‘American Idol’ winner Jamal Roberts reveals new single has a special meaning that hits close to home
‘American Idol’ Season 23 winner Jamal Roberts is revealing the special meaning behind his latest song, ‘Mississippi,’ which was released on July 24. During his recent interview with Billboard, Roberts candidly spoke about his new track and said, “I love Mississippi. People try to get me to move, but it’s just so peaceful and just so down to earth. Emile, Daniel, and Christian were writing it, and I put my two cents in here and there, changing things around and making it suitable for me. I wanted to paint a picture of what I miss and what I’ve come from, and that’s what I do currently in Mississippi that gives me that ease and that peace of mind. And in the song, if you listen closely, you’ll hear how I feel.”
Roberts also mentioned what the song meant to him and further elaborated, “Even though I’m dedicating this to Mississippi, I know that anyone who has moved away is missing home or missing a loved one that left, and you think about them all the time. My kids are in Mississippi, and so are all my childhood memories, so when I’m singing “missing you In Mississippi,” I’m not just talking about one particular place. I’m talking about that peace, that moment, that memory. There’s a whole bunch of compassion in there.”
Roberts, who is a native of Meridian, Mississippi, was a P.E. teacher at Crestwood Elementary School before he auditioned for ‘American Idol.’ When Roberts returned home after winning the ABC singing competition, he realized how much had changed due to his new fame. Roberts recalled, “The first day I went back to school after winning ‘Idol,’ people were coming up to the school [to see me] and I thought, ‘This won’t work.’ Now, Roberts may have left his teaching job, but he continues to volunteer at the school “because this is where my passion is and my heart is …”
Roberts’ three daughters, Harmoni, Lyrik, and Gianna Grace, who was born while he was on ‘American Idol,’ live in Mississippi as well. Elsewhere in the interview, Roberts stated that his daughters still talk about seeing him on the show, especially his middle child. Roberts shared, “Lyrik is always saying, ‘Daddy, I remember you got the Golden Ticket.’ She still talks about that, and they still talk about going to Disneyland.”
When asked about his future plans, Roberts said, “I plan on doing pop and hip-hop. I plan on doing it all. I’m always going to stick with my gospel roots, but you can’t reach people singing gospel all the time.” When asked about a potential album, Roberts explained, “Like I told my label and producers and my manager, I don’t want to put out an album right now. Let’s keep doing what we’re doing, keep people wanting more. I love the support. Even though 'Mississippi' is just coming out, trust me, we’ve got more stuff cooking, and it’s going to be amazing. Stay tuned.”
