Rollercoaster (Jim Verraros Album)
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''Rollercoaster'' is the official debut album of
pop rock Pop rock (also typeset as pop/rock) is a fusion genre and form of rock music characterized by a strong commercial appeal, with more emphasis on professional songwriting and recording craft, and less emphasis on attitude than standard rock musi ...
-
dance Dance is an The arts, art form, consisting of sequences of body movements with aesthetic and often Symbol, symbolic value, either improvised or purposefully selected. Dance can be categorized and described by its choreography, by its repertoir ...
artist
Jim Verraros James Conrad Verraros (born February 8, 1983) is an American singer, songwriter, and actor, who placed ninth on the first season of ''American Idol.'' Raised by deaf parents, he is fluent in American Sign Language and gained notoriety on ''Amer ...
. It was released by independent label
Koch Records MNRK Music Group (pronounced "monarch"), formerly known as Koch Records and Entertainment One (eOne) Music/Records, is an American independent record label and music management company based in New York City. It was formed in 1987 as a music div ...
on April 26, 2005. Several of the album's songs had been featured on a previous release by Verraros, titled ''Unsaid and Understood'', which had acted as a
demo album Demo, usually short for demonstration (disambiguation), demonstration, may refer to: Music and film *Demo (music), a song typically recorded for reference rather than for release *Demo (Behind Crimson Eyes), ''Demo'' (Behind Crimson Eyes), a 2004 ...
. ''Unsaid and Understood'' had been self-released in 2003, a year after Verraros placed ninth on ''
American Idol ''American Idol'' is an American Music competition, singing competition television series created by Simon Fuller, produced by Fremantle (company), Fremantle North America and 19 Entertainment, and distributed by Fremantle North America. It a ...
'''s first season, and had drawn the attention of
Koch Records MNRK Music Group (pronounced "monarch"), formerly known as Koch Records and Entertainment One (eOne) Music/Records, is an American independent record label and music management company based in New York City. It was formed in 1987 as a music div ...
, which proceeded to sign Verraros.
Gabe Lopez Gabe Lopez is an American pop-rock singer/songwriter and producer. He is of Mexican and Irish descent. Signed to Universal Music Group as a songwriter and to Spectra Music Group as an artist, Lopez has produced and written for Belinda Carlisle ...
produced ''Unsaid and Understood'' as well as ''Rollercoaster.'' He also provided
backing vocals A backing vocalist is a singer who provides vocal harmony with the lead vocalist or other backing vocalists. A backing vocalist may also sing alone as a lead-in to the main vocalist's entry or to sing a counter-melody. Backing vocalists are us ...
and played several instruments on both albums. Among ''Rollercoaster'''s other background vocalists is Angela Peel, who made it to the semi-finals on ''American Idol'', during the same season as Verraros. Verraros had publicly come out as gay the year before releasing ''Unsaid and Understood'' and was the only openly gay finalist from ''American Idol'' at the time of ''Rollercoaster'''s release. He performed many of the songs on ''Rollercoaster'' at
gay club A gay bar is a drinking establishment that caters to an exclusively or predominantly lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or queer (LGBTQ+) clientele; the term '' gay'' is used as a broadly inclusive concept for LGBTQ+ communities. Gay bars on ...
s and at
pride events A pride parade (also known as pride event, pride festival, pride march, or pride protest) is an event celebrating lesbian, Gay men, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) social and self-acceptance, achievements, LGBT rights by country o ...
. All of the songs on the album avoid using pronouns, and the album was noted for including lyrics that allude to both
gay bashing Gay bashing is an attack, abuse, or assault committed against a person who is perceived by the aggressor to be gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender or queer (LGBTQ+). It includes both violence against LGBTQ people and LGBTQ bullying. The te ...
and gay sex. Verraros sought to create a more sexually charged album than those released by other ''American Idol'' finalists up to that point. The music of
George Michael George Michael (born Georgios Kyriacos Panayiotou; 25 June 1963 – 25 December 2016) was an English singer-songwriter and record producer. Regarded as a pop culture icon, he is one of the List of best-selling music artists, best-selling rec ...
served as the album's primary influence, while
Green Day Green Day is an American Rock music, rock band formed in Rodeo, California, in 1987 by lead vocalist and guitarist Billie Joe Armstrong and bassist and backing vocalist Mike Dirnt, with drummer Tré Cool joining in 1990. In 1994, their majo ...
inspired some of the album's
rock Rock most often refers to: * Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids * Rock music, a genre of popular music Rock or Rocks may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wale ...
elements. "You Turn It On" was released as Rollercoaster's first single and peaked at number twenty-one on the ''
Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertis ...
'' Dance Club Play Chart. "You're Getting Crazy (Estas Enloqueciendo)" was released in October 2005 as the album's second single. Both songs received multiple remixes. Prior to ''Rollercoaster'''s release, songs from ''Unsaid and Understood'' topped the Rock and Pop charts on
Mp3.com MP3.com was a website operated by Paramount Global publishing tabloid-style news items about digital music and artists, songs, services, and technologies. It is better known for its original incarnation as a legal, free music-sharing service, ...
. Lopez received writing credits for all eleven tracks on ''Rollercoaster''. Verraros co-wrote seven of the album's songs, and Peel co-wrote four of them. Peel's credits include co-writing both of the album's singles. Reviews of ''Rollercoaster'' were generally positive, both in mainstream and LGBT-interest publications. Critics complimented the album's musical influences and gay-oriented themes.


