With New Album & Steamy Video, Frankie Grande Gears Up for a Summer with the 'Boys'

With new songs, a new album, and an ongoing Pride tour, Frankie Grande is poised to be the queer poster boy of the Summer of 2025. And why not? His steamy (in more ways than one), sex-positive video to his dance earworm "Boys" looks like the trailer to a Naked Sword movie if it were a musical. In it the 42-year old performer, singer, songwriter, actor, activist, media star, and older brother to Ariana Grande heads into a gym's locker and steam rooms joined by uber-hunky trans actor/model/artist/activist Laith Ashley where the boys just want to have some post-workout fun. If that has a familiar ring, it is intentional on Grande's part – "Boys" offers an ironic counterpoint to Cyndi Lauper's "Girls Just Want to Have Fun," this time a playful ode to queer sex in the age of DoxiPrEP. "One plus one equals more than two/Cause I like you and like him too/You and your boyfriend both are cute/When you look this good, you don't gotta choose," Grande sings as Ashley and him couple, and recouple with a score of buff, sweaty men. (The music video, produced with MISTR, the LGBTQ+ telehealth platform.)

The song is part of his new album, "Hotel Rock Bottom," which drops on June 27 via Casablanca Records; which was inspired by Grande's first trip to Fire Island after he turned sober. He has described it as "one of the most liberating and beautiful experiences of my life, sexually and emotionally." What made the trip so illuminating was that Grande realized he could embrace the sexual freedom the island offers without the aid of alcohol and drugs. And that it wasn't boring. Certainly, the sexual play on view in the "Boys" video is far from boring, and it is integral to Grande's sexually positive aesthetic now seven-and-one-half years sober.

With honestly and vulnerability, Grande speaks to EDGE about his new album, his sobriety, and joining in Pride events throughout the country.

EDGE: Congratulations on the new song, "Rhythm Of Love!" How does it feel to finally share this song with the world?

Frankie Grande: I'm so excited. "Rhythm of Love" was such an incredible journey because it is my debut single being put out into the universe, and that was a scary but exciting process. It is a great lead single off my upcoming album, "Hotel Rock Bottom." Then my second single, Boys, will be released soon. It is beautiful and is my favorite song on the album. Well, at least today, it changes daily, but I'm obsessed with it. It is the perfect song for Pride. I'm so happy that they're both out in the world.

EDGE: Can you tell us the story behind the song?

Frankie Grande: "Rhythm of Love" is a song that tells a story, both in the music and video, of a time when I knew sobriety was a choice, and that community existed. I always chose to isolate myself, to continue to be in the cycle of drinking, using, and hooking up with men in bathroom stalls. I would not allow myself to reach any form of full potential, nor would I connect with my friends, family, and my community. I started to make my life small. The "Rhythm of Love" lifted me and became my community. For a long time, I ignored it, and I embraced it. I knew I didn't need that boy in the bathroom. I've got all my friends and all my sisters with me. That realization became the key to being seven and a half years sober. I know have a fucking beautiful life beyond my wildest dreams.

EDGE: Congratulations on your sobriety. What does community mean to you?

Frankie Grande: Everything. It just meant everything to me. I couldn't have gotten sober, and if I didn't get sober, I would be dead. There's no question. With the way that I was drinking and using and the way that Fentanyl has encroached upon all of the drugs that I was doing, I'd be dead. No question. It has not only changed my life, but it's also responsible for my life. I couldn't have done it without my sober friends. I couldn't have done it without my family. My husband is incredible, and he has been sober since birth. I found a unicorn. I tap into all those different aspects of community even now, as I need them. They are all responsible for the person you see sitting before you today.

EDGE: I appreciate your openness and honesty. Is it therapeutic for you to share what you've gone through?

