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Alt-rock singer-songwriter Matthew Sweet, known for his 90s hits “Girlfriend” and “I’ve Been Waiting,” is currently recovering from a debilitating stroke that occurred while on tour in Toronto on Oct. 12.
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The news was confirmed by Sweet’s longtime manager, Russell Carter, in a statement on Tuesday (Oct. 22).
According to Carter, Sweet was immediately admitted to Toronto Western Hospital where he received urgent care. Though his condition was stabilized, he has since been transferred to a rehabilitation center in Omaha to undergo extensive therapy.
Carter described Sweet’s situation as “a long, difficult road to recovery,” adding that the artist will require weeks of around-the-clock care followed by months of rehabilitation.
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“Matthew has always been intensely focused and tenacious in all of his endeavors, not only in his recording career, but in all of his artistic and intellectual pursuits,” Carter shared.
“I am confident that his signature determination will serve him well as he focuses now on recovery to good health.”
Due to the stroke, Sweet was forced to cancel his cross-country tour, including both his headline dates and his supporting slots for Hanson.
On Oct. 10, Sweet’s team had already announced the cancellation of his shows via Instagram due to medical illness, but the full extent of the situation was only revealed this week. “Matthew’s primary source of income—like most professional musicians—is live touring, and he cannot perform for the foreseeable future,” Carter explained.
To help cover Sweet’s rising medical expenses, his family and management team have launched a GoFundMe campaign. The campaign notes that while Sweet received life-saving care in Toronto, health care for Americans in Canada is not free, and Sweet lacks both insurance and touring income during this period.
“We have set up a GoFundMe campaign so family, friends, and Matthew’s amazing network of fans can contribute to help pay his medical expenses,” Carter said.
The fundraiser aims to raise $250,000 to cover the cost of Sweet’s care, with donations already surpassing $115,000 from over 2,000 supporters.
The GoFundMe campaign was organized by Catherine Lyons, of Russell Carter Artist Management, who reiterated the severity of Sweet’s condition, noting that the musician’s recovery will be a long process, requiring multiple stages of care.
Sweet emerged from the Athens, Georgia music scene in the 1980s and became a figure in the 90s power-pop revival with the release of his album Girlfriend in 1991, with the album’s title track and the single “I’ve Been Waiting” becoming fan favorites.
Read the statement from Russell Carter in full below:
Last week, Matthew Sweet was forced to cancel an extensive cross-country tour of both headline dates and opening slots for longtime friends, Hanson after suffering a debilitating stroke in Toronto late Saturday evening (October 12).
Matthew was quickly admitted to Toronto Western Hospital where he was put into excellent care and taken out of immediate danger. Matthew was transferred to a rehabilitation center back home in Omaha today where he will undergo extensive therapy.
He is now on a long, difficult road to recovery. All of us who know and love Matthew have hope for a speedy recovery. Matthew has always been intensely focused and tenacious in all of his endeavors – not only in his recording career, but in all of his artistic and intellectual pursuits.
I am confident that his signature determination will serve him well as he focuses now on recovery to good health.
Matthew’s medical expenses in Canada and Omaha are exorbitant and his primary source of income – like most professional musicians – is live touring. He cannot perform for the foreseeable future. We have set up a GoFundMe campaign so family, friends, and Matthew’s amazing network of fans can contribute to help pay his medical expenses.
Please contribute if you can and please repost the link to the GoFindMe fundraiser anywhere you can.
Stevie Wonder used his Detroit homecoming as an opportunity to clap back at presidential candidate Donald Trump for disrespecting the city during the campaign.
“I just gotta say for the record, I don’t like nobody talking bad about Detroit,” the Motown icon told a sold-out crowd on Tuesday night at Detroit’s Little Caesars Arena on the latest stop of his Sing Your Song! As We Fix Our Nation’s Broken Heart tour. He then led the audience in a chant of “Don’t cha do it!,” pointedly aimed at Trump.
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Wonder was referencing the Republican candidate’s disparaging remarks during an Oct. 13 speech to the Detroit Economic Club, where he warned that if his Democratic opponent, Vice-President Kamala Harris, is elected, “the whole country will end up being like Detroit — a mess.”
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He also called Detroit “a developing area more than most places in China.” His remarks generated equally harsh criticism from Detroit and Michigan civic leaders as well as labor leaders.
Wonder, who has publicly, endorsed Harris as “not just any woman, a wonderful woman, and she has done the work consistently.”
