Jelly Roll isn’t one for love songs, but he wrote his version of one for his wife, Bunnie XO. The song “Kill A Man” appears on Jelly Roll’s latest album, WHITSITT CHAPEL, and he told Pure Country it was inspired by country love song extraordinaire Luke Combs.
“So I’m a big Luke Combs fan, right? And I love dancing with my wife in the kitchen and listening to Luke Combs,” he shared. “I really do, but I also have a moment every time where I realize that’s just not the kind of love song I would write to my wife. I feel it, but from how I grew up, it’s a little too whatever for me.”
The genre-bending artist then wanted to attempt to write his own love song.
“So I was like, how do I do that though? How do I write a love song and be vulnerable, but also true to kind of the darkness that I write from anyways?” the singer continued. “And ‘Kill A Man,’ to me, was that perfect split. It’s a love song, which I’ve been needing to write forever, but it’s also got a little twist to it.”
“Kill A Man”
The song recalls the night Jelly Roll met his wife, which was in Las Vegas in 2015.
“Something ’bout you has always been dangerous / I should run, but here I stand,” he sings. “You’re the one thing Heaven can’t save me from / and I’m far past my last chance / I was bulletproof / but baby loving you could kill a man.”
Jelly Roll penned “Kill A Man” with Andrew Baylis, Michael Whitworth and Riley Thomas. The track features backing vocals from country singer Madeline Merlo, an inclusion Jelly Roll credited to his producer, Zach Crowell.
RELATED: See Inside Jelly Roll & His Wife Bunnie XO’s Love Story
“[Crowell] was like, ‘Yo, what if we got Madeline Merlo to come and sing?’ I was like, ‘Yeah, that would be great,’” he recalled, adding that Merlo “killed it.”
Jelly Roll admitted that he feels “so bad in hindsight because I wasn’t sure she wanted to be a part of the project from a name perspective. So I never listed her as a feature on the record, and in hindsight, I wish I’d put it down as a feature and record for her, but… I was afraid she didn’t want her trailer hitched to my train.”
Bunnie XO Often Join Jelly Roll On Stage For “Kill A Man” During Live Concerts
The song is one of many that Jelly Roll performs on his headlining Backroad Baptism Tour, and Bunnie often joins him on stage for the track. The beloved couple recently shared a magical moment together on stage during one of his sold-out concerts.
In the midst of his headlining performance, Jelly Roll performed the heartfelt and emotional song “Kill A Man,” a track that holds a special place in his heart as it serves as a tribute to his wife. He surprised the sold-out crowd by inviting his wife, Bunnie XO, to the stage.
“Ladies and gentlemen, my beautiful wife, Miss Bunnie DeFord,” he said as he welcomed the successful Dumb Blonde Podcast host to the stage. The crowd erupted in cheers as she gracefully made her way to her husband’s side.
“Without y’all there is no us, so we love every one of you motherfu**ers. So thank you!” Bunnie XO exclaimed as she stood beside Jelly Roll with a huge smile on her face.
Journey Of Devotion And Appreciation
The crowd was then taken on a journey of devotion and appreciation as Jelly Roll poured his heart into every lyric, recounting the deep bond he shares with his beloved wife as he gazed into her eyes and held her hand.
Jelly Roll and Bunnie XO shared a slow dance, enveloped in each other’s arms, as the singer/songwriter from Tennessee serenaded his wife, expressing his love and appreciation for her in front of thousands of adoring fans. Their love and connection were palpable, and the audience watched in awe as they witnessed this touching moment between the couple.
During the chorus of the tune, Jelly Roll changed up the lyrics to perfectly fit in at the moment, changing “I was bulletproof, but baby, lovin’ you could kill a man” to “I was bulletproof, but Bunnie, lovin’ you can kill a man.” After the sweet lyric change the beloved couple shared a kiss and Bunnie exited the stage to continue watching from the side stage.
“One more time for my beautiful wife, Miss Bunnie DeFord. I’m not good at writing love songs, but I love her so much that I tried,” he told the crowd.
Fans won’t be seeing her for the next several shows, as she recently revealed that she is taking some time off the road to be with her father after discovering he was diagnosed with Stage 4 cancer.
For more information about Jelly Roll’s Backroad Baptism Tour, visit his official website HERE.