Jelly Roll boldly shared his faith while performing at Nissan Stadium, as part of CMA Fest, joined by Brandon Lake. The two released "Hard Fought Hallelujah" earlier this year, bringing the spiritual song to stage for Jelly Roll's nighttime concert.
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"Look at Brandon Lake taking Nissan Stadium to church right now," the father of two said prior to joining Lake. As they sang, a cross lit up behind them, which Jelly Roll reveals was 50 stories in the sky. The song concluded with Jelly Roll raising his hands as the cross remained lit behind them.
" data-instgrm-version="14" style="background:#FFF;border:0;border-radius:3px;margin: 1px;max-width:540px;min-width:326px;padding:0;width:99.375%;width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px);width:calc(100% - 2px)">"Hard Fought Hallelujah" was first released by Lake in 2024. He later enlisted the country music superstar to join him on a new version, which the two have been performing live as much as their schedules permit. Jelly Roll recently performed the song by himself, when a double rainbow appeared in the sky. Jelly Roll and Lake also performed the song for a special faith-based episode of American Idol.
The Story Behind Jelly Roll and Brandon Lake's "Hard Fought Hallelujah."
It was when Lake was watching Jelly Roll join Brooks & Dunn to sing "Believe" at the 2024 CMA Awards, when he had the idea of Jelly Roll singing "Hard Fought Hallelujah" with him. When Jelly Roll agreed, he had no idea how big the song would become, nor did he necessarily care.
"To me, if nothing else came of this song, if it didn't end up being the hit it's becoming, if it just would have brought a few more people to Him, (it's worth it)," the 40-year-old tells K-Love. "The idea of a guy at the Jelly Roll show drinking a beer and singing this song with conviction is the exact thing I prayed for when I got on the song,"
While some may not expect the "Son of a Sinner" singer to sing about his Christian faith, the Nashville native says that is exactly the point.
"I think it's our jobs in faith to push that envelope," Jelly Roll says. "Those conversations need to be created. I can tell you what's also happening is millions of people like me are finding a safe place right now in God. I'm getting messages like, 'I'm a fence-riding Christian too and I kind of believe. You make me feel safe talking about God again.'"