He announced the Sing Our Song! tour less than three weeks before its Oct. 8 opening in Pittsburgh, playing 11 shows in mostly swing states such as Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin in the wake of his surprise single, “As We Fix Our Nation’s Broken Heart.”
The swipe at Trump — on a night former President Barack Obama was campaigning for Harris nearby at Detroit’s Huntington Center (introduced by Eminem) — was not Wonder’s only political comment on Tuesday.
Later in the show he recited, for the first time ever, the lyrics of a new song, “Politic Playa,” which Wonder said will appear on his next album, Through the Eyes of Wonder, slated for release in March. T
he pointed song includes verses such as “you campaigned throughout the nation, saying you’ll unite the land/But when you get in office, you completely change the plan,” with a chorus that runs, “Politic playa/Why you playin’ politics so wrong/Politic playa/You get what you want, then you’re absent, up and gone.”
Introducing “Village Ghetto Land,” on which he sang accompanied only by a 12-piece string section, Wonder, who was born in Saginaw and moved to Detroit when he was four years old, recalled the violence and poverty he witnessed in the neighborhood in which he grew up.
“I just remember all this stuff was going on…a lot of what we saw then is what we’re seeing now, and that’s unacceptable. We gotta fix that,” he said, turning his attention to politicians as he added, “It’s not about what they say; it’s what they do. And my freedom and my rights for what I want can’t be bought.”
Wonder took one more shot at Trump while vamping during “Do I Do,” referencing the Economic Club remarks again before saying, “All this has gotta stop…Let’s make America LOVE again.”
Wonder’s Detroit show was also distinguished by some special moments, including a bit of fellow Motowners the Four Tops’ “I Can’t Help Myself (Sugar Pie Honey Bunch)” early on and the tour debut of “My Eyes Don’t Cry,” which had a line of fans on the arena floor doing an impromptu hustle.
During his mid-show break from the stage, meanwhile, Detroit’s Perfecting Greater Grace Singers choir performed Aretha Franklin’s “Until You Come Back to Me (That’s What I’m Gonna Do)” before Wonder’s six backing vocalists paid tribute to the late Frankie Beverly with a rendition of Maze’s “Before I Let Go.”
Wonder also had to overcome some technical problems that shorted out the PA system three times during the night.
After the first — which interrupted “Master Blaster (Jammin’)” — was resolved he thanked the fans “for being patient, ’cause we can work it out, right?” before launching an impromptu rendition of the Beatles’ “We Can Work It Out,” which he covered for a Top 20 single in 1970. The second and third came in rapid succession during “Don’t You Worry ’bout a Thing,” and an exasperated Wonder, while remaining composed, commented, “I’m sure the sound crew feels messed up.”
When it was finally fixed, he quipped “Oh, Stevie, Stevie, we forgive the mess up, and we’ll never mess up like that again.”
Wonder has four more dates on the Sing Your Song! tour, which wraps up Nov. 2 in Chicago.
Former President Barack Obama lost himself in the music, the moment on Tuesday night (Oct. 22) at Kamala Harris and Tim Walz’s Detroit rally ahead of the 2024 presidential election next month. Explore Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news The Detroit native rapper took the stage to introduce […]
The Zombies have enlisted Q Prime for label and distribution services, it was announced Tuesday (Oct. 22).
Under the agreement, Q Prime will manage marketing, manufacturing, distribution and licensing for the 2019 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductees’ new imprint, Beechwood Park Records. The imprint includes the pioneering British band’s catalog, which the group acquired the rights to last year from Marquis Enterprises Ltd. “There’s a very narrow window in a Venn diagram where love, admiration and business overlap. That’s what the deal is all about,” said Q Prime co-founder Cliff Burnstein in a statement.
Starting next year, Q Prime will physically reissue four of The Zombies’ albums, remastered from the original tapes. This includes the band’s seminal 1968 album, Odessey & Oracle, in its original mono mix; the LP, which was recorded for 1,000 British pounds, includes the classic songs “Time of The Season,” “Care of Cell 44″ and “This Will Be Our Year.” Its release will coincide with a new Zombies documentary, Hung Up On A Dream, directed by musician and filmmaker Robert Schwartzman and co-produced by Schwartzman’s Utopia Films, The Ranch Productions and Tom Hanks’ Playtone.
