Jim Verraros Releases First EP in 14 Years – And It’s a Banger!

It’s time to get explicit. 

Jim Verraros debuted his hot new EP, Explicit, on August 8th. The independent endeavor is his first collection of new songs since his 2011 album Do Not Disturb. Explicit is #6 on Apple Music’s Dance Chart as of this writing. Its success is fueled by earlier-released singles Take My Bow and Pyramid, both of which reached the Top 5 on UK’s Commercial Dance Chart. 

In the United States, though, Jim Verraros is most known for his iconic stint on the first season of American Idol. He made history as the first out gay male competitor to make it to the live shows before ultimately losing to thee Kelly Clarkson. Idol helped propel Jim to more successes, as seen with his co-starring role in the Eating Out series and his single You Turn It On – which peaked at #20 on the Billboard Dance Chart. 

I had the opportunity to speak with Jim Verraros prior to the release of Explicit. And let me just say, interviewing him was a wild, full circle moment considering I called in to vote for him during his top 9 finishing run on American Idol. Here’s what he had to say.

Mike: Why now? 
Jim: I can’t exactly pinpoint why now. It just sort of felt right. This administration is a complete shitshow and we need to be louder with our voices and with our art now more than ever. I also think it’s so important to hold those things you love close and continue to explore them later on in life. It felt like a pilot light I couldn’t NOT touch, so I touched it. And I’m so glad I did. 

Mike: What was your inspiration when crafting the new EP?
Jim: The inspiration really came from the movement in queer representation we’re having in television, film and music. When I came out publicly in 2002, there really weren’t a lot of examples for the community and it was a time that felt right for me to be out. Now, we’ve got incredible visibility, and it inspired me to get back into music. It started as a single in 2023, and then the success of Take My Bow in the UK inspired another single in 2024. Pyramid also did well in the UK and, eventually, it led to an EP. Explicit really came from inspiration from other queer artists.

Mike: It was over a decade since the last time you were in the recording studio. What’s changed?
Jim: I think the technology in recording music has changed; you can literally record a song in a hotel room, a room in your house, the bathroom; there’s software available to minimize background noise. It’s pretty incredible how accessible and easy it can be. Of course, the quality won’t quite be the same as a recording studio, but it gets the job done if your resources are limited. Artists tend to be scrappy; if there’s a will and a limited budget or resources, we always find a way.

Mike: What are you hoping to achieve with Explicit? Besides a million streams, of course. 
Jim: I hope this album resonates with people in some way. That they find a song they keep coming back to for whatever reason. Or there’s a go-to song when they go on road trips or host parties. I hope something speaks to them in a way that gets them to keep coming back to the EP and rediscovering it. I also hope they hear the growth in it compared to the music I’ve put out in the past. 

Mike: If you could collaborate with any artist on new music, who would it be? 
Jim: THIS QUESTION IS IMPOSSIBLE because there are SO SO SO many. Kelly Clarkson, obviously. She’s my #1. Troye Sivan would be fun. Kesha would be amazing. Rebecca Black. Carly Rae Jepson. If Hilary Duff ever came back to music, I’d LOVE to do something with her.

Related Post: Jim Verraros: From American Idol Season 1 to Thirst Trap King – Instinct Magazine

Explicit is a collection of eight new songs accompanied by five remixes. The album is a smooth, sexy, adult dance album that still manages to resemble some of Jim’s earlier work. While it shows maturity and growth, Explicit is the perfect album to finish off summer and take the party indoors. My personal favorite track is Move/On, so I encourage you to listen to that album first and then enjoy the rest of the record.

What’s next for Jim Verraros?

As seen with our interview, it looks like he has a couple gigs lined up for later this year. I’m frankly very excited to see him live because it’ll be interesting to see how his stage presence has evolved since American Idol. I hope that Explicit charts in America, UK and all over the world because I know how much the EP means to him and we need more gay artists on the music charts. And, most importantly, I hope this leads to more music in the future. 

Are you a fan of Jim Verraros? Did you vote for him on Idol? What do you think of his new EP? What’s your favorite track on Explicit? Comment all your thoughts and let me know! 

PS: Go stream the SHIT out of Explicit, please.