Musical influences are above my ears' pay grade. Tell me what you hear that is Queen like, maybe it's a deep cut? Oh and do you have any specific song for the bass line that you said both NE and Slow Hands reference? I'd like to listen.
I think he loves being in total control. It harkens back to the great job he did on the Trespassing album only to have the wigs step in and make him add conformist singles.
First, I completely agree about Trespassing -- and now history backs up what I posted when we first heard those "conformist" manufactured pop singles, both were big mistakes as singles and do not belong on that album. I still wonder what would have happened if Trespassing had been the lead single.
Regarding NE -- many alt bands/artist use a version of baseline -- I believe it originated in the late 1950's - 1960's but would have to research it a lot. No doubt it is a funk-blues based sound is African American from the mid-South (New Orleans-Mississippi Delta) -- my bet is that it is probably from Mississippi. It moved into mainstream American and British music is the 1970's.
You can find "Slow Hands" on YT or Spotify. It is a recorded by Irish singer and songwriter Niall Horan, released as a single on 4 May 2017 by Capitol Records. The song was written by Horan, Alexander Izquierdo, John Ryan, Julian Bunetta, Ruth Anne Cunningham and Tobias Jesso Jr. (Wikipedia) There is some similarity between NE and "Slow Hands" but certainly not that similar beyond the fact that they are both funk-pop/rock songs inspired by the 1970's.
You will find songs by Black Keys, Arctic Monkeys, and many other contemporary artists based on similar traditions.
That said, there is a lot more to NE then the funky baseline. The use of the vocal-layering is like late Beatles and John Lennon, Rolling Stones, and Beach Boys (Pet Sounds, 1966). I have to listen to it a bit more two break it down, but NE may be the most complex composition that Adam has ever released on an album. And, although there are many things that are reminiscent of other songs (like "Come Together") so familiar, it is not really like any other song I have heard.
A nice balance.
Back to Queen - I hear the influence of: the vocal layering and using vocals as instruments (derived from blues to the UK - Rolling Stones "Gimme Shelter," Led Zeppelin, etc. and back to the US in late 60's), use of real instruments, their funk songs (like "Dragon Attack," "Back Chat"), and their psychedelic-influenced songs (see below). I also think that performing with Queen connected Adam to a lot of late 60's and 70's music in a very intimate way. These are the bands and artist who influenced Queen -- like the Beatles -- who are really far removed from Adam. And he confirmed the "Come Together" bit that some of use heard.
Queen Psychedelic Influenced Songs - mostly from the very early 1970's - JMHO, your list may be different. I do not believe there is even consensus what "psychedelic" rock is. The genre was big from 1966 until about 1971-ish then was replaced. So mostly it is the Smile songs that were used on the first Queen album.
From Queen
Doing All Right
The Night Comes Down
My Fairy King
Jesus
Mad the Swine (recorded for Queen, but not released until 1991, B side of "Headlong" single.)
From Sheer Heart Attack
She Makes Me (Stormtrooper in Stilettos)
From News of the World
Get Down, Make Love (psychedelic sound effects)
From The Game
Play the Game (instrumentation, use of synths)
Dragon Attack (also a funk track, and about heroin)
There are probably some other Queen tracks with psychedelic bits, lyrics, and so on.