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Adam Lambert is a modern-day polymath. After being jet-propelled to pop superstardom almost a decade ago, Lambert has not stopped transforming the music scene — all the while advocating for social justice. Hailing from the West Coast, where he still resides, his early ventures into musicals and a successful run at American Idol trained him for his ascension to global success. Since then, he has inscribed his mark in music history, both as a solo act with three majorly successful albums and in alliance with iconic British band Queen. Just days short of his rather nostalgic NBC Wicked performance — he used to be part of the Hollywood musical — we catch up with Lambert to discuss his forthcoming fourth album, full circle experiences, hiatuses and the power of politics.

You’ve just finished your residency with Queen in Las Vegas, not too long ago. How was it?

It was great! It was really exciting to do a residency because we’ve done only tours, so to play in the same venue for ten shows was interesting. It was different for us. It was very relaxing, the accommodation was amazing, and Vegas was… well, it’s still Vegas, but the set-up they had made us feel like we were on vacation. I had a good time and a lot of friends and family came and visit, which was really nice too.

That’s good. Ten shows over three weeks must be challenging. How do you find that? Because you mentioned touring is quite different… Do you think that touring is better necessarily?

It was actually easier than a tour. Ten shows in three weeks is actually a really light schedule, so, to be honest, we had a lot of days off. When we did our first world tour, for example, I’d guess that was probably something like 17, 18 maybe 20 shows in three weeks.

So do you prefer the residency?

I don’t think I can say I prefer it – it was just different. There was something very thrilling about being on tour as well because you’re always moving around. So it stays fresh. But, I really liked it as a change. It was a smaller room, so it was nice to play for a slightly more intimate crowd.



Having a rather intimate crowd must be nice… You’ve been performing with Queen for almost a decade now, how do you balance being a solo act and playing with them? Do you feel like you will ever stop or would you keep both sides alive?

I don’t know… I wish I had a crystal ball! [laughs] I don’t know what the future holds. I’m working on an album right now, and I’ve never felt like working with Queen has put any sort of a damper on my solo work. I don’t feel as though we can compete with each other. I think that actually, they have coexisted very well, timing wise. The collaboration with Queen is little chunks of time that I go on the road with them, and then I’m done so it’s left me plenty of time to sort of flip-flop into my solo career. I realise it’s been about three years since my last album, but I don’t think the delays really have anything to do with being on tour with them. They’re more business delays and me taking my time creatively. I didn’t know exactly what I wanted to do for a minute, as far as my solo career. Now, I’ve explored some new sounds and some new concepts and I’m on the course to put something out, but it took a second to discover that for myself, for this project.

Why do you feel that was? What happened to you at that time, when you didn’t know what to do creatively?

I don’t know. I don’t think it was anything specific that happened. I was just waiting to catch a certain inspiration, you know what I mean? I was really digging, trying to find some authenticity. The most authentic sound and style that I could. I think from the outside looking in, I think the fans, for example, may just think “oh, you’ve done this album and now you can just pop another one out, you know… do it” [laughs] But those of us who are actually making the albums, know it’s not as simple as that. There is the creative process. You can’t really put a time stamp on it and just demand it to happen. And the business side of things is also equally as layered and complex. I think, between the two of those sides of putting out an album, it’s been an interesting journey. But I’m excited because I feel the light is at the end of the tunnel now. [laughs].

So are you almost done with the album? Or are you still working on it?

I’m still working on it, but I’m definitely getting there. There are some incredible songs that I’m really proud of and I can’t wait to share them with the world.

Are you going to be releasing it by the end of the year?

I have no idea. I’m doing my best to put it out as soon as possible.



That’s good. On top of the album and the Queen residency, you’ve also been announced as the villain in the Playmobil movie. How has that experience been? Is it your first acting gig, even if it’s voice acting?

It’s my first voiceover gig, for an animated anything. It’s really exciting. I’ve never done that before and I’ve always wanted to do it. It’s fun because it’s a musical role. This character has a song and he’s a villain, but he’s also sort of a clown. He’s funny, he’s crazy but he’s also super obnoxious, immature and power hungry… sort of a dictator.

