“She wasn’t just singing—she was bleeding.” That’s how one fan described Kelly Clarkson’s haunting cover of Jelly Roll’s Save Me, delivered on her talk show with trembling vocals and glassy eyes. Having weathered a painful, public divorce, Kelly seemed to live every lyric—her voice cracked, her hands clenched, and the room fell silent. Watching backstage, Jelly Roll wiped his eyes and whispered, “That’s not just a cover… that’s a confession.” In that moment, two souls—scarred by pain, bound by truth—found each other in song. The performance is going viral, and viewers say: you’ll cry too.

Kelly Clarkson Covers “Save Me”

Do you remember when Kelly Clarkson covered one of Jelly Roll’s songs and it brought him to tears?

As fans of Clarkson know, she often covers songs from a wide range of artists and genres during her popular karaoke segment, dubbed Kellyoke, on her daytime talk show.

Well, one of the most memorable performances came last year when she delivered an emotional rendition of Jelly Roll’s “Save Me.”

At this point, Clarkson has made it clear she can sing just about anything, but this time she didn’t just impress the studio audience. Jelly Roll himself saw the performance and admitted it moved him to tears.

After Clarkson’s performance gained traction on social media, Jelly Roll took to his X account to share his gratitude. He expressed how honored and amazed he was that she chose to cover his song on The Kelly Clarkson Show.

“I would’ve never believed you if you would’ve told me that I’d write a song so impactful that incredible Kelly Clarkson would deem it worthy to cover,” Jelly Roll wrote.

“Thank you Kelly- wow – I’m honored in a way I can’t even described – I cried watching it.”

I would’ve never believed you if you would’ve told me that I’d write a song so impactful that incredible Kelly Clarkson would deem it worthy to cover . Thank you Kelly- wow – I’m honored in a way I can’t even described – I cried watching it @kellyclarkson

— Jelly Roll (@JellyRoll615) February 16, 2024

The Success of Jelly Roll And Lainey Wilson’s “Save Me”

“Save Me,” featuring Lainey Wilson, debuted on Jelly Roll’s first-ever country album, Whitsitt Chapel, a record-breaking release that made history as the most successful debut in Billboard Consumption Chart history.

Their collaboration quickly rose to the very top of both the Billboard Country Airplay chart and the Mediabase chart, and, within a short 13-week period of gracing country radio, “Save Me” claimed the title of the fastest-rising #1 hit for both Lainey and Jelly Roll.

Their success from the duet was further acknowledged with a nomination for the Best Country Duo/Group Performance Award at the 2024 Grammys.

 Watch Kelly Clarkson Cover “Save Me” below.