Former American Idol Alum JZidor Talks Journey to the Release of His Debut EP

In our exclusive interview with recording artist J. Zidor, he opens up about his experience competing on American Idol, life after the show, and talks about his current musical project, “The Key That Opens The Door.”

Born Emmanuel Zidor in Miami, Florida, Zidor spent his childhood in the era when the late 1990s and early 2000s collided, growing up on artists such as Mariah Carey, Usher, Britney Spears, Destiny’s Child, and Brandy.

He credits Destiny’s Child as one of the most impactful artists he stumbled upon on television while living in a homeless shelter with his family. “One day, I skipped out on the shelter-provided tutoring and turned on The Box. As soon as I turned it on, the girls were introducing “Get On The Bus” and I’ve been in love with them ever since,” he said.

Zidor said music was not only a form of entertainment but also helped soothe his anxiety brought on by taunts from peers at school and family members. “I was bullied at school for being gay, my weight, and my effeminate mannerisms,” he explained.

Zidor said he yearned for more compassion from the outside world but found comfort in music and solitude. “The moment I had the house to myself, I’d be right there in my room doing mock Grammy award speeches,” he said jokingly.

After spending his early teenage years studying the vocal styles of Mariah Carey, Luther Vandross, and Whitney Houston, Zidor found himself putting what he learned to the test on American Idol, one of the most iconic reality singing competitions of all time.

When American Idol debuted in the Summer of 2002, it was an instant success for the FOX network. By the time Zidor made his mark on the show’s 13th season in 2014, it had more than proven itself to be a major star maker with Kelly Clarkson, Jennifer Hudson, Adam Lambert, Fantasia, and more graduating from the show’s stage to becoming the entertainment industry’s biggest stars.

After being given the go-ahead by then-judge Jennifer Lopez, Zidor literally crawled into the audition room, belting “Sweet Dreams” by Beyonce before rising to his feet to make his way in front of the other judges, Harry Connick Jr, and Keith Urban.

Connick commended his entrance, while Lopez admitted it startled her at first. “Sometimes good theater is scary,” Connick quipped before the room erupted in laughter.

“How about you sing something else for us? I just want to hear you,” Lopez said.

Next, Zidor belted out a portion of Whitney Houston’s “I Believe in You and Me”. Before he could come to a stopping point, Lopez raised her hand, motioning him to stop. “I believe you when you sing,” she said. Urban and Connick nodded in agreement before Zidor burst into happy tears.

Throughout the season, he flexed his vocal prowess on songs such as “And I Am Telling You I’m Not Going” by Jennifer Holliday and “I’m Going Down” by Mary J Blige. During one portion, he was joined by fellow contestants in a group called “Love’s Angels” with Carmen Delgina and Terrica Curry singing “Say My Name” by Destiny’s Child. Zidor was the only member of the trio to advance to the next round.

Although he was bested by Caleb Johnson, who was crowned the winner for his season, Zidor had a successful run on the show, becoming a semifinalist and placing in the top 10 of the male contestants. “I didn’t think I would make it that far, so I wasn’t mad at getting eliminated where I did,” he explained. “It was more of the post-idol stuff that broke my spirit more than anything.

Zidor admits he is grateful for his time on the show, but said he felt like a pawn for the show’s producers, who were looking to create shock-inducing moments to boost the show’s television ratings.

During one instance of his season, he recounts being coached by one of the show’s producers to form a rivalry with a black female competitor with whom he was grouped. “

Zidor, an avid Idol fan, said he understood the producer’s intentions behind generating drama. “The intent is to make television, the intent is to garner viewership and virality.

Despite feeling like he was egged on to bring in drama for the show, he says he was appreciative of the opportunity and would like to return to reality TV in the future. After being eliminated from American Idol, Zidor said he hoped the show would kick-start his career as it had done for so many other former Idol contestants.

However, his career stalled, he thinks, due to the world not being ready for black LGBTQ+ artists such as himself. “I wanted to be the first- not for the fame of it all. Because we are here, we have the voices, stories, the harmonies,” he said.

Since competing on the show over a decade ago, he has faced many life woes, including brushes with the law and homelessness, ultimately forcing him out of the spotlight.

Zidor’s journey echoes the many stories of black gay men who were tasked with building a lane in a music industry that looked to them as a financial risk because of their sexuality, he says. “Record labels are a business at the end of the day, so if people aren’t buying gay artists, labels will feel less inclined to pump resources into gay artists.” he said.

Despite his life and career trials and tribulations, Zidor has lamented himself as a fully formed artist on his latest musical outpouring, “The Key That Opens The Door.” The 6-track EP is R&B at its core, with tinges of island vibes and a pinch of hip hop.

The EP’s opening track, “Around the World,” really sets the tone, showcasing his versatility as an artist as he flows over a trap-style beat. The track’s lyrics, he says, were born out of his adoration for black men as well as a dating dry spell.

“I envisioned dating men across the Black diaspora. I think Black men, especially Haitians, African Americans, are some of the sexiest men on the planet,” he said.

While Zidor was rightfully cast on American Idol for his vocal prowess on “Around the World,” he leans into his rap side, citing Nicki Minaj as the inspiration for the song’s fierce rap flow. “As for lyrics, being a big fan of Nicki Minaj has really helped me. Whenever I’m stuck on lyrics, I ask myself, What would Nicki say?

He continued saying: “I definitely don’t want to be forced into any specific genre, but I know my music is deeply rooted in R&B.. If Lil Wayne can give us ‘How To Love, ‘ I can do ‘Around the World.”

Following “Around the World”, we are treated to R&B numbers “Chocolate”, “Maybe”, “Spaghetti”, and the previously released island vibe single “Zoned In” before ending it with “Visuals”, a nod to Beyonce’s iconic “You are the visuals” sound.

With this project, Zidor said he wanted to pay homage to his Miami roots and to be his official introduction to music listeners. “I feel like this work is just the beginning. It’s encouraging to know that future LGBTQ+ artists will have a reference point to look back on, which is exactly why I named it “The Key That Opens The Door,” he said.

If “The Key That Opens the Door” is an indicator of what Zidor is musically, we believe he could join the bevy of American Idol stars who graduate from the show’s stage to mainstream success.

With “The Key That Opens the Door” officially being released on streaming platforms, Zidor said he intends to promote the project with hopes of giving him the fanbase he originally yearned for following his stint on American Idol.

With the show in his rearview mirror and a newfound set of keys and confidence, he hopes the project will encourage a generation of LGBTQ+ artists to go after their musical pursuits.

“Its so important to never give up on what you love. Now I have an EP and a body of work, and I’m just grateful for this journey.”

Watch Our Full Interview Below:

Listen to JZIDOR’s new EP here!