Sounds familiar…

Familiar! Yes, definitely some shades of social commentary in that. But it’s a great character, it was really fun to play. It was so nuts that I lost my voice after the first day, just because he’s just so insane.

Your vocal range into voice acting must be amazing…

Yeah, it’s great. The song is very theatrical, so it matches this character. It’s ridiculous.

You previously said that the new album will tap into that sound of your first album, For Your Entertainment. Can you explain a bit why you feel this is a full circle experience?

I think the reason I said it would be a reference to my first album was because there [are] a lot of reference to Glam-Rock and Classic Rock of the ‘70s and the early ‘80s. I’ve gone back to a lot of those inspirations. I feel there’s also some parallel to my second album [Trespassing]. I mean it’s a general statement to make because obviously, it’s more than one song, but I think fans will draw some comparisons.

So you don’t feel like it would relate to the third,The Original High, which is the most recent?

Actually, no. I think it’s more of a departure from the last album. I really love my third album, The Original High. It was really a labour of love and it’s something I feel really proud of. I feel like this new project kind of leans into more organic and timeless sonic elements. If that makes sense.

So did you do this on purpose?

It’s coming back to the music that inspired me to want to become a musician in the first place.

Interesting. So it’s like a journey into what made you want to pursue music in the first place.

Yeah, it’s less focused on being trendy and more focused on being timeless. I mean I’ve always been me, I don’t feel like any of the work I’ve done hasn’t been me, but it just has a timelessness that I think is really exciting.



So how is it working on it? Can you give us an insight into your creative process?

It’s all been really positive. There’s no frustration. When you get in the studio with writers and producers, you get in and it’s all sort of an experiment in a way. You get together, and the collective energy is going to produce something. Personally, I’ve always really preferred working in a small team, as opposed to on my own. I find that I bring certain skills and sensibilities to the table and I like when that combines with other people’s skills and sensibilities. I think working in a team tends to produce the strongest material for me. You get in the room and you never know what you’re gonna get. So in a way, the whole process is very trial and error. It’s supposed to be entertainment, so it really needs to connect with people.

If you want to make it timeless, I think that would be a challenge. Can you give us an insight into what themes you’ll touch?

I think there are some general ideas of resilience in the theme. There’s a theme of sort of being in your power. And if you’re not in it, kind of taking it back. Definitely plenty of longing… there’s a sense of longing in searching for intimacy. The search for intimacy and the elusiveness of it.

It sounds really personal…

It is, it is really personal. I feel really good about it. I feel it’s not the type of album that I just pumped out to be catchy. I tried to exercise the utmost integrity that I could.

That’s great. I think that defines you as an artist, all around. You speak very openly about the LGBTQ+ community and your own sexuality. It is a really tough time for the LGBTQ+ community, especially in the US. What advice would you give to those affected by these policies?

I think the biggest enemy of the LGBTQ+ community right now is indifference. It’s people just feeling like victims, and then just sitting around and taking it. That’s the problem. What’s so exciting right now is that so many people are mobilising and encouraging people to step up. We have to get involved politically. I think a lot of liberals and younger people have felt for a very long time that their voice doesn’t count and that they can’t affect change and there’s this underlying sense of hopelessness, unfortunately. We’ve seen that prior to the current political climate, we did affect a lot of change. There was a lot of progress made. I think now more than ever, we’re reaching a point where everybody has to get involved or else it’s not gonna work out. People just need to wake up a bit and educate themselves. Honestly, I have not been a very political person until recently. But I’m realising, as with so many of my friends, and peers, that it’s time to get involved. I definitely feel inspired and motivated to do that and to try to encourage people to do that as well.



But you’ve been very vocal about social justice before. Do you feel like there’s a blurring of the lines now between social justice and politics?

