Photo Gallery and Reap: Jelly Roll • United Center • Chicago

Jelly Roll with Warren Zeiders and Alexandra Kay

Some call him country; others say his style is southern rock with a hint of hip-hop, although perhaps most accurately, it’s a hybrid of them all; no matter how Jelly Roll is categorized, the singer/songwriter/sometimes rapper is as authentic and empathetic as it gets. Though he’s rapidly blown up to the point of headlining arenas, amphitheatres, and festivals over the last few years, the 39-year-old former felon pounded the pavement for over a decade and got his life back on track. A sold-out United Center was Jelly Roll’s latest conquest. It proved a historic occasion, considering it marked the exact release date of the Beautifully Broken album. They were instantly engaged despite fans not having enough time to prepare for the new cuts.

In fact, “I Am Not Okay” could very well be a career-defining cut given its honesty, connectively and colossal chorus that found many screaming along in cathartic release for any emotion they were encountering, a symbolism further illustrated when a house frame was raised and set on fire in the middle of the arena. Jelly Roll is saving lives along the way while admitting he’s been “Halfway To Hell” as the “Son Of A Sinner,” yet there were still plenty of reasons to celebrate, including covers of Toby Keith’s “Should’ve Been A Cowboy” and Shania Twain’s “Man! I Feel Like A Woman!,” both featuring opener Alexandra Kay.

Speaking of collaborations, “Lonely Road” was initially a collaboration with Machine Gun Kelly and continued yolking John Denver’s “Take Me Home, Country Roads” before a medley of the older “Creature,” “Same A**hole,” “Fall In The Fall” and “Wild Ones.”

 “Liar” caught the crowd back up to present tense, “Need A Favor” adapted a gospel-like fervor, “Smoking Section” lit up the already energetic atmosphere, with “Heart Of Stone” raising one last round of revelry.

An encore of “Save Me,” with a visual rain storm on the secondary stage, offered an extra chance for Jelly Roll to dive deep into another anthem’s inspirational and redemptive essence, making everyone’s burdens feel a lot lighter as they toasted a prime example of relentless perseverance.