Jelly Roll celebrated the release of his highly anticipated album, Beautifully Broken, with a sold-out show at Chicago’s United Center.

On Friday, Oct. 11, the multi-genre superstar made a grand entrance just a few minutes after 9 PM. The crowd’s attention was directed toward the floor where Jelly Roll and his wife, Bunnie XO, were seen making their way through the sea of screaming fans until he reached the b-stage at the back of the arena. After sharing a kiss with his other half, he stepped up on the platform, soaked in the palpable energy around him, and began his 20-song set with the deeply personal and “therapeutic” track, “I Am Not Okay.”

Larger-Than-Life Production Elements

This stop on the Beautifully Broken tour was destined to be memorable, but there was no way to predict just how incredible it would be for Jelly Roll and his fans in the Windy City. For starters, the production level was nothing short of spectacular, with its stunning display of visuals including a light-up skull, a bejeweled crown, and a massive rosary hung from the ceiling – all of which paid tribute to his newest album. The dynamic stage setup, combined with the sound of Jelly Roll’s authentic vocals and stellar backup singers, truly enhanced the storytelling throughout the evening.

The set list brought fans on a journey of fan-favorites, spanning albums including 2020’s A Beautiful Disaster, 2021’s Ballads of the Broken, 2023’s Whitsitt Chapel, and of course, Beautifully Broken plus the surprise six-song deluxe edition, Beautifully Broken (Pickin’ Up The Pieces). The hard-hitting tune “Halfway to Hell” evoked a massive sing-along before Jelly Roll declared he was turning the United Center into a honky tonk with new songs like “Get By” and “Burning.”

Jelly Roll Was In Disbelief Looking At The Sold-Out Arena

Midway through the show, Jelly Roll took a few minutes to introduce himself and reflect on how honored he was to have the opportunity to play in “the house of the greatest basketball player that ever lived, Michael Jordan.”

“It is absolutely amazing in the United Center tonight. My name is Jason ‘Jelly Roll’ DeFord, I’m from Nashville, TN and it is a privilege to be here, Chicago,” he yelled proudly. “I knew that when I came into the United Center that I would feel the spirit of greatness in the building because greatness has lived here before. I knew that when I got to the United Center, I would feel the spirit of rock and roll in the building. I would feel the spirit of our country music in the building. I would feel the spirit of freedom and change in the building, but most importantly, Chicago, I knew that when I finally made it to the United Center that we were going to feel the spirit of God with us tonight…I’m going to have a f**king party up here tonight.”

Fans first got a taste of the epic production when the house-shaped structure above Jelly Roll suddenly burst into flames amid his first performance of the night. As he made his way back to the main stage, his band kept the momentum going strong with a slew of guitar solos, driving drumbeats, and heavenly harmonies.

Celebrated Deep Love For Traditional Country Songs

In honor of his visit to the Windy City, the two-time GRAMMY nominee decided to bring out one of Chicago’s own, UFC world champion, Belal Muhammad, to help deliver his No. 1 hit, “Son of a Sinner.” He then gave country fans a real treat as he took us a trip down memory lane with covers of classics that his mom used to listen to in their home.

The crowd was treated to covers of Toby Keith’s “Should’ve Been A Cowboy” and Green Day’s “Good Riddance (Time Of Your Life),” during which Jelly Roll also incorporated a few lines from his collaboration with Machine Gun Kelly (MGK), “Lonely Road.” The tour’s opening act, Alexandra Kay, was welcomed back to the stage at this time to showcase some girl power with Shania Twain’s “Man! I Feel Like A Woman.”

Dug Into Deep Cuts

With his new album just released, there were so many new songs for Jelly Roll to choose from to incorporate into the set, but he also wanted to honor his day one supporters. In order to do so, he reached into his early catalog and dug up deep cuts like “Creature,” “Same A**hole” “Love Me” and “Wild Ones.”

“I do want to take a moment to apologize to most of y’all in here. I want to apologize because while I’ve been on this stage, I have sung some new songs, I have sung some just released songs, I’ve sung featured songs, I even sung a little Toby Keith for y’all. But I want to apologize because what I have not done yet, I haven’t played any of my old songs for any of the day one fans we’ve got in the building tonight. So for all the people who wondered if I was gonna play my old s**t on the tour, this is for you,” the superstar yelled, evoking a roar of cheers.

