rova

Music

WATCH: Kaylee Bell’s CMA fest set gets crashed by Jelly Roll in the best way

Jelly Roll, with a beard and tattoos, smiles at Kaylee Bell, who is wearing a blue blazer with mesh details, as he places his hand on her shoulder outdoors.

Published by Sophie van Soest

05 Jun 2026

Kiwi country music star Kaylee Bell had her CMA Fest set in Nashville nearly turn into a surprise collab, thanks to none other than the legend Jelly Roll.

While Bell was mid-performance of her hit track 'Keith', Rolling Stone reports Jelly Roll heard her set from his hotel room and instantly made a run toward the stage.

A source close to Bell tells rova: “He was trying to get there in time to sing with her but didn't quite make it.”

“Mumma said there’d be days like this,” Kaylee wrote on Instagram. “Thank you for having us today, CMA Fest, and for turning up in the hot sun!!! Thank you to my amazing band and crew, and an even bigger thank you to Jelly Roll for a surprise visit!!! What is life, Nashville?”

“We’ve gotta stop meeting like this,” she added in a follow-up post.

And while we’re losing our minds back here in Aotearoa, fans have been commenting how stoked they are for her.

“Does it get any better than that? I don’t think so!!! CONGRATS on being crashed,” one fan wrote.

“Good humans hanging out together,” said another.

A third added: “Hell yeah, that’s awesome, keep rising up!!”

It’s been a massive year already for Bell, and she’s showing absolutely no signs of slowing down.

Just last month, she joined an all-star Kiwi lineup to open Christchurch’s brand new One NZ Stadium in front of 37,000 fans.

And last week she dropped two new tracks - 'Me For Me' and 'Once In A Lifetime' - both of which she also debuted live on opening night.

The latter was even written to capture the feeling of that exact stadium moment, with a live music video on the way.

Now excuse me while I keep all my fingers and toes crossed for a Kaylee Bell and Jelly Roll duet.

Image supplied by RKDEEB Photo & Design.

Published by Sophie van Soest

05 Jun 2026