Chris Tuthill and Cindy da Silva of The Rocks Management, who have represented the band for the past 11 years, oversaw the deal along with attorney Monika Tashman of Loeb & Loeb. “We went through a painstaking process to find a strategic partner who would truly understand the unique qualities of these beloved recordings,” said Tuthill in a statement. “Ultimately, we knew we had to stay true to the band’s history. They have always benefited from a non-traditional and independent approach to both music and business, which is one of the reasons their songs are continually rediscovered by new generations of fans.”
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After former publishing executive Rick Krim introduced the management team to Q Prime, da Silva added, “We were incredibly impressed by the team and infrastructure that Q Prime assembled with their long-term clients Metallica to nurture and grow their own catalog, and their genuine desire to collaborate with us and the band to do the same for The Zombies.”
The Zombies’ four surviving founding members are lead singer Colin Blunstone, keyboardist Rod Argent, bassist Chris White and drummer Hugh Grundy. The band first appeared on the Billboard charts with 1964’s “She’s Not There,” which peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100.
Ab-Soul made an appearance on DJ Hed and Gina Views’ SiriusXM show Effective Immediately, over the weekend to talk about his upcoming album Soul Burger when the subject of J. Cole came up.
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Gina Views asked him what the groupchat was like when J. Cole dropped his Kendrick diss song “7 Minute Drill” and then his Might Delete Later mixtape which included the song “Pi” featuring the Carson rapper and battle rapper Daylyt. Soulo admitted to being surprised by the track being on the mixtape and told a hilarious story about the day he found out.
“First of all, I was a little upset with Cole — not upset, but like… Cole was supposed to be on ‘Fuck Out My Face [FOMF],’ he revealed. “Cole is the homie, for real. That’s what I want to make very clear to the whole world. I just needed like a 12… I played him the album and he picked [FOMF] and I bugged him about it because I was trying to play the game at that point, and it just didn’t come to fruition.”
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He continued by saying, “But I did this joint — me and Lyt did the joint ‘Pi.’ I did it for Daylyt. I said like, ‘Let’s do a back and forth thing, it was kinda like a sparring [session] between me and him, and it’s called ‘Pi’ literally because me and Daylyt’s [version] ended on 3:14.”
Adding, “I wake up — I don’t know if it’s the next morning, but soon after — Lyt’s like, ‘Bro’ and sends me the song and Cole on there going crazy. I’m like, ‘Wait, what the f—k?’ I’m lowkey hot. I’m like, ‘Lyt, bro, this is one of the best rappers in the world. You gotta let me know before… I’m on his head like, ‘Bro, you have to let me know if you’re gonna send this shit off. He ate us up.’ Just off first listen, cuz got like 48 [bars] off.’ It wasn’t mixed yet and his vocals were louder than ours. I’m waking up to this, my ears are fresh. I called Cole immediately.”
He then mentions that Cole told him their verses inspired him. “Man, y’all was going so crazy, I just got in the spirit. My pen just started moving.” Ab added that he respected where the Carolina rapper was coming from. “Cole’s really an emcee emcee. I told him I was tryna play the game. Now it makes sense why he was more attracted to ‘Pi’ than ‘FOMF.’ That says a lot about him. All he needed to do was a 12. He had the upper hand. I gave him the whole thing.”
Not to be a rapper that enjoys being one-upped, Soul said he told Cole that they need to record a proper track where they go bar for bar.
Many assumed that Ab-Soul threw shots at Cole on his most recent song “Squeeze 1st 2” when he rapped, “Metasota warned me they wanna war/ But actually they forfeiting like their wardrobe for half of the week” and released the song after Cole dropped his song “Port Antonio” where he addresses bowing out of the “Big 3” beef. But those assumptions were debunked when TDE president Punch took to X to clear things up, tweeting, “I hate to clear up rumors, I usually let them fester and see how far they go, but ALL verses on Pi were recorded long before Like That,” in response to HipHopDX host Jeremy Hecht tweeting that Soul got at Cole for not telling him that “Pi” would be included on a project.
You can watch the full interview below:
Billie Eilish is recovering after hitting her leg hard and not quite soft. The multi-Grammy winner took to her Instagram Stories to show off a nasty leg bruise she retained after tripping and falling on steps as she left the stage during her show at New York City’s Madison Square Garden on Friday (Oct. 18). On […]
With Sagittarius season around the corner, Nicki Minaj made some time to show love to her “Sag Queen” Taylor Swift on social media. The “Super Bass” rapper took to her Instagram Story on Tuesday (Oct. 22) reposting Taylor Swift’s recap celebrating The Eras Tour returning to the U.S. for a three-show run at Miami Gardens’ […]
World Mental Health Day and Sober October take place this month, and Grammy-nominated guitarist Marcus King has found his sobriety and mental health are inextricably linked. In the below commentary, he shares how 1 Million Strong and his own Curfew Fellowship Fund have helped him foster a compassionate, supportive community for saying sober, especially on the road.