Background

After placing ninth on ''
American Idol ''American Idol'' is an American Music competition, singing competition television series created by Simon Fuller, produced by Fremantle (company), Fremantle North America and 19 Entertainment, and distributed by Fremantle North America. It a ...
'''s first season,
Jim Verraros James Conrad Verraros (born February 8, 1983) is an American singer, songwriter, and actor, who placed ninth on the first season of ''American Idol.'' Raised by deaf parents, he is fluent in American Sign Language and gained notoriety on ''Amer ...
moved to
Los Angeles Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...
, where he was cast in the
LGBT LGBTQ people are individuals who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, or questioning. Many variants of the initialism are used; LGBTQIA+ people incorporates intersex, asexual, aromantic, agender, and other individuals. The gro ...
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comedy Comedy is a genre of dramatic works intended to be humorous or amusing by inducing laughter, especially in theatre, film, stand-up comedy, television, radio, books, or any other entertainment medium. Origins Comedy originated in ancient Greec ...
film ''
Eating Out ''Eating Out'' is a 2004 American sex comedy film written and directed by Q. Allan Brocka and starring Rebekah Kochan, Ryan Carnes, Jim Verraros, Scott Lunsford, and Emily Stiles. Plot After getting dumped by his girlfriend Tiffani von der Sl ...
''. Around the same time, he connected with
Gabe Lopez Gabe Lopez is an American pop-rock singer/songwriter and producer. He is of Mexican and Irish descent. Signed to Universal Music Group as a songwriter and to Spectra Music Group as an artist, Lopez has produced and written for Belinda Carlisle ...
, a singer-songwriter and music producer based in that area. Lopez had heard '' American Idol: Greatest Moments'', a
compilation album A compilation album comprises Album#Tracks, tracks, which may be previously released or unreleased, usually from several separate recordings by either one Performing arts#Performers, performer or by several performers. If the recordings are from ...
that Verraros had been featured on, and wanted to begin a collaboration. The two of them worked out of Lopez's
home studio Home recording is the practice of recording sound in a private home instead of a professional recording studio. A studio set up for home recording is called a home studio or project studio. Home recording is widely practiced by voice actors, narra ...
. A
demo album Demo, usually short for demonstration (disambiguation), demonstration, may refer to: Music and film *Demo (music), a song typically recorded for reference rather than for release *Demo (Behind Crimson Eyes), ''Demo'' (Behind Crimson Eyes), a 2004 ...
resulted, titled ''Unsaid and Understood'', which Verraros and Lopez
self-released Self-publishing is an author-driven publication of any media without the involvement of a third-party publisher. Since the advent of the internet, self-published usually depends upon digital platforms and print-on-demand technology, ranging fr ...
in 2003. As the first, and at that point, only ''American Idol'' finalist to be out publicly, Verraros had already been the recipient of significant media attention from the LGBT press; ''
Out Out or OUT may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Films *Out (1957 film), ''Out'' (1957 film), a documentary short about the Hungarian Revolution of 1956 *Out (1982 film), ''Out'' (1982 film), an American film directed by Eli Hollander *O ...
'' magazine had named him as one of "2002's Most Intriguing People". When ''Unsaid and Understood'' was released, ''
The Advocate An advocate is a professional in the field of law. The Advocate, The Advocates or Advocate may also refer to: Magazines * The Advocate (magazine), ''The Advocate'' (magazine), an LGBT magazine based in the United States * ''The Harvard Advocate' ...
