Two months after winning season 23 of “American Idol” and releasing his first single — a powerful cover of Tom Odell’s “Heal” — as part of the ABC show, Jamal Roberts is ready to share his own music with the world.
Roberts will release his first single since his big win on July 25, 2025. He first announced the news during a Facebook Live with fans on July 2, explaining that “Missing You in Mississippi” will be his first single, but that he has already recorded the follow-up.
Jamal Roberts Dedicates New Single to His Home State
Roberts spent the last week of June in Los Angeles recording new music, and has also recorded in Nashville since his May 2025 win. His first single will be a song dedicated to his home state of Mississippi. The 27-year-old dad of three daughters is from the small town of Meridian, where he has said he’ll always have a home, preferring the slow pace and the community there.
“My first song is gonna be dedicated to Mississippi,” he told fans during his Facebook Live. “So, y’all, I do love every state. But, you know, the one you’re raised in is different.”
On July 6, he gave fans a snippet of the lyrics in the caption of a social media post, writing: “✍🏿You know, lately it’s getting hard to handle. Healing is getting hard to channel; can’t shake this feeling. I know you get it. Everything is for a reason; you know it’s cold, but it’s just a season. I’m missing you in Mississippi, and it doesn’t feel the same without you with me. 🎶🎵”
Roberts said in his July 2 Facebook Live that he will not release a full album right away, telling fans, “You want to keep that anticipation (going). You want to drop something. We know the first single’s gonna be ‘Missing You in Mississippi.'”
“Second one’s gonna be about — bloop, it’s done, but I’m not telling you,” he laughed. “After ‘Mississippi,’ I’m gonna give y’all a little time to breathe, and I do mean a little, and I’m gonna hit y’all with another. That’s how we’re gonna keep this thing rolling. Train’s gonna keep on rolling.”
Jamal Roberts is Gearing Up for Tour With Monica & Brandy
Roberts has been busy performing concerts, mainly in southern states, as he prepares for his U.S. tour with R&B legends Monica and Brandy. He’ll perform in all 24 cities of the Boy is Mine tour from October to December.
Fans have been thrilled to see his continued success in the two months since his “American Idol” win, flooding each post he shares with encouragement and prayers for the journey ahead.
As he announced his new music, one wrote, “You got this, Jamal. Everything you’ve worked for has brought you to this moment. You are well prepared for this journey 🙏”
Another wrote, “Maintain your peace and personal space, at all costs. This is a long game, baby, no need to sprint and get dizzy. You have more than what it takes to stay the course.”
