Photos by Andy Argyrakis

Some call him country, others say its southern rock with a hint of hip-hop, although perhaps most accurately, its a hybrid of them all, but no matter how Jelly Roll is categorized, the singer/songwriter/sometimes rapper is as authentic and empathetic as it gets.

Though he’s rapidly blown up to point of headlining arenas, amphitheaters and festivals over the last few years, the 39-year-old former felon pounded the pavement for over a decade and got his life back on track.

A sold out United Center was Jelly Roll’s latest conquest and it proved to be a historic occasion considering it marked the exact release date of the “Beautifully Broken” album, and despite fans not having a ton of time to get prepared for the new cuts, they were nonetheless instantly engaged.

In fact, “I Am Not Okay” could very well be a career-defining cut given its honesty, connectively and a colossal chorus that found many screaming along in cathartic release for any emotion they were encountering, a symbolism further illustrated when a house frame was raised and set on fire in the middle of the arena.

Jelly Roll is literally saving lives along the way while admitting he’s been “Halfway To Hell” as the “Son Of A Sinner,” yet there was still plenty of reasons to celebrate, including covers of Toby Keith’s “Should’ve Been A Cowboy” and Shania Twain’s “Man! I Feel Like A Woman!,” both featuring opener Alexandra Kay.

Speaking of collaborations, “Lonely Road” was originally cut with Machine Gun Kelly and continued to tip its hat towards John Denver’s “Take Me Home, Country Roads,” prior to a medley of the older “Creature,” “Same A**hole,” “Fall In The Fall” and “Wild Ones.”

“Liar” caught the crowd back up to present tense, “Need A Favor” adapted a gospel-like fervor, “Smoking Section” lit up the already energetic atmosphere and “Heart Of Stone” raised one last round of revelry.

An encore of “Save Me,” complete with a cleansing rain storm on the secondary stage, offered an extra chance for Jelly Roll to dive deep into another anthem’s inspirational and redemptive essence, making everyone’s burdens feel a lot lighter as they toasted a prime example of relentless perseverance.

For additional information on Jelly Roll, visit JellyRoll615.com.

For a list of upcoming Live Nation concerts, visit LiveNation.com.

Upcoming concert highlights at the United Center include Sabrina Carpenter (Oct. 13); Lil Durk (Oct. 20); Maggie Rogers (Oct. 24); Justin Timberlake (Oct. 27); Usher (Oct. 28, 29 and 31); Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats (Nov. 1); Stevie Wonder (Nov. 2); Marco Antonio Solís (Nov. 3); Sebastian Maniscalco (Nov. 8-9); Billie Eilish (Nov. 13-14); Maverick City Music (Nov. 16); Rod Wave (Nov. 18); Cyndi Lauper (Dec. 5) and Shakira (Dec. 14). For additional details, visit UnitedCenter.com.

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