'''s Adam B. Vary named it as one of his favorite new indie albums in the
LGBT music Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) music is music that focuses on the experiences of gender and sexual minorities as a product of the broad gay liberation movement. LGBTQ music spans the entire spectrum of popular music. ...
scene. Individual songs from ''Unsaid and Understood'' topped
mp3.com MP3.com was a website operated by Paramount Global publishing tabloid-style news items about digital music and artists, songs, services, and technologies. It is better known for its original incarnation as a legal, free music-sharing service, ...
's Rock and Pop charts, and one of the album's songs, "I Want You", was featured on ''Bi the People'', a 2003 compilation album of "bisexual artists and friends", which was released to raise money for the
Bisexual Foundation The American Institute of Bisexuality (AIB) is a charity founded on July 23, 1998, by sex researcher, psychiatrist and bisexual rights activist Fritz Klein to promote research and education about bisexuality. AIB produces the ''Journal of Bisexu ...
. ''Unsaid and Understood'' won the 2004 Out Music Award for Outstanding New Recording – Debut Male and was supported through a tour of
gay club A gay bar is a drinking establishment that caters to an exclusively or predominantly lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or queer (LGBTQ+) clientele; the term '' gay'' is used as a broadly inclusive concept for LGBTQ+ communities. Gay bars on ...
s. Despite the traction that Verraros was gaining within the
LGBT community The LGBTQ community (also known as the LGBT, LGBT+, LGBTQ+, LGBTQIA, LGBTQIA+, or queer community) comprises LGBTQ people, LGBTQ individuals united by LGBTQ culture, a common culture and LGBTQ movements, social movements. These Community, comm ...
– the ''
Chicago Sun-Times The ''Chicago Sun-Times'' is a daily nonprofit newspaper published in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Since 2022, it is the flagship paper of Chicago Public Media, and has long held the second largest circulation among Chicago newspaper ...
'' called him a "gay icon" in 2004 – he was unable to convince any major labels, either in the United States or in the United Kingdom, to release ''Unsaid and Understood''. Struggling financially, Verraros continued working at a
tanning salon Indoor tanning involves using a device that emits ultraviolet radiation to produce a cosmetic tan. Typically found in tanning salons, gyms, spas, hotels, and sporting facilities, and less often in private residences, the most common device is a h ...
, where he had found employment shortly after moving to LA. Over the summer of 2004, he learned that
Koch Records MNRK Music Group (pronounced "monarch"), formerly known as Koch Records and Entertainment One (eOne) Music/Records, is an American independent record label and music management company based in New York City. It was formed in 1987 as a music div ...
, an indie label based out of
New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York New York may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * ...
, was preparing a compilation album of music by ''American Idol'' finalists. Koch Records wanted to know whether Verraros had anything to contribute to the planned album, and Verraros sent in a
demo tape A demo (shortened from "demonstration") is a song or group of songs typically recorded for limited circulation or for reference use, rather than for general public release. A demo is a way for a musician to approximate their ideas in a fixed for ...
. He received a record deal within a week. ''Unsaid and Understood'' was then retooled as ''Rollercoaster''. Several of the same songs are featured on both albums, although ''Rollercoaster'' also features new material.


