After his breakthrough album 2023, Whitsitt ChapelJelly Roll has become a country superstar widely embraced for the ex-rapper's confessional songs seeking salvation and his larger-than-life persona, as well as his redemptive arc as an ex-convict.
As he started promoting and releasing songs from his next release on October 11th Beautifully brokenJelly Roll also made it very clear on social media that debuting at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 would be a dream come true. That dream came true this week, when the set topped the chart with 161,000 equivalent albums gained in the U.S. for the week ending Oct. 17, according to Luminate — the artist's best week by units and third biggest week, by units, for any country album in 2024.
Work began more than a year ago, as Jelly Roll began writing and recording songs for the new album. He worked closely with Katie Kerkhovervice president of A&R for Nashville-based BMG/BBR Music Group (which released the album in conjunction with Republic), whose background as a musician helped inform her work with Jelly Roll. And her contributions to Beautifully broken help win Kerkhover's title Bulletin board's Executive of the Week.
Here, Kerkhover discusses the creation of the album from Jelly Roll's “vision” in creating it, his sense of purpose in recording each song, and the intent behind choosing the duo's collaborators from many different genres, as well as continuous promotion. efforts that brought it over the line.
Beautifully broken debuted at No. 1, which Jelly Roll made clear was his goal. What decisions did you make in creating the album that you felt would increase its chances of a No. 1 debut?
Jelly has a very strong vision for the impact he wants to make with his music. It has a purpose. Every song he writes has a purpose. Making sure that his heart and the gravity of his messages was the constant guiding everyone was critical to the making of the album. Encouraging those involved, who have their fingerprints with him, to draw that emotion out of their own contributions was vital. Making sure the production and mixes reflect Jelly's feelings. He was creating until the very last moments, so trusting each other when we were counting the hours on the finishing touches was also extremely important. Don't forget, he was finishing this album while in the middle of the tour.
This album was a joint project with Republic. What was the division of duties in terms of A&R?
Jelly started working on this album in 2023. He had already set a solid foundation and a clear direction, so when Republic joined the team, we all knew what we were aiming for. It wasn't so much a division of labor as it was more about how we work together to add the most value to Jelly. What strengths do we have individually and together to elevate his vision and achieve his goals.
Was there a mission statement from the moment you started recording tracks for what Jelly Roll wanted the album to be?
There was no other mission statement than what you hear him say all the time, “I make real music, for real people, with real problems.” When we started reading songs in 2023, we listened to every song he had written and focused on the ones with the biggest impact. Did we feel something? One of the things I admire most about Jelly is that it always comes back to purpose and why. “Why am I cutting this song? What purpose does it have in the album and in other people's lives?'
Jelly Roll duets with several artists, country and others Beautifully brokenincluding Halsey, Keith Urban and Wiz Khalifa. How were his duet partners chosen and how does the diversity of artists broaden the appeal of the album?
Collaborators were chosen from whom Jelly felt the song would resonate. Who would be the best person to add his talent and continue to elevate the song? In terms of wider appeal, Jelly is a huge music lover and that's why you see so much variety in his collaborators on this album. I think it's only natural to widen the reach because it creates without boundaries and ultimately the human factor is what connects us all. Fun fact: he also knows more about the history of songs, artists and genres than anyone I've ever met, so his potential collaborators run deep.
“I'm Not Okay” deals with mental health and is a Hot 100 hit for Jelly Roll. How did this song bring him a new audience?
We all have times when we struggle and are not well. The message of this song transcends genres and resonates deeply with listeners. Jelly has the courage to share his personal struggles through honest lyrics, revealing a vulnerability that really allows him to connect with a wider audience, including those who may not be familiar with his previous work.
There are many different configurations of it beautifully broken, ranging from 14 to 28 pieces. How was the sequence for each project decided to convey a cohesive work regardless of which variant fans were buying?
We chose the original 14 as the first compilation for vinyl because it was still recording. The sequence is linked to the general message that Beautifully broken is a reflection on his experiences with mental health and addiction, and the idea that victory comes from defeat. The road to redemption has no shortcuts and there will be ups and downs along the way. It all started when he chose “Winning Streak” as the album's opening track.
Beautifully broken achieves the third-biggest week for a country album in 2024, behind Beyoncé and Post Malone. What does this mean for Stoney Creek/BBR?
Jelly's success speaks volumes for the incredible connection he shares with his audience. His fan base is wide and deeply passionate, coming out strongly in every project. This relationship fuels our growth as a team, pushing us to innovate and strategically add meaningful resources. Our collaboration with Republic on this project is an example.
But the real driving force behind this achievement is Jelly himself. The sheer amount of work he put into creating and promoting this album is nothing short of staggering. For two months before its release, Jelly didn't have a single free minute. Every ounce of his energy went into making this album the best it could be and the results speak for themselves. His work ethic, combined with the passion of his fans, made this project a real success.
You come from a publishing background. How did that help you approach song selection for this album?
I had a long and extensive career as a touring musician, playing violin from the age of four. Before I turned 20, I was playing hundreds of shows a year with artists like Nashville Sarah Evans and Billy Carringtonplaying at the biggest festivals and stadiums in the country.
What I decided to do was take my real life musical experience and turn it into a tool to help songwriters and artists master their craft. A great example of this is from late 2020 when I joined BMG as an A&R publisher. One of the first things I did was bring in the incredibly talented songwriter/producer Austin Nivareljust as the company was signing Jelly Roll. I immediately saw the possibility of the two working together, [then-BMG Nashville president] John Loba he recognized my strengths and eventually appointed me to lead A&R for the label side. As we know, Jelly and Austin would go on to write the smash hit 'Need A Favor' from Whitsitt Chapeland continued their collaboration with Beautifully brokensetting the tone for the album with “Winning Streak”.
