Ballads Of The Broken

Ballads of the Broken was the major-label debut studio album by American rapper Jelly Roll, released on September 17, 2021, through Bailee & Buddy and BBR Music Group. It includes the singles “Dead Man Walking,” which reached number one on the US Mainstream Rock chart, and “Son of a Sinner,” which reached the top 40 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and number one on the Country Airplay chart. The success of “Son of a Sinner,” one of the few Nashville country-influenced songs on the album, inspired Jelly Roll to fully take on a country sound for his following album, Whitsitt Chapel (2023).

“The brief album took a different stylistic approach than his usual countrified rap on almost every track, going from country-adjacent hooks (‘Son of a Sinner’) to eerie, remorse-filled pop tunes (‘Over You’). His soulful vocals and the twangy backing are the main points of interest here, which might shock listeners expecting material like ‘Creature’ or ‘Fall in the Fall.’” — AllMusi