Writing and recording

Verraros first began working on the album that would become ''Rollercoaster'' in June 2003 and finished it about a year and a half later. He and Lopez wrote around thirty-five to forty songs and selected eleven of those to include as tracks on the final album. Angela Peel, who placed in the top thirty of ''American Idol'''s first season, co-wrote four of the album's songs and provided
backing vocals A backing vocalist is a singer who provides vocal harmony with the lead vocalist or other backing vocalists. A backing vocalist may also sing alone as a lead-in to the main vocalist's entry or to sing a counter-melody. Backing vocalists are us ...
, while Lopez received writing credits on all of the tracks (Verraros is credited as a co-writer on seven tracks). Lopez played several instruments on the album and is credited as the producer. He also provided backing vocals. ''Rollercoaster'' was produced on a budget of $3,500. Verraros explained that the title ''Rollercoaster'' is a reference to the emotional highs and lows that he had experienced throughout his life. He also attributed the title to the album's mixture of "dancey upbeat songs" and "romantic, soulful ballads". In several interviews, Verraros cited
George Michael George Michael (born Georgios Kyriacos Panayiotou; 25 June 1963 – 25 December 2016) was an English singer-songwriter and record producer. Regarded as a pop culture icon, he is one of the List of best-selling music artists, best-selling rec ...
as his primary musical influence. He also drew inspiration while working on the album from
Justin Timberlake Justin Randall Timberlake (born January 31, 1981) is an American singer, songwriter, actor, record producer, and dancer. Dubbed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Prince of Pop", ''Billboard (magazine), Billboard'' honored him as the b ...
,
Janet Jackson Janet Damita Jo Jackson (born May 16, 1966) is an American singer, songwriter, actress and dancer. She is noted for her innovative, socially conscious and sexually provocative records, as well as elaborate stage shows. Her sound and choreogr ...
,
Tina Turner Tina Turner (born Anna Mae Bullock; November 26, 1939 – May 24, 2023) was a singer, songwriter, actress, and author. Dubbed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Queen of Rock 'n' Roll", her vocal prowess, raspy voice, and electrifyin ...
,
Prince A prince is a male ruler (ranked below a king, grand prince, and grand duke) or a male member of a monarch's or former monarch's family. ''Prince'' is also a title of nobility (often highest), often hereditary, in some European states. The ...
, and
Green Day Green Day is an American Rock music, rock band formed in Rodeo, California, in 1987 by lead vocalist and guitarist Billie Joe Armstrong and bassist and backing vocalist Mike Dirnt, with drummer Tré Cool joining in 1990. In 1994, their majo ...
. ''Rollercoaster'' is a
pop rock Pop rock (also typeset as pop/rock) is a fusion genre and form of rock music characterized by a strong commercial appeal, with more emphasis on professional songwriting and recording craft, and less emphasis on attitude than standard rock musi ...
album with a
dance Dance is an The arts, art form, consisting of sequences of body movements with aesthetic and often Symbol, symbolic value, either improvised or purposefully selected. Dance can be categorized and described by its choreography, by its repertoir ...
component. The ''Windy City Times'' described it as a blend of "smoldering rock and funky pop". Verraros said that he wanted ''Rollercoaster'' to be "edgier and sexier" than most albums that had been released by other ''American Idol'' participants up to that point. Contrasting himself with
Clay Aiken Clayton Holmes Aiken (''né'' Grissom; born November 30, 1978) is an American singer, television personality, actor and political activist. Aiken finished second place on the second season of ''American Idol'' in 2003, and his debut album, '' Me ...
, Verraros said, " iken isvery much a cookie cutter image of what's very safe, vanilla and that's not really me." Verraros noted that while people who win ''American Idol'' tend to be "box d into recording music with mass commercial appeal, his own lower placement in the competition allowed him greater freedom with artistic risks. Recognizing that his chance to record ''Rollercoaster'' had been granted, in large part, by his reality TV show fame, Verraros said that he "had a lot to prove" on the album. ''Rollercoaster'''s release strategy depended upon
word of mouth Word of mouth is the passing of information from person to person using oral communication, which could be as simple as telling someone the time of day. Storytelling is a common form of word-of-mouth communication where one person tells others a ...
, particularly within the LGBT community. Verraros said that the gay press "really carried" him, but also expressed regret that the album received niche marketing, saying in a 2006 interview, "It's just become very gay-focused...they och Recordswere going to capitalize on the gay market and
aid In international relations, aid (also known as international aid, overseas aid, foreign aid, economic aid or foreign assistance) is – from the perspective of governments – a voluntary transfer of resources from one country to another. Th ...
'we're going to get you in the gay clubs and we're going to do it gay, gay, gay.' And I was like, 'My album isn't really all that gay and it's totally mainstream, top 40. A lot of girls will dig it too. So that's kind of stupid but just do it.'" Lyrics were written without the use of pronouns, so as to appeal to both gay and straight listeners. Verraros called "Outside" the most personal song on ''Rollercoaster'', as well as one of his favorites, and explained that the lyrics are about
gay bashing Gay bashing is an attack, abuse, or assault committed against a person who is perceived by the aggressor to be gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender or queer (LGBTQ+). It includes both violence against LGBTQ people and LGBTQ bullying. The te ...
. Another song on the album, "Welcome to Hollywood", was described by ''The Advocate'' as " ocumenting Verarros'post-Idol reality check". When asked about the song, Verraros described
Hollywood Hollywood usually refers to: * Hollywood, Los Angeles, a neighborhood in California * Hollywood, a metonym for the cinema of the United States Hollywood may also refer to: Places United States * Hollywood District (disambiguation) * Hollywood ...
as a "seedy" place, filled with people trying to "get ahead in life". In a separate interview, he said that he had "to constantly question other people's motives" while living in Los Angeles. "You're Getting Crazy" and "Hold On" were also singled out by Verraros as two of his favorite songs on the album, the former for its "beat" and the latter for its romantic qualities.


