Ballads Of The Broken
Jelly Roll
Ballads of the Broken is Jelly Roll’s eighth studio album and his major‑label debut, released on September 17, 2021 via Bailee & Buddy Management and BBR Music Group/Stoney Creek. The 10‑track record runs just over 31 minutes and includes “Dead Man Walking,” “Backslide,” “Son of a Sinner,” “Over You,” “Hollow,” “Even Angels Cry,” “Sober,” “Empty House,” plus demo versions of “Mobile Home” and “Son of a Sinner.” It features the rock‑leaning single “Dead Man Walking,” which reached No. 1 on Billboard’s Mainstream Rock chart, and the country‑inflected “Son of a Sinner,” which became his breakout country hit, peaking in the top 40 of the Hot 100 and No. 1 on Country Airplay. The success of “Son of a Sinner” convinced Jelly Roll that his future lay squarely in the country space and directly inspired him to lean fully into that sound on his next album, Whitsitt Chapel.
Musically and thematically, Ballads of the Broken marks a major evolution: it’s the first project where Jelly Roll essentially stops rapping, instead singing across almost every track while blending country‑adjacent hooks, rock guitars, and moody, remorseful pop textures. AllMusic noted how the album feels “short and surprising,” with songs moving from the twangy, church‑soaked storytelling of “Son of a Sinner” to the eerie, guilt‑drenched pop of “Over You,” all anchored by his soulful vocals and gritty Southern tone. Lyrically, the record is deeply rooted in self‑reflection and pain, drawing on his struggles with addiction, broken relationships, and mental health to tell the story of a man who’s been through the ringer, gotten his feet back under him, but knows he still has a long way to go. Jelly Roll has described it as “the truth—my truth,” saying he poured blood, sweat, and tears into these songs in the hope that listeners could “heal together” through shared pain; that authenticity and genre‑bending style made Ballads of the Broken a pivotal turning point on his path from underground rapper to one of country music’s most compelling new voices.
Ballads of the Broken is Jelly Roll’s eighth studio album and his major‑label debut, released on September 17, 2021 via Bailee & Buddy Management and BBR Music Group/Stoney Creek. The 10‑track record runs just over 31 minutes and includes “Dead Man Walking,” “Backslide,” “Son of a Sinner,” “Over You,” “Hollow,” “Even Angels Cry,” “Sober,” “Empty House,” plus demo versions of “Mobile Home” and “Son of a Sinner.” It features the rock‑leaning single “Dead Man Walking,” which reached No. 1 on Billboard’s Mainstream Rock chart, and the country‑inflected “Son of a Sinner,” which became his breakout country hit, peaking in the top 40 of the Hot 100 and No. 1 on Country Airplay. The success of “Son of a Sinner” convinced Jelly Roll that his future lay squarely in the country space and directly inspired him to lean fully into that sound on his next album, Whitsitt Chapel.
Musically and thematically, Ballads of the Broken marks a major evolution: it’s the first project where Jelly Roll essentially stops rapping, instead singing across almost every track while blending country‑adjacent hooks, rock guitars, and moody, remorseful pop textures. AllMusic noted how the album feels “short and surprising,” with songs moving from the twangy, church‑soaked storytelling of “Son of a Sinner” to the eerie, guilt‑drenched pop of “Over You,” all anchored by his soulful vocals and gritty Southern tone. Lyrically, the record is deeply rooted in self‑reflection and pain, drawing on his struggles with addiction, broken relationships, and mental health to tell the story of a man who’s been through the ringer, gotten his feet back under him, but knows he still has a long way to go. Jelly Roll has described it as “the truth—my truth,” saying he poured blood, sweat, and tears into these songs in the hope that listeners could “heal together” through shared pain; that authenticity and genre‑bending style made Ballads of the Broken a pivotal turning point on his path from underground rapper to one of country music’s most compelling new voices.
Ballads Of The Broken
Jelly Roll
Ballads of the Broken is Jelly Roll’s eighth studio album and his major‑label debut, released on September 17, 2021 via Bailee & Buddy Management and BBR Music Group/Stoney Creek. The 10‑track record runs just over 31 minutes and includes “Dead Man Walking,” “Backslide,” “Son of a Sinner,” “Over You,” “Hollow,” “Even Angels Cry,” “Sober,” “Empty House,” plus demo versions of “Mobile Home” and “Son of a Sinner.” It features the rock‑leaning single “Dead Man Walking,” which reached No. 1 on Billboard’s Mainstream Rock chart, and the country‑inflected “Son of a Sinner,” which became his breakout country hit, peaking in the top 40 of the Hot 100 and No. 1 on Country Airplay. The success of “Son of a Sinner” convinced Jelly Roll that his future lay squarely in the country space and directly inspired him to lean fully into that sound on his next album, Whitsitt Chapel.
Musically and thematically, Ballads of the Broken marks a major evolution: it’s the first project where Jelly Roll essentially stops rapping, instead singing across almost every track while blending country‑adjacent hooks, rock guitars, and moody, remorseful pop textures. AllMusic noted how the album feels “short and surprising,” with songs moving from the twangy, church‑soaked storytelling of “Son of a Sinner” to the eerie, guilt‑drenched pop of “Over You,” all anchored by his soulful vocals and gritty Southern tone. Lyrically, the record is deeply rooted in self‑reflection and pain, drawing on his struggles with addiction, broken relationships, and mental health to tell the story of a man who’s been through the ringer, gotten his feet back under him, but knows he still has a long way to go. Jelly Roll has described it as “the truth—my truth,” saying he poured blood, sweat, and tears into these songs in the hope that listeners could “heal together” through shared pain; that authenticity and genre‑bending style made Ballads of the Broken a pivotal turning point on his path from underground rapper to one of country music’s most compelling new voices.
Ballads of the Broken is Jelly Roll’s eighth studio album and his major‑label debut, released on September 17, 2021 via Bailee & Buddy Management and BBR Music Group/Stoney Creek. The 10‑track record runs just over 31 minutes and includes “Dead Man Walking,” “Backslide,” “Son of a Sinner,” “Over You,” “Hollow,” “Even Angels Cry,” “Sober,” “Empty House,” plus demo versions of “Mobile Home” and “Son of a Sinner.” It features the rock‑leaning single “Dead Man Walking,” which reached No. 1 on Billboard’s Mainstream Rock chart, and the country‑inflected “Son of a Sinner,” which became his breakout country hit, peaking in the top 40 of the Hot 100 and No. 1 on Country Airplay. The success of “Son of a Sinner” convinced Jelly Roll that his future lay squarely in the country space and directly inspired him to lean fully into that sound on his next album, Whitsitt Chapel.
Musically and thematically, Ballads of the Broken marks a major evolution: it’s the first project where Jelly Roll essentially stops rapping, instead singing across almost every track while blending country‑adjacent hooks, rock guitars, and moody, remorseful pop textures. AllMusic noted how the album feels “short and surprising,” with songs moving from the twangy, church‑soaked storytelling of “Son of a Sinner” to the eerie, guilt‑drenched pop of “Over You,” all anchored by his soulful vocals and gritty Southern tone. Lyrically, the record is deeply rooted in self‑reflection and pain, drawing on his struggles with addiction, broken relationships, and mental health to tell the story of a man who’s been through the ringer, gotten his feet back under him, but knows he still has a long way to go. Jelly Roll has described it as “the truth—my truth,” saying he poured blood, sweat, and tears into these songs in the hope that listeners could “heal together” through shared pain; that authenticity and genre‑bending style made Ballads of the Broken a pivotal turning point on his path from underground rapper to one of country music’s most compelling new voices.