It was one of those magical CMA Fest moments — the kind that gives you goosebumps.
Standing in the center of Nashville’s packed Nissan Stadium, Brandon Lake and Jelly Roll delivered a stirring performance of their faith-filled anthem, “Hard Fought Hallelujah,” lighting up both the stage and the sky — literally.
The two artists, who’ve quickly grown from collaborators to close friends, brought raw emotion and spiritual power to the spotlight, as tens of thousands of fans lifted their hands and voices in response.
A Song Born From Struggle and Grace
As Lake opened the performance, his voice steady and soul-stirring, Jelly Roll joined in, adding his signature grit and passion. The lyrics, deeply personal and beautifully written, resonated throughout the stadium:
“I’ll bring my hard-fought, heartfelt / Been-through-hell hallelujah…
God, You’ve been patient / God, You’ve been gracious / Faithful, whatever I’m feeling or facing…”
In the middle of the performance, the stadium crowd gasped as a drone light show suddenly lit up the night sky. A glowing cross appeared high above the stage — a surprise moment that brought many to tears and had others cheering in praise.
From TikTok to the Big Stage
“Hard Fought Hallelujah” comes from Brandon Lake’s album King of Hearts, which dropped just days after CMA Fest. The collaboration with Jelly Roll almost didn’t happen — but as Lake tells it, fate stepped in.
“I had just released the song and thought of Jelly,” Lake shared. “We reached out not knowing he’d already seen it on TikTok — literally the week before he ditched his smartphone and went back to a flip phone!”
Luckily, Jelly Roll loved the song and said yes instantly.
A Bond Beyond Music
From that first phone call, a friendship was born.
“We talked for over an hour — not about music, but about being husbands, dads, and what life’s like on the road,” Lake said. “It felt like talking to a brother.”
Since then, the two have become close, with Jelly Roll frequently calling to check in, offer encouragement, or just catch up — a rare kind of connection in the fast-paced world of music.
A Dream Come True Moment
For Lake, getting to perform the song live with Jelly Roll — in front of thousands of fans at CMA Fest 2025 — was nothing short of a dream realized.
“This is the kind of thing you hope for as a songwriter and performer. We had a little secret surprise planned, and the drone show just took it to another level.”
The performance was part of CMA Fest presented by SoFi, a three-hour special hosted by Cody Johnson and Ashley McBryde. Alongside Lake and Jelly Roll, the event featured a stacked lineup of country stars including Lainey Wilson, Luke Bryan, Dierks Bentley, Kelsea Ballerini, Blake Shelton, Keith Urban, and more.
If you missed it, the full special aired Thursday, June 26 on ABC and is now streaming on Hulu.
