Jelly Roll stood there, eyes glassy, heart wide open—completely undone.
As Kelly Clarkson poured her soul into his song, something shifted in the room.
Her voice didn’t just sing it—it lifted it, cracked it wide open, and made it soar.
You could see it all over Jelly Roll’s face: this wasn’t just music, this was personal.
Every note hit like a wave, crashing over him, over the audience, pulling everyone into the moment.
It wasn’t a performance—it was a gut punch wrapped in beauty, the kind that grabs you by the heart and refuses to let go.
No one in that room walked away the same
Kelly Clarkson isn’t just okay with Jelly Roll’s hit “I Am Not Okay” — she’s thrilled.
The 42-year-old chart-topping songbird teamed up with Jelly Roll, 39, for a duet during the “Kellyoke” segment on The Kelly Clarkson Show.
Fans got a sneak peek of the magic on Today, sparking excitement for the full performance slated to air on Wednesday, October 16.
“This song is so good. I’m so excited he’s allowing me to sing on his song, ‘I Am Not Okay,’ and it’s so, so good,” Clarkson gushed in a behind-the-scenes glimpse of the pair singing with one another during sound check. “I’m just a huge fan. I love authenticity, and I love real messages. I think that real sh*t really matters.”
But it wasn’t just the “Because of You” singer who was fangirling — Jelly Roll himself was equally starstruck. Before Clarkson stepped onto the stage, the reigning CMA New Artist of the Year said, “I’m excited, and then as soon as she’ll walk in, I’ll be nervous. It’ll go from straight excitement to nerves.”
Jelly Roll went on to explain that the two first met at the Grammy Awards, where he couldn’t hide his awe. “I went and hawked her down, and I was like, Mrs. Clarkson, I am such a fan, and when she turned around and said, ‘Hey Jelly,’ I was like, she knows me!” he exclaimed.