Release

''Rollercoaster'' was initially scheduled for a March 2005 release, although the date was postponed to April 26 of that year. The album's release date was chosen to roughly coincide with the theatrical premiere of ''Eating Out''. A release party for ''Rollercoaster'' was held on April 27, 2005 at the Roxy Theatre in Hollywood. A club tour was considered to promote the album, and through the rest of 2005, Verraros performed in several
pride events A pride parade (also known as pride event, pride festival, pride march, or pride protest) is an event celebrating lesbian, Gay men, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) social and self-acceptance, achievements, LGBT rights by country o ...
. He also performed at the ''American Idol''
season 4 Season 4 may refer to: * "Season 4" (''30 Rock'' episode), an episode of ''30 Rock'' See also * * Season One (disambiguation) * Season 2 (disambiguation) Season 2 may refer to: * ''Season 2'' (Infinite album), 2014 * ''2econd Season'', an album ...
wrap party Wrap, as used in the phrase "That's a wrap", has been used by directors since the early days of the film industry to signal the end of filming. Since the 1920s, filmmakers have been using this phrase when principal photography is concluded and ...
that May. Following ''Rollercoaster'''s release, Verraros moved back to his hometown of
Crystal Lake, Illinois Crystal Lake is a city in McHenry County, Illinois, United States. Named after a lake southwest of the city's downtown, Crystal Lake is northwest of Chicago. The population was 40,269 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. Crystal L ...
, where he was involved with several local events.