Amid all the fun, Jelly Roll also took time for moments of heartfelt reflections as he touched on his past and expressed true gratitude for the life he now gets to live.

“Tonight is more than a concert because tonight is about recovery, redemption, and freedom. Tonight’s about breaking chains,” he began. “Tonight’s about staring in the face of addiction, trauma, grief, anxiety, and depression, staring it right in the face and saying, ‘f**k you. I’m changing, I’m doing something about it. Who I am is not who I was. I can be a different person. I’m a growing human.’ Tonight, we’re going to focus on turning our mess into a message in here. Tonight, we’re going to focus on taking our obstacles and making them opportunities. Tonight, we’re going to focus on making our pain into purpose.”

Sharing Gratitude And Love For Those Overcoming Addiction

Tears were especially flowing through the crowd as he dedicated his performance of “She,” alongside a flaming piano, to those who are in the midst of a battle themselves or who have lost someone to addiction. He particularly called out a fan in the front who held up a sign that revealed he was celebrating 180 days clean.

Jelly Roll continued his hopeful message by making it known that no matter what anyone in the crowd may be going through, they are not alone and that they are loved.

“I want you to know something that if you’ve lost somebody you loved before, we just want tell you thank you for being here and I hope we feel better when you leave and lighter. And I hope this is therapy for you, but also if you are one of the people that here tonight, like that person that’s holding a sign saying they celebrate 180 days clean today, if you’re one of the people celebrating your sobriety, we’re f**king proud of you, baby, the whole United Center is.”

Ended With A Powerful Performance Of ‘Save Me’

As the night progressed, the Antioch native went on to sing even more scorching fan favorites like “Liar,” “Winning Streak,” “Bottle and Mary Jane,” “Need a Favor,” “Smoking Section,” and “Dream While I’m Awake” before making his way back to the b-stage and delivering his final performance of the night.

Upon returning to the platform, he expressed his hope to be able to come back and play the United Center “a thousand times” as this show was “nothing short of unreal.” Jelly Roll ended on a powerful note as the fiery structure positioned above the stage suddenly turned to rainfall, setting the mode for his performance of “Save Me.”

With a final, triumphant “Chicago!!” Jelly Roll exited the stage, leaving the crowd in pure awe.

According to Jelly Roll, this show can easily be considered “one of the craziest nights of the tour.” The sold-out crowd truly became one big family under the country star’s reign as they helped celebrate the release of his Beautifully Broken collection.

“I never would’ve dreamed that I would be releasing one of the biggest albums in the world and that I would be headlining the United Center on a Friday night. This is crazy,” Jelly Roll stated honestly.

Beautifully Broken Album Out Now With Deluxe Edition

The album, out now, features 22 tracks plus an additional six songs that appear on Beautifully Broken (Pickin’ Up The Pieces) (Deluxe edition), making this project an exceptional follow-up to the reigning CMA New Artist of the Year’s record-breaking Country debut, Whitsitt Chapel.

Among the track list are strand-outs like “Liar,” “Get By,” “Winning Streak” and “I Am Not Okay,” which is currently Top 3 at Country, Top 15 at Hot AC, Top 25 at Top 40 and Top 20 (#18) on Billboard 100. He also features several multi-genre collaborations with artists such as ERNEST, Keith Urban, Halsey, MGK, Wiz Khalifa, and more.

As part of the album launch, Jelly Roll revealed that the net profits earned from every pre-order of the album in his U.S. web store will benefit organizations that aim to help individuals who are struggling with mental health and addiction.

With plenty more shows scheduled through November, The Beautifully Broken headlining tour will continue to make headlines and earn critical acclaim across the U.S. Alexandra Kay, Warren Zeiders, ERNEST, Shaboozey, and Allie Colleen have been tapped to join Jelly Roll on the road for select dates. For a full list of upcoming performances, click HERE.

Source: https://countrynow.com/