Jelly Roll went from an up-and-coming singer struggling to find fame to a Grammy winner in a short amount of time. The recent Grand Ole Opry member had the honor of recording a song for an upcoming sporting event. However, social media users slammed the song as “crap.” Keep reading to find out more on the surprising backlash.
Jelly Roll Releases Song For World Cup Soundtrack
Jelly Roll has eight number-one songs to his name so far and he only broke through the mainstream in 2022. A lot of fans wanted him to perform at the Super Bowl halftime show. However, the NFL stuck with Bad Bunny despite outrage across the country. Bad Bunny ended up having one of the most-watched halftime shows ever. But another massive sporting event collaborated with Jelly Roll for a sports anthem.
The singer is among the artists featured on a soundtrack for the 2026 World Cup. The U.S., Mexico, and Canada are hosting the huge event together. The games kick off in Mexico on June 11 and wrap up in the U.S. in July. 16 cities in the three countries, including 11 cities in the U.S., host the matches.
Shakira performed the official song for the World Cup in 2010. Jelly Roll teamed up with Mexican singer-songwriter Carin León on “Lighter.”
Fans Slam It As ‘Crap’
The complete song comes out on Friday, March 20. But FIFA released a teaser on social media. Unfortunately, the comments didn’t go as expected.
- “WE NEED SHAKIRA!!!!”
- “not a world cup song at all btw”
- “Why is jelly roll even a thing”
- “It genuinely sounds ai”
- “What in the American country crap is this, I want a real World Cup song.”
- “This song sounds bad does not fit the world cup vibe at all”
- “This ain’t giving world cup energy… where’s the passion?”
- “Epic fail”
- “It’s giving ‘I just wanna kiss my fish drive my truck” vibes”
- “this sucks”
- “Somehow America make things bland and tasteless”
- “Not a great choice for American artist. They do not represent the unity that the tournament is meant to show.”
Country Vow To Boycott Part Of World Cup Amid War With U.S.
Sporting events have the unique ability to bring countries together. Nearly 100 countries competed in the 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy in February. However, Iran refuses to take part in any matches inside the U.S.
The decision came after the tensions between the countries escalated after the U.S. bombed the Middle Eastern country. The two countries are now at war. Iran is, however, participating in matches in the other host countries.
Russia was totally banned from the 2026 World Cup. After the soccer sporting event, the U.S. will host the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, California. Share your reaction to Jelly Roll’s song in the comments.
Jennifer Havener grew up in a small town in Upstate New York. She earned her B.A in Writing & Literature from Naropa University in Boulder, Colorado. She always knew watching reality TV shows and soap operas, particularly ‘Days of Our Lives’, would come in handy someday. When she’s not writing, she’s playing with her dogs, Lola and Ruger