Singles

''Rollercoaster'''s first single, "You Turn It On", debuted at number forty-eight on the ''
Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertis ...
'' Dance Club Play Chart. The song spent eleven weeks on that chart and peaked in early June at number twenty-one. Remixes were created for the song. The album's second single, "You're Getting Crazy (Estas Enloqueciendo)", was released in October. Mike Cruz and L.E.X each created remixes of the song, which were called "as slick, upbeat and professional as anything else currently climbing the charts" by Edgemedianetwork.com. ''Billboard'' suggested that with the help of an accompanying music video, the song would have the potential to become a hit, but no music videos were created for any of the songs on ''Rollercoaster'', and the album's second single failed to 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, while Joey Guerra of the ''
Houston Chronicle The ''Houston Chronicle'' is the largest daily newspaper in Houston, Houston, Texas, United States. it is the third-largest newspaper by Sunday circulation in the United States, behind only ''The New York Times'' and the ''Los Angeles Times''. ...
'' felt that the album "thrives on a glossy pop sensibility". Guerra wrote that ''Rollercoaster'' successfully blends
club music Electronic dance music (EDM), also referred to as dance music or club music, is a broad range of percussive electronic music genres originally made for nightclubs, raves, and festivals. It is generally produced for playback by DJs who create s ...
with "ballads", "crunchy rock tunes" and "even a '50s-flavored
doowop Doo-wop (also spelled doowop and doo wop) is a subgenre of rhythm and blues music that originated in African-American communities during the 1940s, mainly in the large cities of the United States, including New York, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, ...
ditty". He and ''Billboard'' compared the album's first and second singles respectively to "
I'm a Slave 4 U "I'm a Slave 4 U" is a song recorded by American singer Britney Spears for her third studio album, ''Britney (album), Britney'' (2001). Written and produced by Chad Hugo and Pharrell Williams of the Neptunes, it was released on September 25, 2001 ...
" by
Britney Spears Britney Jean Spears (born December 2, 1981) is an American singer. Often referred to as the "Princess of Pop", she has sold over 150 million records worldwide, making her one of the world's best-selling music artists. Cultural impact of Brit ...
. Barry Walters of ''Out'' magazine praised ''Rollercoaster'' for sounding "more like a solo disc from Justin Timberlake or
JC Chasez Joshua Scott "JC" Chasez (; born August 8, 1976) is an American singer, songwriter, actor, dancer, and record producer. He started his career as a singer, actor, and dancer on '' The All-New Mickey Mouse Club'' before rising to prominence as a ...
than the bland pop from most of erraros ''Idol'' cohorts". Although Walters suggested that ''Rollercoaster'' sounds "prematurely dated" due to its blend of "
boy-band A boy band is a vocal group consisting of young male singers, usually in their teenage years or in their twenties at the time of formation. Generally, boy bands perform love songs marketed towards girls and young women. Many boy bands dance a ...
dance tracks, mainstream rock, and George Michael-ish balladry", he nonetheless 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 In mathematics, a curve (also called a curved line in older texts) is an object similar to a line, but that does not have to be straight. Intuitively, a curve may be thought of as the trace left by a moving point. This is the definition that ...
'' magazine wrote that ''Rollercoaster'' had found a lesbian fanbase, and Ben Katner of ''
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'' considered the album's lead single, "You Turn It On", to be an "infectious club hit". Katner also called the entire album "unrelentingly catchy". Sherrill Fulghum of ''
The Empty Closet ''The Empty Closet'' is a free magazine published by the Out Alliance based in Rochester, New York. ''The Empty Closet'' reports on issues of interest to the local and national LGBT and allied communities. History ''The Empty Closet'' began publ ...
'' positively compared the album to other dance music, writing, "The dance beat is there, but so are other instruments carrying melodies that will entice you to listen deeper." Fulghum wrote that the album "contain interesting lyrics" and also serves as a demonstration of Gabe Lopez's "musicianship". Guerra singled out the tracks "Welcome to Hollywood" and "Outside" as highlights. He also complimented "You Turn It On" for having a "slinky
Neptunes The Neptunes were an American record production duo composed of Pharrell Williams and Chad Hugo, formed in Virginia Beach, Virginia, in 1992. Williams often provided backing vocals and music video appearances on the duo's productions, while H ...
groove". ''Billboard'' commented on ''Rollercoaster'''s second single, "You're Getting Crazy (Estas Enloqueciendo)", by writing that the song "treads in similar territory s "You Turn It On" stirring the beats into a simmering frenzy." In 2014, '' Boston Spirit'' magazine compiled a list of eight recommended love songs "by gay artists about same-sex romance" and included "Alive" from ''Rollercoaster''. A less positive review of ''Rollercoaster'' came from Jonathan Takiff of the ''
Philadelphia Daily News ''Philadelphia Daily News'' is a tabloid newspaper that serves Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The newspaper is owned by The Philadelphia Inquirer, LLC, which also owns ''The Philadelphia Inquirer'', a daily newspaper in Philadelphia. The ''Dail ...
'', who gave the album a C and called it "cheezy".
AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All-Music Guide and AMG) is an American online database, online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on Musical artist, musicians and Mus ...
did not review the album, but gave it two-and-a-half stars out of five. Although Mark Franklin of ''
The York Dispatch ''The York Dispatch'' is a morning newspaper serving the people of York County, Pennsylvania. The paper is printed in a broadsheet format and published Monday through Friday, with the exception of certain holidays. Founded by Hiram Young in 187 ...
'''s blog Idol Chatter praised the dance tracks "Forbidden Love", "Move", and "You Turn It On", he criticized ''Rollercoaster'''s ballads and gave the album a C−.


