Jelly Roll and Lainey Wilson Take Country Radio By Storm With ‘Save Me’
The song was most-added at Country radio this week.
Jelly Roll, Lainey Wilson; Photo Courtesy of Rich Polk for PMC-
Jelly Roll and Lainey Wilson are most-added at Country Radio with “Save Me.”
The song officially impacted country radio on September 5 and earned a whopping 60 first-week adds on stations around the country. “Save Me,” which received over 91 historic adds, earned the title of most-added at country radio this week.
Most-Added At Country Radio
While chatting with Pure Country, the genre-bending star opened up about creating a new version of the tune with Lainey Wilson.
“It was a no-brainer,” Jelly Roll said of adding Wilson to the track. “Lainey’s like a sister. I think she’s got one of the best voices in country music, and we’re already friends so it was just such an easy collab. Now, admittedly, what I didn’t think about at the exact time, the first thought was just like, ‘Man, wouldn’t this be cool to do a real duet?’ But I didn’t realize how much of an impact the song was going to have on me when I heard it from the perspective of a woman.”
New Life
Jelly Roll also shared that Wilson gave the song a whole new life.
“I tell Lainey all the time, she’s like, ‘This song is doing incredible.’ And I was like, ‘It has nothing to do with me, Lainey.’ I’ve already put this song out,” he continued. “I was like, ‘People are hearing this from the perspective of a woman right now, and it’s putting a whole different energy into the universe from this song.’ You know what I mean?”
The 38-year-old singer/songwriter also showcased gratitude for Wilson, who has already found success with collaborations alongside HARDY (“Wait In The Truck”) and Cole Swindell (“Never Say Never”).
“I’m sure there was somebody in her camp going, hold on, we don’t need another duet right now,” Jelly Roll mused. “You know what I mean? You know how this business is. And Lainey was just like, ‘No, I’m doing it.’ She’s scorching hot on just red fire right now.”
Duet
“She’s coming off the biggest TV show on Earth,” he continued, referencing Wilson’s first-ever acting role on Yellowstone. “You know what I mean? Everything about it. She had a thousand reasons not to do it and one reason to do it, and that was liking me, you know what I’m saying? And she picked the one over the thousand. That’s who Lainey Wilson is.”
Whenever the pair of superstars get the opportunity to perform the song together, Jelly Roll said “it’s electric.”
“When we look each other in the eye on that ‘all of this drinking’ part, man, I see her soul,” he added. “I see every painful thing she’s been through in her life and her eyes at that moment. It’s insane.”
High-Profile Performances
Jelly Roll and Lainey Wilson debuted the collaborative version of the song at the 2023 ACM Awards in what became one of the most buzzed-about moments of the evening.
The artists joined forces once again during the Season 21 Finale of American Idol for another televised performance of the song.
Co-written by Jelly Roll, whose real name is Jason DeFord, alongside David Ray Stevens, “Save Me” finds the Nashville native begging for help with addiction.
“Somebody save me, me from myself/ I’ve spent so long living in Hell/ They say my lifestyle is bad for my health/ It’s the only thing that seems to help,” Jelly Roll sang on the track’s first verse.
Documentary
Additionally, “Save Me” is the title of Jelly Roll’s recently-released documentary. The clip gives fans an unfiltered and raw look into Jelly Roll’s inspiring story of transitioning from an incarcerated teen to an adult.
The new reimagined version of “Save Me” featuring Lainey Wilson appears on Jelly Roll’s latest album, WHITSITT CHAPEL, which arrived on June 2, 2023. The tune was originally recorded as a solo song on Jelly Roll’s 2020 album, Self Medicated.
“Save Me” follows Jelly Roll’s multi-week chart-topper, “NEED A FAVOR” and his first-ever No. 1 hit, “Son Of A Sinner.”
Wilson’s current single, “Watermelon Moonshine,” is climbing the charts at Country radio and currently sits in the Top 10 on Mediabase. “Save Me” follows Wilson’s string of No. 1 hits, including “Heart Like A Truck,” “Wait In The Truck (with HARDY),” “Never Say Never (with Cole Swindell),” and “Things A Man Oughta Know.”
WHITSITT CHAPEL
WHITSITT CHAPEL, named after the church the Antioch native grew up attending, features 13 tracks, including his current single “NEED A FAVOR” and the previously released track, “SHE.”
