Billy Gilman releases his very first ever Bluegrass song, “Roller Coaster.” It’s the first single from The Voice alum’s upcoming full-length project. Billy initially rose to fame following the release of his debut Country record One Voice in 2000.
The upcoming Roller Coaster collection marks the singer’s first full-length release after coming in second place on season 11 of The Voice in late 2016. Growing up, Billy would sit around and listen to the genre with his grandparents, knowing one day he wanted to record a Bluegrass project.
“When I first learned that my first single as a Bluegrass artist would be the title-track of my upcoming album, I could not have been more excited,” Billy said in a press statement. “Roller Coaster is a roll the windows down and turn the volume up type of song. Anyone who has been in any kind of serious relationship knows that loving someone has its ups and downs and can feel like a roller coaster ride at times. I think people will find themselves in the song as well as find themselves singing along the second time they hear it! Couldn’t be more proud that this is your first look into what I’ve been creating!”
Billy co-wrote the song alongside Dan Murph and Philip Douglas. It showcases a more traditional Bluegrass sound, while offering a modern approach. The official video was shot in one take in Bowling Green, Kentucky at the Beech Bend Amusement Park.
“There’s more to me than singing a high F”
“There’s two songs on this record that I wrote 12 years ago that never could find their home. And all of a sudden I dug some up and I’m like, this album is where they belong,” he told People magazine where the song premiered. “This has been a part of me for a while, and fortunately I convinced the right people to get on board and totally believe it.”
Billy has admittedly struggled with trying to find the right lane for his music because his desires typically opposed those of the powers that be. Gilman who came out publicly in 2014 shortly after Ty Herndon, struggled at first with the reality of being a gay man in the country music scene.
“Let’s be real,” he says, “they probably thought I would come out with a big power ballad record because of The Voice. And that’s great, and I’d love to do that, but there’s more to me than a high F.”