I spent most of my time in addiction feeling guilt and shame for the time I’d lost. There are many moments, incredible career defining moments, like the first time I played with Eric Clapton, Little Featand Lynyrd Skynyrd, that I simply cannot fully recall.
Addiction ran in my family and partially ran my life for quite some time.
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I had my first drink around age 12 or 13. I was often the youngest one at the party. I drank in an effort to quiet down the demons from years of trauma and abandonment that I hadn’t learned how to cope with yet. Drugs and alcohol helped to summon a muse and overcome my social anxiety.
I spent most of my teens and early 20s under the influence. Two years ago, I didn’t think I’d live to make another album. I’d tried many times to quit drinking and while getting clean could be a high of its own, my sense of self sunk even lower when I fell off the wagon. I’m certainly not the first to self-medicate.
We’ve lost many of the greats to addiction – Hank Williams, Billie Holliday, Townes Van Zandt, Janis Joplin, Amy Winehouse – and not having the right resources and community in place to support them. Behind the glamor of the sex, drugs, and rock & roll lifestyle, the music industry can be isolating with grueling hours on the road, often times away from loved ones and little time to focus on your health. But it is getting easier to be an artist or fan and maintain sobriety.
What I’ve learned in the past two years is that sobriety and mental health are a journey, not a final destination. Each day I just need to make progress and lend myself compassion when I don’t live up to it – when I fall off, I have to remind myself I am not a fuck up, I just fucked up.
I’ve also learned what tools I need for the journey. Community is one. And it’s key.
It’s easier for me to be sober on stage than alone with my own mind. Having people on my tour who know I am better when I’m sober and help me stay the course is necessary. That’s why I’m currently on the road with my pals 1 Million Strong. This initiative is working with artists, festivals, and venues to create community and engaging sober experiences, encourage open conversation about addiction, and give support for those impacted by substance use.
To take it a step further, 1 Million Strong connects people with The Phoenix’s sober-active community which give those struggling with addiction opportunities to make meaningful connection in their daily lives through virtual and in person events across the country.
For me, it’s making time to ride my Peloton bike before shows. Even just the virtual community I find there helps me keep going.
Building community starts from the bottom up — music venues and tours are no exception. By working together to make the music industry a place where sober communities can grow and thrive, we’re hoping to change the way people think about experiencing music.
I’ve been so impressed by my friends in the industry and fans who have shown up to support this sober community and chart a better path. If I have any advice for people whose loved ones are struggling with addiction it’s to listen.
Substance use disorders truly are an illness, so don’t cast blame. Judgment only shoves those of us trying to stay sober further into darkness. It erodes our sense of self and our connection to you — the very things that could be lifelines to sobriety.
We also need to get honest in this country about mental health and how darkness drives addiction. That’s what I am trying to do by sharing my experiences, and that’s the mission behind my Curfew Fellowship Fund, which is building a support system for those battling mental health challenges.
The foundation is named for my friend, tour manager, and fellow songwriter Matt “Curfew” Reynolds who died by suicide in 2017. I’d like to believe if Curfew, Hank, Billie, Townes or any of the other greats we’ve lost to addiction had access to a sober, supportive community equipped to help them wrestle their demons, their careers and their lives would have been longer.
I once heard Tyler Childers describe getting sober as regaining time. My sobriety journey is about getting my time back that I could have lost all together.
For me, meditation and spending time each day being grateful for my wife, and my dog, Duck — who hates the smell of alcohol on people’s breath — and this life keeps me grounded. When I’m not drinking, I’m more present, more creative, and see things more vibrantly. I am who I want to be for myself, my loved ones and my fans.
Just because you’re sober doesn’t mean you can’t party. I believe everyone has a role to play in reimagining the music industry as a sacred space where everyone can show up as they are and rock out together, no matter what’s in their cup.
Taylor Swift is feeling grateful after the return of her Eras Tour, which picked right back up over the weekend after a two-month break with three shows in Miami.