“This album is about growth and gratitude happening in my life. I wanted to create a project that felt hopeful. I believe the worst feeling a person can have is feeling hopeless or worthless. This is therapeutic music. Real music for real people with real problems,” Jelly Roll shared in a statement.
The project debuted at No.2 on the Billboard Country Album Chart and in the Top 3 on the Billboard 200 all-genre chart with 90,000 album equivalents.
On Tour
Jelly Roll is currently in the midst of his highly successful Backroad Baptism Tour, which kicked off on Friday, July 28, and runs through Saturday, October 14, where the trek will wrap up in Tampa, Florida at MIDFLORIDA Credit Union Amphitheatre.
Ashley McBryde, Caitlynne Curtis, Chase Rice, Elle King, Merkules, Struggle Jennings, Three 6 Mafia, Yelawolf will appear as special guests on select dates of the nearly sold-out tour.
Meanwhile, Lainey Wilson is serving as direct support on HARDY’s the mockingbird & THE CROW Fall Tour, in addition to headlining select dates.
Lauren Jo Black is a longtime country music journalist, editor, host, and media personality whose work has helped shape the conversation around country music for nearly two decades. As the current Editor-in-Chief of Country Now, she has become one of the genre’s most respected voices, interviewing hundreds of country music’s biggest stars, including Dolly Parton, Garth Brooks, Reba McEntire, Shania Twain, Randy Travis, Luke Bryan, Carrie Underwood, Blake Shelton, Luke Combs, and countless others. Over the course of her career, Black’s written work and interviews have reached billions of country music fans worldwide. A 2009 graduate of the University of Central Florida, Black began her career by founding Country Music Is Love, one of country music’s earliest independent digital publications, which she later sold to a major record label in 2015 before it was rebranded as Sounds Like Nashville. She then served as the publication’s Editor-in-Chief for more than two years. Her work has also appeared in Forbes, and she previously served as the Country Music Expert for Answers.com. Widely recognized for her expertise, Black has appeared as a featured guest on The Bobby Bones Show, BobbyCast, and Scripps News Morning Rush, providing insight on country music’s biggest moments. She has also hosted Country Now Live, a concert series featuring performances from artists including Lady A, Dierks Bentley, Riley Green, Jordan Davis, Dustin Lynch, Gabby Barrett, Brett Young, Jon Pardi, Kip Moore, Chris Young, and more. The series has welcomed thousands of fans in person while reaching millions more online. In addition, she hosted Connect With Country Now, a weekly interview series featuring conversations with rising country stars. Throughout her career, Black has earned a reputation for discovering and championing artists long before they become household names. She has covered Luke Bryan since the early days of his career, beginning when he was writing songs for other artists, including Billy Currington’s No. 1 hit “Good Directions,” before stepping into the spotlight with his debut single, “All My Friends Say” and eventually becoming one of biggest names in music. She also gave Megan Moroney her first opportunity to walk a major red carpet as Country Now’s official guest correspondent at the 2022 CMA Awards. An interview she conducted in 2018 for Forbes.com with Luke Combs that inspired his multi-week No. 1 hit, “Doin’ This.” She has also hosted stages at CMA Fest, moderated an industry panel at Country Radio Seminar, and helped lead important conversations about the evolving landscape of country music media. Beyond journalism, Black has also used her platform to support charitable causes and highlight organizations making an impact. Through Country Now Live, she has helped raise awareness and support for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, while also advocating for animal rescue through Country Now’s Pupdate series, spotlighting organizations including MuttNation Foundation, Wags & Walks, and Proverbs 12:10 Animal Rescue. Black has been recognized as one of Country Aircheck’s Women of Influence and received the 2012 Rising Star Award from the University of Central Florida. She is a longtime member of both the Country Music Association (CMA) and the Academy of Country Music (ACM). After nearly 20 years covering country music, Lauren Jo Black has spent her career telling the stories behind the artists, songs, and moments that have shaped the genre. Her first-ever book, Country Music Forever: An A-to-Z Celebration of Icons, Songs and Stories, brings that same passion and firsthand knowledge to the page, celebrating not only the legendary artists and timeless songs that have become the soundtrack to generations of fans, but also the places, traditions, and cultural moments that have made country music one of the most beloved genres around the world.
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