Whitsitt Chapel debuts Top 2 on Billboard Country Chart & Top 3 on Billboard 200
Multi-Platinum singer/songwriter Jelly Roll’s debut country album, Whitsitt Chapel, debuted No./ 2 on the Billboard Country Album Charts and Top 3 on the Billboard 200 all genre chart with 90,000 album equivalents, earning the biggest opening week for a first entry on the Top Country Albums charts since the list adopted a consumption-based methodology in 2017 and the strongest first week album sales from a debut country artist release in 2023. Additionally, Whitsitt Chapel marks one of the Top 3 Country album debuts of 2023 and the highest charting first week release from a debut country artist in the history of BBR Music Group. The album also reached No. 1 on the Country Album chart in Canada, No. 4 on the UK’s (OCC) Official Country Artists Album Chart Top 20, and debuted No. 15 on ARIA Top 40 Country Albums Chart in Australia.
Whitsitt Chapel features 13 tracks co-written by Jelly Roll, including his current single “Need A Favor,” which is currently No. 11 on the Mediabase Country Chart, No. 12 on Billboard Country Airplay Chart, and Top 3 on the Mediabase Active Rock Chart. The album also features the fan-favorite track, “She,” and “Save Me” featuring Lainey Wilson, which he debuted at this year’s ACM Awards. In celebration of the album’s release, the Nashville native was also honored last week by Pandora as a Pandora Billionaire – recognizing over a Billion career streams on the platform – as well as a Billboard 2023 Breakthrough Artist after being revealed as the cover of Billboard’s Country Power Player Issue.
Jelly Roll also made his official CMA Fest performance debut during the 50th Anniversary Year of CMA Fest with a surprise appearance Friday night at Nissan Stadium, where he performed “Need a Favor” and “Son of a Sinner.” Prior to performing, Jelly to a moment to speak to the crowd and share what the moment meant to him as a Nashville native before addressing the currently incarcerated youth at the juvenile detention center that shares a parking lot with Nissan Stadium, a place Jelly himself spent time in-noting, “I hope you know that you do have the ability to change your life and that you see proof of that by me standing and performing on this stage here tonight.”
Much of Jelly’s story and early struggles with addiction and incarceration are captured in his highly-anticipated Hulu documentary, Jelly Roll: Save Me produced by ABC News Studios, which debuted May 30th on Hulu and continues to gain viewers after its official premiere at the Ryman Auditorium along with his album release concert.
A 3x CMT Award winner, Jelly has independently amassed more than four billion career streams to date. He scored his first No. 1 on country radio with his debut country single “Son Of A Sinner” and earned a two-week rock No. 1. His current single, “Need A Favor” currently is Top 5 on the rock radio and Top 15 on the country radio charts, simultaneously. Ahead of the album’s release, Jelly Roll dominated Billboard’s Emerging Artist Chart for a record-breaking 28 consecutive weeks – ultimately breaking the record of most weeks spent at No. 1. The multi-genre hitmaker also announced his upcoming 44-city Backroad Baptism Tour. Produced by Live Nation, the arena tour kicks off on Friday, July 28th at Bank Plus Amphitheater in Southaven before wrapping up in Tampa at MidFlorida Credit Union Amphitheater on Saturday, October 14th.