And following the conclusion of her stay at Hard Rock Stadium, the pop star took to Instagram on Tuesday (Oct. 22) to say thank you to her fans. “The Eras Tour is BACK and the 3 Miami crowds we just got to play for were on a new level,” Swift wrote, sharing a slew of photos from the performances. “With only 5 cities left to play before it’s over, I knew I was going to be savoring every moment up on that stage but the bewildering passion of those crowds really blew my mind.”
“It rained (a lot) the 1st and 3rd nights, and so that kicked up the cinematic drama,” the 14-time Grammy winner continued. “I had really missed this on our break. The mass quantities of joyful people genuinely living in the moment and seeming truly carefree for 3.5 hours.”
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The trio of Eras Tour shows in the Sunshine State was indeed memorable, with rainstorms bookending the dates and Florence Welch — “my mystifyingly talented friend,” as Swift described her — aptly joining the “Anti-Hero” artist on stage each night to sing their The Tortured Poets Department collaboration “Florida!!!” Swift also debuted a new Reputation jumpsuit and several new dresses during the shows, about which she wrote on Instagram, “I got some new outfits, and it’s always nice when the crowd notices that 😁 You guys are just the best.”
“Thank you to everyone who came and everyone who followed along online,” she concluded her post. “4 more cities left and the next one up is: New Orleans!”
As Swift pointed out, the Eras Tour has just a few more stops — NOLA, Indianapolis, Toronto and Vancouver — before it ends in December. The trek first kicked off nearly two years ago in March 2023 and has seen the musician travel through North America, Latin America, Europe, Asia and Australia, joined by openers Phoebe Bridgers, Gracie Abrams, Paramore, Sabrina Carpenter and more.
The entire trek has also seen millions of fans from all over the world come out in droves to get in on the friendship bracelet trading and three-hour-plus scream-singalongs, something Swift highlighted during her first show in Miami. Calling the audience one of the “wildest, most passionate, craziest, most loving crowds in the world,” Swift gushed, “The volume at which you are singing every single one of these songs is astonishing.”
The rise of Jelly Roll hits an important new peak this week, as the country singer-songwriter scores his first No. 1 on the Billboard 200 albums chart (dated Oct. 26) with his new album Beautifully Broken.
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After a year of steady new music releases and countless public appearances, Jelly Roll has leveled up to the tune of 161,000 equivalent album units for its first week of his new set’s release. The 22-track version of the album on streaming services includes the singles “Liar” and “I Am Not Okay,” the latter of which currently sits at a new high of No. 14 on the Billboard Hot 100.
How was the album able to have such a big first week? And which country artist might be next to score their first Billboard 200 No. 1 album? Billboard staffers discuss these questions and more below.
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1. Jelly Roll scores his first No. 1 on the Billboard 200 this week, debuting with 161,000 equivalent album units and 114,000 in straight sales. What do you think is the biggest reason behind the career-best numbers for Jelly Roll’s latest?
Kyle Denis: Jelly has been inescapable this year. He sang for the In Memoriam segment at the Emmys, kicked off SNL’s landmark 50th season, appeared on Eminem’s own Billboard 200-topping album, made his television debut on the Sylvester Stallone-starring Tulsa King and even testified before Congress! Of course, it also helps that he’s been incredibly musically active this year. From his collaborations with MGK (“Lonely Road”) and Post Malone (“Losers”) to his Twisters: The Album contribution (“Dead End Road”) and the handful of Beautifully Broken pre-release singles he dropped throughout the year, it felt like Jelly Roll launched a new song (or three) every week. He’s never been more visible, and these career-best sales numbers prove that.
Jason Lipshutz: His cultural ubiquity. Even if you aren’t a country music fan, you are aware of Jelly Roll — through his A-list guest features, TV appearances, awards-show speeches that tend to go viral, or all of the above — and might want to check out a full project by the man who you heard on a Post Malone song or watched on Saturday Night Live. Obviously Jelly Roll has accrued a dedicated fan base, but the casual listeners that have jumped aboard to check out Beautifully Broken undoubtedly helped the singer-songwriter top the Billboard 200 chart.
Melinda Newman: Beyond the music? Good old fashioned hard work. In between his now famous cold plunges, he has shown up for everything and appeared everywhere so that people knew the album was coming. He then priced the album very aggressively to bump sales and, as is the way now, came up with multiple variations, including seven vinyl variants alone, to encourage mega-fans to collect the full set. That’s one reason he saw such high sales figures, compared to downloads.
