Lately, Kane Brown has been leaning into the idea that people are usually better off together. During a recent celebration of his country hit “I Can Feel It,” the musician revealed an upcoming collaboration with Jelly Roll centered on themes of mental health and finding community during difficult times.
“I did a song with Jelly Roll, so that’s really cool,” Brown said. Tonight’s Entertainment Speaking at the event, he said: “We’re talking about depression and how you can have everything in the world and still go through something similar unless you talk to someone.”
The musician did not say when the song would be released, but described it as a “very powerful song,” adding that he was “lucky to have Jerry on board because he’s been through the same thing.”
Brown has been doing his part to dispel the stigma surrounding mental health struggles. In April, he started a conversation with the audience at Stagecoach about depression. “How many of you have experienced depression?” he asked. “Don’t be scared. How many of you have? I have.” In a heartfelt introduction just before performing his collaboration with Blackbear, “Memory,” Brown explained that his wife supports him through his struggles and that he supports her.
Jelly Roll has been similarly candid throughout his career, and in 2021, the musician shared a lengthy Instagram post offering insight into how depression has affected him.
“The truth is, I suffer from severe depression. I have struggled with it my entire life,” he wrote at the time. “I know there are periods when I post a lot on social media or release a lot of music, but then there are moments when I don’t have the motivation or even confidence to respond to a text message, post, release a song, or shoot a video. At a young age, I was diagnosed with manic depression.”
He added, “I’ve been scared to post this for a long time because I’m a little embarrassed to be honest and sadly we live in a world where if you bring up your mental health issues you’re immediately judged in some way. I also thought that people who listen to music would know how deep my sadness is rooted in my soul and how much I’m struggling. I often laugh, joke and smile but deep inside there is a pain that I can’t explain. I think the reason I finally decided to post this is because I felt the need to be honest and it’s also a public commitment to be more transparent and I hope that you all can help me take responsibility and seek help and fight these demons. And maybe there’s someone out there who feels the same way I do and you all can give me some advice.”
