What songs are the best? How good is the album-score? With all the popular hits of this year, I’m glad to be reviewing one of the most popular albums of the month. This month, I will be covering one of the hottest albums, Beautifully Broken, produced by Jelly Roll.

Winning Streak – Rating: 9/10

I really love the meaning of the song, and the touching lyrics that go really well with the beat. “Winning Streak” is a beautiful song about a personal struggle with alcohol and trying to sober up. The constant struggle of not being able to commit and the drowning feeling of shame and guilt. The song really just tugs at your heart strings.

Burning – Rating: 10/10

Not even 10 seconds in, the beat is super good. The guitar and the persistent beat of the drums sets off a really good rhythm, and it creates a very nice beginning of the song. As I listened to the song, everything was so rich: the vocals, the lyrics, the music, and the rhythm. So moving and gorgeous. I highly recommend giving this song a listen.

Heart of Stone – Rating: 9/10

I feel like I’m starting to see a trend. The lyrics have such good meaning of personal struggle and loneliness, and they just go so well with the beat/music. This song is the definition of speaking/singing from the heart, and I have a prediction that all of his songs are going to follow a similar pattern.

I Am Not Okay – Rating: 7/10

Don’t get me wrong, the lyrics are great, the singing is great, and the meaning is great, but nothing really sticks out. This song is definitely more depressing than the ones I have listened to, but I do have to say the music goes really well with his singing.

When Drugs Don’t Work – Rating: 6/10

One thing to make this song better is to let the music start off the song. He just starts off singing right away and the music joins him instantly, but it just makes it sound rushed. And with Ilsley, I don’t think she was the right singer for this song. Her voice sounds more fake compared to Jelly Rolls’ rough voice. But besides that, this song has such a real, raw meaning that we need our people. We need people to lean on and to push us in the right direction.

Higher Than Heaven – Rating: 7/10

The song is decent, but just compared to his earlier songs, it’s not as great. Has a good sad meaning, depressing really, and the leading guitar is good. But besides that, it could have been more.

Liar – Rating: 10/10

The guitar in the beginning is great; it creates such a good intro into the song and really sets the beat for the song. The more I listen to this song, again and again, the more I just love it. The beat, his raw voice, the music, and background singers: so, so, so good. Highly recommend giving “Liar” a listen. Or definitely a few.

Everyone Bleeds – Rating: 9/10

This song is just so real. The voice, the music, the cords. Everything just works so nicely together and definitely deserves a high score. He shows in this song that it doesn’t matter; if you’re filthy rich or horribly broke, everyone has pain, even Jelly Roll himself.

Get By – Rating: 9/10

The progression of music in this song is so good. Also, the music just goes so well with his voice. Definitely a great party song, especially if you’re into more country-like songs. I could totally see this song in a western-based movie.

Unpretty – Rating: 7/10

It’s a sad song, but really well composed. I just feel that there could have been more.

Grace – Rating: 8/10

Super good. The music and lyrics mesh really well together as the song progresses. The rawness and deep meanings in his songs continue to resonate with me. Reminds me of late night drives, or warm summer sunsets. This is what I call a good southern song.

What It Takes – Rating: 8/10

This song truly speaks out to how the constant use of short-term solutions to bigger problems are not sustainable, especially to your mental health. Jelly Roll’s songs in this album help voice out real life issues and the true depression, which is so rare to find in the industry of music when it’s all about heartbreak or feeling hot. The truth of real world problems in his songs, in my opinion, help us realize that you can’t waste your life with instant/short-term gratification.

Hey Mama – Rating: 6.5/10

This song is so cute. I love that he includes his mother in the intro and it really adds a nice personal touch to it. The way that he expressed that he appreciates her throughout this song truly does show that he really does love and care for her. However, the vocals and the music weren’t anything special.

Time of Day – Rating: 5/10

This song definitely needs more of an introduction at the beginning, even a bit of piano before he started would have been really nice. The other featured singer, to be blatantly honest, is not good. It sounds like he’s aiming to have the roughness and vocals as Jelly Roll, but he isn’t pulling it off. And the lyrics definitely weren’t as impactful either. Jelly Roll needs to pick some better partners to sing with. But besides the featured singer, the song is alright, but nothing unique.

Born Again – Rating: 8/10

It’s good. Good beat. Really good vocals & back-up singers. Good lyrics. Good Music. The chorus is definitely the best part of this song.

Guilty – Rating: 9/10

Such a good song. He really takes his time, has a great beat, and the vocals are so good. Compared to some artists that I have listened to, his voice going up the octave sounds so good and smooth, it makes you want to sing along with him. He should definitely make more songs like these. Again, such a good song.

Little Light – Rating: 7/10

This song helps show the sad truth behind substance use. The “one-time” always repeats, starts to happen too much and for too long, and the abuse rips you from your family and friends. It’s sad but true, and in this song, I believe it’s someone close to him. Throughout the song, he sings about what he has experienced, empathizing with her since he also states that he was the same. Saying that “We have to leave room for a little light.”  Overall, such a sad and hard-hitting song.

Hear Me Out – Rating: 8/10

Again, such a sad and hard-hitting song. In “Hear Me Out,’ he discusses a friend that has been going through a really rough patch of drinking after his mother’s passing, saying that you don’t know my pain. He also discusses a girl he knew in high school, how she went down a bad road with the wrong man and suffers from physical abuse. Then by the end, he includes himself. This song is so sad, yet so good. So real.

Woman – Rating: 10/10

VOCALS! So, so, so good. The chorus is such a masterpiece. The harmonization and the tone of his voice is so impressive. Overall, even the music, the guitar especially, the beat, all are really great. Definitely recommend listening to this one.

Smile So Much – Rating: 7/10

Has such good meaning. The only thing that it could be worked on was the music. The music was not matching his energy, voice, or theme of the song. (Besides for the little intro.) There just needed to be more energy, vitality.

My Cross – Rating: 9/10

This song is breathtaking. The lyrics are definitely on point and hit so deep to the people that listen to it. Definitely a slower song, but it goes so well with the meaning and his vocals. This song discusses that the hurt that this man has been through won’t be passed down because it’s “his Cross to carry.” This song hits so deep.

What’s Wrong With Me – Rating: 6/10

The lyrics of this song are really good, and so are the vocals, the beat/music could have been different. Could have been better. But maybe it’s just the southern style that I don’t understand as a Yankee.

Jelly Roll- Beautifully Broken

FINAL SCORE CALCULATION: 8/10