Jessica Nicholson: Beautifully Broken ultimately contained over two dozen songs, giving fans plenty of new material to dig into, stream and dissect. A large portion of these career-best numbers are due to pure album sales, and his plethora of vinyl and physical album offerings play a role in that. However, the biggest reason for these career-best numbers is Jelly Roll himself. His story, his songs and the message they embody are speaking to audiences and giving a voice to audiences that haven’t been spoken to in some time. Everyone can relate to struggle, vices, self-doubt and heartbreak on some level and his music aims at the heart of that. Also, Jelly Roll comes across as open-hearted, joyous, and unflinchingly honest in a time when so many “personalities” are curated.
Andrew Unterberger: People do love Jelly Roll! The reason he hasn’t worn out his welcome over his past year-plus of massive public exposure is that he seems like a guy you wanna spend time with, wanna root for. He’s got big songs and a big voice, but it seems like it’s the big personality that folks are really connecting with first and foremost.
2. Jelly Roll has taken a fairly strict more-is-more approach since his 2023 crossover breakthrough, being extremely prolific in both his new releases and his public appearances. Does the Beautifully Broken debut seem to validate this strategy to you — or is there still potential long-term downside in it?
Kyle Denis: I think the Beautifully Broken debut does indeed validate his more-is-more strategy – it’s the biggest sales week for a 2024 country album not by Beyoncé or Post Malone. The long-term downside still lingers for sure, but he can ride this strategy until Jelly Roll fatigue truly starts to rear its head.
Jason Lipshutz: Jelly Roll has clearly been striking while the iron is hot, flooding streaming services with solo tunes and collaborations as his profile expands; over-saturation might come into play for some, but the strategy has clearly been working, considering how successful a handful of those tracks, and now his latest album, have become. Now that Beautifully Broken and its deluxe edition have been released, I’d expect Jelly Roll to slow down on the release rate a bit — but who knows? Nashville’s elite will likely be calling him up for guest spots, so maybe he just keeps releasing tracks and gathering momentum.
Melinda Newman: There seems to be no burnout factor on Jelly yet, perhaps because he is still so enthusiastic about every appearance he’s making, each new adventure he undertakes and each new person he is duetting with. It’s infectious and seems genuine. This is someone who so many people had counted out from the time he first went to juvenile detention when he was 14, it’s clear he’s reveling in his near-daily pinch me moments and feels like he’s not just making music, but is on a mission.
Jessica Nicholson: Social media and streaming have made it expected for an artist always have something new to give their fans, whether that is music or content, lessening the danger of overexposure. The more songs you release, the more new music fans have a chance to stream. We’ve seen the release of sprawling albums become one factor (among many) contributing to the success for artists such as Morgan Wallen, with his three-dozen song album One Thing at a Time and Post Malone’s 28-song F-1 Trillion (Long Bed) project, with seemingly no downside to releasing that much material.
Andrew Unterberger: I do wonder if he’ll eventually hit a tipping point with this strategy, because no one can be this omnipresent forever without starting to exhaust people at least a little bit. But evidence suggests that he’s not there yet, certainly. Assuming he continues at this level of productivity, it’ll be interesting to see on the next album if that growth remains consistent.
3. “I Am Not Okay” has been the most high-profile of Jelly Roll’s hits this year, making the Hot 100’s top 20 and getting performed during the In Memoriam montage at this year’s Emmys. Does it feel like a potential signature hit to you, or is it mostly benefitting from the singer-songwriter’s positive career momentum?
Kyle Denis: To me, it feels more like a potential signature hit than anything else on Beautifully Broken. It’s one of the stronger songs on the record, and I think people are responding to the emotional punch that it packs. Yes, his positive career momentum is helping the song, but I’d imagine at least one of the album’s 27 other tracks would be pulling off a similar performance if positive momentum was all it took.
Jason Lipshutz: Last week, I spent an entire day with “I Am Not Okay” stuck in my head — I caught myself singing it in line at Dunkin, warbling “I Am Not Okay” while waiting to order an iced coffee (so I was, in fact, very okay). Jelly Roll has more accomplished songs than his latest hit, including Whitsitt Chapel hits like “Need a Favor” and “Save Me,” but “I Am Not Okay” is the catchiest song he’s ever released, with a melody that simply won’t dislodge from your memory. I think it’s going to keep growing and become a smash.
