Lainey Wilson and Jelly Roll Reflect On Their Musical Journeys At Triple No.1 Party

Lainey Wilson and Jelly Roll took time out of their busy schedules to celebrate their recent chart-topping singles on Thursday during a No.1 party hosted by BMI (Broadcast Music, Inc.). 

The party, which took place at Nashville’s Tin Roof, celebrated Jelly Roll’s back-to-back Platinum chart-toppers “Need a Favor” and the Grammy-nominated “Save Me” (featuring Wilson) as well as Wilson’s fifth consecutive No.1 at Country radio, “Watermelon Moonshine.” 

Ahead of the plaque presentations, the artists sat down with us and other media outlets and reflected on their musical journeys, revealing what motivated them until they got their first big breaks. 

The Chart-Topping Artists Reveal What Kept Them Going

Wilson initially joked, “I’m just a little bit crazy I guess. I think you kind of got to be a little bit nuts to stick these kind of things out!” 

In all seriousness, the GRAMMY-winning star explained, “I think it was grit. That grit that my mama and daddy instilled in me from the beginning, but also that faith that they instilled in me. And I knew from an early age, and I know I’ve told all of y’all this a million times, but when I was a little girl, I knew that this was my calling and I knew that this was a gift. And I truly believe that if you feel like you have a gift, you’re supposed to share it with the world. And mine is telling stories and I’m so thankful that I get to be a part of that. I’m so thankful I get to tell my story and have other people kind of find theirs in it too.” 

Jelly Roll agreed that “insanity” had something to do with it and later elaborated on how his late father’s words inspired him not to give up at a time in his career when he wanted to throw in the towel. 

“I came in one day and I said, ‘I think I’m going to give it up,’ Jelly Roll recalls of the conversation with his dad. He explained that he asked his dad to give him a job on his meat delivery route and instead of complying, his father shared words of inspiration that Jelly Roll will never forget.    

“He looked at me, and it was probably 10 years ago, and he said, ‘Son, if you’re working as hard as I think you are, and as hard as you’re telling me you are if you’d have done what my wish for you in life was, and you’d have went to Vanderbilt right after you left high school to be a doctor…you wouldn’t have even had your master’s yet to go into the doctor’s program. He said, ‘If you’re really working that hard, I believe that one day this will work,’” the CMA New Artist of the Year recalled. 

Rather than giving up, Jelly Roll hustled and has now found himself at the top of his game in country music.  

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Jelly Roll Promised They Would Sing The Song Together for Years To Come

While Jelly Roll and Lainey Wilson have moved on from their chapter as collaborators with “Save Me,” Jelly Roll promised, “This isn’t a song that’ll go away.” 

He declared, “We’ll be on stage singing this together anytime we’re near each other, I’d say the rest of our lives.” 

Jelly Roll is currently climbing the charts at country radio with his latest single, “Halfway To Hell,” while Lainey Wilson is beginning her next musical chapter with “Country’s Cool Again.”  

The artists later gathered with their co-writers to toast the songs’ wildly successful runs on the country radio charts. 

“Save Me”

“Save Me” was written by Jelly Roll (Jason DeFord) with David Ray Stevens, produced by Zach Crowell and David Ray Stevens, and recorded by Jelly Roll with Lainey Wilson. 

“Need A Favor”

“Need A Favor,” written by Jelly Roll with Austin Nivarel, Joe Ragosta, and Rob Ragosta, and produced by Austin Nivarel, is a special one as it’s each of the songwriters (aside from Jelly Roll) first No.1s. 

“Watermelon Moonshine”

Wilson’s “Watermelon Moonshine” was written by the Louisiana native alongside Josh Kear and Jordan Schmidt and produced by Jay Joyce.