Rollercoaster

Did You Know?

• A release party for Rollercoaster was held on April 27, 2005 at the Roxy Theatre in Hollywood.
• Verraros performed at the American Idol season 4 wrap party in May 2005.
• All songs on Rollercoaster avoid using pronouns.

Background

After placing ninth on American Idol's first season, Jim Verraros moved to Los Angeles and was cast in the LGBT independent comedy film Eating Out. Around the same time, he connected with singer-songwriter and music producer Gabe Lopez, who had heard American Idol: Greatest Moments, a compilation album featuring Verraros, and wanted to collaborate. Working out of Lopez's home studio, they self-released a demo album titled Unsaid and Understood in 2003.

As the first and only American Idol finalist to be out publicly at that point, Verraros had already received significant media attention from the LGBT press; Out magazine named him one of "2002's Most Intriguing People". The Advocate's Adam B. Vary named Unsaid and Understood one of his favorite new indie albums in the LGBT music scene. Individual songs from the album topped mp3.com's Rock and Pop charts, and one track, "I Want You", was featured on the 2003 compilation Bi the People, released to raise money for the Bisexual Foundation.

Unsaid and Understood won the 2004 Out Music Award for Outstanding New Recording – Debut Male and was supported through a tour of gay clubs. Despite gaining traction within the LGBT community—the Chicago Sun-Times called him a "gay icon" in 2004—Verraros could not convince any major labels in the United States or United Kingdom to release the album. Struggling financially, he continued working at a tanning salon. Over the summer of 2004, he learned that Koch Records was preparing a compilation album of music by American Idol finalists.

The label asked if Verraros had material to contribute; he sent a demo tape and received a record deal within a week. Unsaid and Understood was then retooled as Rollercoaster, featuring several of the same songs along with new material.

Writing and recording

Verraros began working on the album that would become Rollercoaster in June 2003 and finished about a year and a half later. He and Lopez wrote around thirty-five to forty songs and selected eleven for the final album. Angela Peel, who placed in the top thirty of American Idol's first season, co-wrote four songs and provided backing vocals; Lopez received writing credits on all tracks, with Verraros credited as co-writer on seven. Lopez played several instruments, produced the album, and also provided backing vocals.

Rollercoaster was produced on a budget of $3,500. Verraros explained that the title refers to the emotional highs and lows he had experienced, as well as the album's mixture of "dancey upbeat songs" and "romantic, soulful ballads." He cited George Michael as his primary musical influence, also drawing inspiration from Justin Timberlake, Janet Jackson, Tina Turner, Prince, and Green Day. The album is a pop rock album with a dance component; the Windy City Times described it as a blend of "smoldering rock and funky pop."

Verraros wanted the album to be "edgier and sexier" than most albums by other American Idol participants, contrasting himself with Clay Aiken, whom he described as a "cookie cutter image of what's very safe, vanilla." He noted that his lower placement in the competition allowed him greater freedom with artistic risks. Recognizing that his chance to record the album was granted largely by his reality TV fame, Verraros said he "had a lot to prove."

The release strategy depended on word of mouth, particularly within the LGBT community. Verraros said the gay press "really carried" him but expressed regret that the album received niche marketing, stating that Koch Records wanted to "capitalize on the gay market" while he felt the album was mainstream and top 40.

Singles

"You Turn It On" entered the Billboard Dance Club Play Chart at number forty-eight, staying for eleven weeks and reaching its peak of twenty-one in early June. Remixes of the track were made. The follow-up single, "You're Getting Crazy (Estas Enloqueciendo)," came out in October. Mike Cruz and L.E.X produced remixes that Edgemedianetwork.com described as "as slick, upbeat and professional as anything else currently climbing the charts." Billboard felt a music video could have made the song a hit, but no videos were produced for any Rollercoaster songs, and this second single did not chart.

Reception

Rollercoaster received positive comments from several publications. Adam B. Vary and Dennis Hensley of The Advocate called the album "surprisingly assured" and noted similarities to George Michael's music. Joey Guerra of the Houston Chronicle felt the album "thrives on a glossy pop sensibility," successfully blending club music with ballads, "crunchy rock tunes," and a "'50s-flavored doowop ditty." He and Billboard compared the first and second singles respectively to Britney Spears's "I'm a Slave 4 U." Barry Walters of Out magazine praised Rollercoaster for sounding "more like a solo disc from Justin Timberlake or JC Chasez than the bland pop from most of [Verraros]' Idol cohorts," though he suggested it sounds "prematurely dated" due to its blend of styles; he called the album "subversive" for offering a gay perspective, highlighting the track "So Deep" for co-opting the "penetration metaphor" of songs typically performed by female artists.

Diane Anderson-Minshall of Curve magazine wrote that the album had found a lesbian fanbase. Ben Katner of TV Guide called the lead single an "infectious club hit" and the entire album "unrelentingly catchy." Sherrill Fulghum of The Empty Closet positively compared the album to other dance music, writing that "the dance beat is there, but so are other instruments carrying melodies that will entice you to listen deeper." Guerra singled out "Welcome to Hollywood" and "Outside" as highlights.

In 2014, Boston Spirit magazine included "Alive" from Rollercoaster in a list of eight recommended love songs "by gay artists about same-sex romance."