Frankie Grande: Yeah, get your shit together or you're going to fucking die. Yes, it is. We're taught in sobriety that you can't keep it unless you give it away. And that is the message I love bringing to the world, especially in the LGBTQ+ community. We need more people talking about it. It needs to be less passé. We need to talk about addiction because I know, especially with Pride coming up and with me doing Pride performances, I know that there are going to be people that I'm going to be performing to who probably have a substance abuse problem. It will be great for me to be performing sober and then hear "Wow, Frankie Grande, I'm fucked up, but I saw something in that performance and got through to me, and I'm going to go follow him on Instagram and then I'm going to get sober like him. If it takes me being more open to help save lives, I will continue doing so.

EDGE: How does this song reflect where you are in your life right now?

Frankie Grande: I'm very fortunate to be on the other side of my addiction. I'm constantly battling it. There is no cure. There's only treatment, so it is constantly something that I'm dealing with, but I'm alive. And yes, "Rhythm of Love" is a cautionary tale, but it ends in joy. The new album is beautiful, and it reflects the fun times. I'm not going to lie. I had a lot of fun when I was drinking and using as well. But there is also darkness in sobriety. Getting sober doesn't mean that your life is suddenly magical. No, it's not, because then you must deal with fucking life on life's terms, which is fucking hard.

EDGE: "Boys" was recently released. Can you tell us what it is about, both lyrically and emotionally?

Frankie Grande: "Boys" was written about and designed to bring me back to that place of ultimate sexual freedom and liberation that I found on Fire Island. Fire Island is a magical place, especially if you're a young queer kid. I didn't come out until I was 21 years old, so I had to make up for a lot of time. I found Fire Island to be so liberating. When you go there and see everyone -- all different shapes and sizes wearing literally no clothing, walking around being completely free sexually and emotionally, I found it rejuvenating. I did a lot of drinking and using on Fire Island, but I also have spent time there sober. "Boys" was written about a time I spent there sober and about it being the best place I've ever been. I pray that this song is the Fire Island Anthem of Pride 2025, because that's what I wrote it for. I hope boys are sucking and fucking on the dance floor to my song because that's what I was doing and that's what I was writing about. That's emotionally and lyrically where we're going with that one.

EDGE: If "Boys" were the soundtrack to a movie, what would the plot of that movie be?

Frankie Grande: It would absolutely be "Boys Gone Wild." You know what I'm saying? The movie's plot is NC-17, as in don't bring your kids to this one.

EDGE: Will a tour or special performances be tied to these releases?

Frankie Grande: Yes, I'm doing a Pride tour. It will be a mini tour, and I'll be performing at several Pride events around the country. Also, while I'm in those cities, I'll do other little Pride performances here and there, as well as a couple of exciting ones on television. I am excited and a little nervous about all this. I can't believe this is real. I need to pinch myself.

EDGE: If these songs were a summer event, would it be a beach party, a road trip, a rooftop rave, or something else?

Frankie Grande: It's very theatrical. It's impossible to say for the whole album because I take you on a journey. A couple of songs, by design, that will have you crying on the dance floor. I had a horrible breakup with the boys from "Boys," and it was miserable. It was my first breakup in sobriety. The song, "My Guy," brought me back to life and there are some Fuck You anthems on there. Then there's the joy of "Boy," and then there's the marriage song "Bound to You," which is about me and my husband and a play on leather daddy being bound to you. I would say anything that makes you feel cinematic, and if that's a road trip for you, then great. If that's jumping up and down in slow motion at a rave, fuck yeah. Great.

EDGE: What do you hope fans feel when they listen to "Rhythm of Love", "Boys", and the new album when it is released on June 27th?

Frankie Grande: Freedom, joy, and a recharging ability to get back out there and fight because our community is under attack right now, especially our trans siblings. We need to be prepared for battle, and we will only be ready for battle if we're fully charged. The only way we can fully charge is to be ourselves and let our hair down every once in a while and get our fucking asses on the dance floor and shake them. So, let's gear up and fight. Also, be authentically yourself and know that you are absolutely perfect. That's what I hope they feel.

For more information about Frankie Grande, visit his Instagram page