Melinda Newman: It feels like it could become a signature hit, but he’s already had 4 No. 1 on Country Airplay, so it’s competing with now Jelly standards, like “Need a Favor, “Son of a Sinner” and “Save Me.” But “I Am Not Okay,” with its mental health message, has reached a new audience for Jelly Roll that knows no boundaries and it has brought in fans that may have heard the name but hadn’t experienced the music yet. Given the new album’s themes, “I Am Not Okay” is an excellent introduction.
Jessica Nicholson: This has the feel of a signature hit for Jelly Roll. The message in his music is hitting at the right time, in an era where people in general are more comfortable with being open about their struggles and weaknesses. People are also finding community in daring to be open about mental health—something the song itself dives right into the center of on the line “I know I can’t be the only one/ Who’s holding on for dear life.” As so many are battling mental health issues including anxiety and depression due to all kinds of factors, from health struggles, job losses and the general runup to the U.S. presidential election, this song seems to encapsulate what so many people are feeling at this moment, while also encouraging those listeners.
Andrew Unterberger: Yeah, this one feels like it could end up being next-level for him — the chorus is extremely sturdy and the message transcends genre in a way you certainly couldn’t say about every major country hit. I wouldn’t be surprised if it crept into the top 10 of the chart before the holiday rush hits at year’s end.
4. One conspicuous thing about Jelly Roll’s recent collaborator list is the diversity of artists and genres represented — including mgk, Jessie Murph, Eminem and Falling in Reverse. Who’s an artist who Jelly Roll hasn’t teamed up with yet that you think could end up being a particularly interesting and/or successful new artistic partner for him?
Kyle Denis: Shaboozey. He and Jelly Roll cross genres so frequently and so naturally that I’m interested to see what they come up with – especially on a four-track EP where they can expand on their respective takes on country, hip-hop and rock. And for a bit more of a left-field choice, Leon Bridges.
Jason Lipshutz: I love the way Kacey Musgraves has both honed her aesthetic as well as figured out how to best complement that of others in recent years; look at how dynamic she is operating alongside Zach Bryan on “I Remember Everything” and Noah Kahan on “She Calls Me Back.” It’d be a blast to hear how her gentle delivery contrasts with Jelly Roll’s gruffer tone on a collaboration.
Melinda Newman: The great thing about his collaborations is so many of them seem out of left field and he seems genuinely open and able to blend with almost anyone from any genre.. I would love to hear him team up with a really strong woman with a powerhouse voice like P!nk and have them go toe-to-toe.
Jessica Nicholson: Jelly Roll and Teddy Swims would be interesting to hear together, given their vast influences and solid voices. Otherwise, it would be great to hear Jelly Roll and Kelly Clarkson team up on an original song, after they performed “I Am Not Okay” on The Kelly Clarkson Show.
Andrew Unterberger: We know Jelly Roll can do power balladry with the best of them — but can that mighty voice command the dance floor? Let’s put him together with Fred again.. or Jamie xx — or if he wants go classic with it, maybe Nile Rodgers — and see what kind of results they can come up with.
5. Who’s another rising country artist besides Jelly Roll who you think could be in line for their own first No. 1 album in the not-too-distant future?
Kyle Denis: Lainey Wilson!
Jason Lipshutz: Lainey Wilson scored her first top 10 album in August with Whirlwind — so while it may be a little while until we get a follow-up, Wilson has ascended so rapidly that I think she’ll challenge for the top spot of the Billboard 200 whenever she returns. Until then? We’re blasting “Hang Tight Honey,” folks.
Melinda Newman: Megan Moroney’s star continues to rise and her most recent album debuted at No. 3 on Top Country Albums and No. 9 on the Billboard 200. If her trajectory stays its current course, it feels like she could snag the No. 1 spot next go-round. Also on the rise are Tucker Wetmore and Zach Top.
Jessica Nicholson: Not exactly country, but if we’re looking for a rising artist from the heartland, let’s say Chappell Roan. Chappell’s The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess debuted last year and has since risen to No. 2 on the Billboard 200. In that time, her career has continued to ascend, thanks to “Good Luck, Babe!,” Chappell’s Midwest Princess Tour and her recent record-breaking show at Lollapalooza Chicago. Chappell seems poised to soon ring the bell at No. 1.
Andrew Unterberger: Megan Moroney seems like she’s on her way there, combining classic and modern country elements in both her music and her promotion in ways that usually lead to major stardom. She feels like as sure a futures bet as anyone in country right now.