Track listing


Personnel

Credits adapted from
AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All-Music Guide and AMG) is an American online database, online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on Musical artist, musicians and Mus ...
. *
Jim Verraros James Conrad Verraros (born February 8, 1983) is an American singer, songwriter, and actor, who placed ninth on the first season of ''American Idol.'' Raised by deaf parents, he is fluent in American Sign Language and gained notoriety on ''Amer ...
– vocals Additional vocals * Noelle Benny – background vocals *
Gabe Lopez Gabe Lopez is an American pop-rock singer/songwriter and producer. He is of Mexican and Irish descent. Signed to Universal Music Group as a songwriter and to Spectra Music Group as an artist, Lopez has produced and written for Belinda Carlisle ...
– background vocals * Jerry Minnerly – background vocals * Angela Peel – background vocals Additional musicians * Norm Antonini – drums * Barnaby Hitzig – guitar * Gabe Lopez – acoustic guitar,
bass guitar The bass guitar (), also known as the electric bass guitar, electric bass, or simply the bass, is the lowest-pitched member of the guitar family. It is similar in appearance and construction to an Electric guitar, electric but with a longer nec ...
,
drum programming Programming is a form of music production and performance using electronic devices and computer software, such as sequencers and workstations or hardware synthesizers, sampler and sequencers, to generate sounds of musical instruments. These mu ...
, electric guitar,
harmonica The harmonica, also known as a French harp or mouth organ, is a free reed wind instrument used worldwide in many musical genres, notably in blues, American folk music, classical music, jazz, country, and rock. The many types of harmonica incl ...
, keyboards, grand piano,
synthesizer bass A synthesizer (also synthesiser or synth) is an electronic musical instrument that generates audio signals. Synthesizers typically create sounds by generating waveforms through methods including subtractive synthesis, additive synthesis and ...
Technical personnel * Mike Houge –
engineering Engineering is the practice of using natural science, mathematics, and the engineering design process to Problem solving#Engineering, solve problems within technology, increase efficiency and productivity, and improve Systems engineering, s ...
* Gabe Lopez – Engineering, mixing,
production Production may refer to: Economics and business * Production (economics) * Production, the act of manufacturing goods * Production, in the outline of industrial organization, the act of making products (goods and services) * Production as a stat ...
Miscellaneous * Blaire Brodar – styling * Jeff Chenault –
Art direction Art director is a title for a variety of similar job functions in theater, advertising, marketing, publishing, fashion, live-action and animated film and television, the Internet, and video games. It is the charge of a sole art director to super ...
,
design A design is the concept or proposal for an object, process, or system. The word ''design'' refers to something that is or has been intentionally created by a thinking agent, and is sometimes used to refer to the inherent nature of something ...
* Dan O'Leary –
product management Product management is the business process of planning, developing, launching, and managing a product or service. It includes the entire lifecycle of a product, from ideation to development to go to market. Product managers are responsible for ...


Footnotes


References

{{Authority control 2005 debut albums Dance music albums by American artists LGBTQ-related albums Pop rock albums by American artists Jim Verraros albums Self-released albums