey from incarceration to topping the Billboard Country charts, here and watch the video here.
Jelly Roll also made his official CMA Fest performance debut during the 50th Anniversary Year of CMA FEST with a surprise appearance Friday night at Nissan Stadium, where he performed “Need a Favor” and “Son of a Sinner.” Prior to performing, Jelly to a moment to speak to the crowd and share what the moment meant to him as a Nashville native before addressing the currently incarcerated youth at the juvenile detention center that shares a parking lot with Nissan Stadium-a place Jelly himself spent time in-noting, “I hope you know that you do have the ability to change your life and that you see proof of that by me standing and performing on this stage here tonight.”
Much of Jelly’s story and early struggles with addiction and incarceration are captured in his highly-anticipated Hulu documentary, “Jelly Roll: Save Me” produced by ABC News Studios, which debuted May 30th on Hulu and continues to gain viewers after its official premiere at the Ryman Auditorium (5/30) along with his album release concert (5/31), which Variety summarized as “a 12-Step Meeting, a revival and a party all at once.” “Jelly Roll: Save Me” also continues to impress critics, with The Tennessean noting, the “doc ‘Save Me’ highlights artist with message of salvation greater than music” and Decider listing it as a must-see. Fans were first given a preview of the film earlier this month when Jelly Roll performed on the finale of American Idol (5/21) and via Deadline and Good Morning America. Press images from the Jelly Roll: Save Me Premiere at the Ryman Auditorium (5/31) available here.
A 3X CMT Award winner, Jelly has independently amassed more than 4 Billion career streams to date. He scored his first No. 1 on Country radio with his debut Country single “Son Of A Sinner” and earned a two-week Rock No. 1, “cemented his rising mainstream stardom” (Tennessean). His current single, “Need A Favor” currently is Top 5 on the Rock radio and Top 15 on the Country radio charts, simultaneously. Ahead of the album’s release, Jelly Roll dominated Billboard’s Emerging Artist Chart for a record-breaking 28 consecutive weeks – ultimately breaking the record of most weeks spent at No. 1. The multi-genre hitmaker also announced his upcoming 44-city Backroad Baptism Tour. Produced by Live Nation, the arena tour kicks off on Friday, July 28th at Bank Plus Amphitheater in Southaven before wrapping up in Tampa at MidFlorida Credit Union Amphitheater on Saturday, October 14th. For more information including tour dates, visit www.jellyroll615.com.
Whitsitt Chapel Track Listing:
- Halfway To Hell -Written by Jason DeFord, Jesse Frasure, Matt Jenkins, Jessie Jo Dillon*
2. Church – Written by Jason DeFord, Michael Hardy, David Garcia**
3. The Lost – Written by Jason DeFord, Jesse Frasure, Miranda Lambert*
4. Behind Bars (with Brantley Gilbert and Struggle Jennings) – Written by Jason DeFord, Brantley Gilbert, Michael Whitworth, Andrew Baylis, Brock Berryhill, Austin Nivarel***
5. Nail Me – Written by Jason DeFord, Kevin Gruft, Austin Nivarel^
6. Hold On Me – Written by Jason DeFord, Hillary Lindsey, Alysa Vanderheym, Michael Whitworth^
7. Kill A Man – Written by Jason DeFord, Riley Thomas, Andrew Baylis, Michael Whitworth^
8. Unlive (with Yelawolf) – Written by Jason DeFord, Ashley McBryde, Andrew Baylis, Zach Crowell, Michael Wayne Atha^
9. Save Me (with Lainey Wilson) – Written by Jason DeFord, David Ray Stevens^^
10. She – Written by Jason DeFord, Austin Nivarel, Kevin “Thrasher” Gruft^^^
11. Need A Favor – Written by Jason DeFord, Austin Nivarel, Joe Ragosta, Rob Ragosta*^
12. Dancing With The Devil – Written by Jason DeFord, Hunter Phelps, Zach Crowell^
13. Hungover In A Church Pew – Written by Jason DeFord, Hunter Phelps, Zach Crowell^
^Produced by Zach Crowell
*Produced by Zach Crowell and Jesse Frasure
**Produced by Zach Crowell and David Garcia
^^Produced by Zach Crowell and David Ray Stevens
*^Produced by Austin Nivarel
***Produced by Brock Berryhill and Andrew Baylis
^^^Produced by Kevin “Thrasher” Gruft
“For everyone who’s facing the same struggles, Jelly Roll is their Springsteen.” – Variety
“(Jelly Roll) introduces himself as a dynamic country vocalist across 13 songs that are heavily influenced by the church. More than half focus on sin and redemption…We’ve all listened to debut albums that lean heavily on a hit radio single and fill out the track list with fluff or lesser versions of the same. This isn’t that kind of album….Whitsitt Chapel is an album for the outcast within each of us.” – Taste of Country
“… a debut album for a guy who’s managed to buck the trends on his way to becoming one of the biggest up-and-coming names in country music…Each song on this project has one important factor, one common thread among songs that connect deeper and stay around longer: A “why.” Whether it’s to inspire or to reveal, to make you laugh or make you cry, each track has a meaning that comes from one of music’s biggest hearts, who’s seen it all and lives to tell the story….he’s long overdue for a real foray into country music. We welcome him with open arms, not just because he’s a good soul, but because he’s a damn good songwriter and one hell of an artist.” – Whiskey Riff
“Whitsitt Chapel introduces Jelly Roll as one of country music’s most intriguing rising stars.”-Grammy.com
“Jelly Roll is an artist with increasing popularity and for good reason. As one of the more exciting and unique voices in country music today, Jelly Roll’s new album Whitsitt Chapel looks to cement his status.”
“…album filled with honesty, vulnerability and stories of his personal testimony.” – Audacy
“Not since Merle Haggard and Johnny Paycheck has mainstream country music seen an artist who’s sung about being on the wrong side of the law or its consequences, let alone done time there. Jelly Roll’s authenticity creates a fierce bond with the audience that fires this kind of rapt devotion.” – Variety
“This night and this project would be more than a benediction. He delivered a prayer for the best of who they all are: works in progress, figuring life out. It’s not easy, but it’s what they have, and with this soundtrack, Jelly Roll’s offering songs they can believe in along the way.” – Variety