In 2023, three years after dropping “Save Me” off his studio album Self Medicated, country singer and rapper Jelly Roll decided to rerelease it. For this new version, he realized the vision of having a superstar join him for a duet that he had shared with his record label head, Jon Loba, way back in 2020. So who is the female singing with Jelly Roll on Save Me? That superstar was none other than the “Heart Like a Truck” singer Lainey Wilson.
The Making of “Save Me” Remix Version
When Jelly Roll said superstar, Loba really pulled one. He paired the singer with a multi-award-winning, platinum-certified singer-songwriter and one of the hottest artists in the genre. But their meeting turned out to be so natural, which was something they both didn’t imagine. Jelly Roll now calls her one of his best friends in the industry, saying, “You know, Lainey, Ernest, everybody knows my little squad. You know what I mean? These are the people I talked to pretty religiously.”
Having Wilson join him was not just a dream come true but also a very meaningful one for him. She was a much bigger star then, yet she chose to collaborate with him. It was a special moment for him as well that he was the guy who got to showcase another element of Wilson’s artistry that people and fans didn’t know she could.
And as it turned out, Wilson’s vocals were the secret ingredient the song needed to become an award-winning number-one hit.
Who wrote Save Me by Jelly Roll and Lainey Wilson?
“Save Me” was written by Jelly Roll. When he first dropped the song, it didn’t gain much attention. But when he dropped it again with a feature from Lainey Wilson, the song reached heights. It hit number one, marking Jelly Roll’s third consecutive chart-topper that year and Wilson’s sixth, which was just six weeks after she dominated with “Watermelon Moonshine.” Not only that, but they also won Music Event of the Year at the 2024 ACM Awards for their collaboration.
According to Wilson, she had been a fan of the song for a long time, and she knew that before even meeting the singer, he was just her kind of people. And so, when she heard that they were interested in having her do the female part, her response was: “Man, it’s cool to hear the female perspective of this.’”
For You
And she really did impact the song to a level that Jelly Roll didn’t really see until he heard Krista’s, his stylist, comment. Krista said, “’I’ve loved “Save Me” from the first time I heard it, but I never felt it the way I felt it coming until I heard it coming from a woman’s perspective. I think that’s what made this such a beautiful marriage for me. She’s been through some shit down there in Louisiana, too, you know?”
Jelly Roll’s vocals and delivery were phenomenal, and combined with Wilson’s powerful yet emotional attack in the second part, it just hit differently. Then, when they sang together in the refrain up until the last chorus, it just took everyone to church.
“Save Me” featuring Lainey Wilson was included in Jelly Roll’s debut country album, Whitsitt Chapel. Catch it in the video below. We also recommend that you check out their live performances. They’re definitely a treat to the ears, the heart, and the soul.
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