100%. I’m realising now is that what’s necessary to keep pushing things forward is that one has to get politically involved because there are basic civil rights that are being questioned. The trans community just recently received a terrible blow with the HeWhoCannot amed administration basically saying trans people do not exist. It’s just fundamentally ridiculous. It’s like saying climate change doesn’t exist, it’s bullshit. So we just need to get involved.

What’s really unfortunate is it feels like we’re going backwards. In the Obama administration, we moved forward so beautifully. There was so much wonderful pouring of emotion in terms of recognising and validating all these different lifestyles. I hope that people around the world realise some of the political moves that the country is making in no way reflects the majority of the people in it. With all that being said, it is really inspiring to see how passionate people are getting and how involved people are getting. It’s really inspiring to see how people are stepping up.

There’s a silver lining to everything, I guess… to end on a lighter note, after you release all this new music, do you have any more plans? Are you planning on going on tour on your own?

I’d definitely like to. There’re no plans that are set yet. We’re not there yet. It’s funny, I think when I answer fan questions online, there are plenty of questions like “when I this happening?” And well, I can’t control everything, as much as I’d like to [laughs]. There are a lot of different pieces that are needed for all of this to come together. Some of them are artistic, some of them are business, and some of them are completely out of my hands. I’m trying. I’m working hard daily to sort of push this thing into a starting position. And I’m lucky to have an amazing team, and they’re helping too… we’re trying! [laughs].

Good things take time, so I think this will be well worth the wait.

Yes, it would be possible to put something out there just for the sake of it. But to do it the right way, it’s all boring stuff that I’m sure the fans don’t care about but it’s just part of the gig…

This Schön! online exclusive has been produced by

photography. Ben Duggan
fashion. Anna Schilling @ The Rex Agency
talent. Adam Lambert
hair. Dustin Baker using Oribe + The Hair Shop
production. Villani Productions
words. Sara Delgado

EUPHORIA. Magazine@euphoriazine May 22
Our May cover star is @adamlambert! See exclusive photos and our interview with the singer: buff.ly/2Qp5vbz



There’s no artist that’s had a career quite like Adam Lambert. Since auditioning with “Bohemian Rhapsody” on American Idol, he’s gone on to sell out headline tours worldwide, selling over 5 million singles, as well as, in true full-circle fashion, serve as the frontman for the legendary Queen. Each of his albums thus far have been relatively sonically dissimilar and defiantly individualistic, influenced by a multitude of varying genres including, but not limited to, pop, electronica, funk, and disco. With his latest single “New Eyes,” taken from his upcoming album Velvet, Adam takes the bold, unprecedented step of drawing sonic influences from previously unexplored genres to create music that’s timeless yet ingeniously inventive.

Reflecting on the release of “New Eyes,” Adam gleefully explains “It’s funny. There are different ways to choose singles and there are different ways to put music out, everybody has their own strategy. I’ve been doing this for ten years and I’ve tried a lot of different ways and had a lot of different ideas. I decided on this one to trust my instincts and just put a song out as the first single that felt the truest as to where I was at the moment. ‘New Eyes’ is romantic, it’s about finding love. It’s about being re-inspired to hope and to dream and to see things in a new light. Sometimes it takes meeting somebody special to do that, to sort of revive your innocence and your joy.

“It’s a perfect answer to ‘Feel Something’ where that was kind of pleading to just feel because I started out in a numb place. This song is like, hey, this is where I was, and meeting you has made me see things new again. Now I am feeling something, I’m feeling love. It’s also really just a vibe, it’s just a romantic kind of dreamy vibe.”

The poignantly affecting “Feel Something,” his first release since 2017’s “Two Fux,” saw Adam willingly expose his vulnerabilities in an almost overwhelmingly authentic fashion. “I was just itching to like, give my fans just a taste of what I’ve been working on because it’d be sort of a long time in the process. I wanted to set up where I had been because the album took almost three years to finish. It’s been a long work in progress for many different reasons. You know, for me, I didn’t feel rushed. I felt like I really wanted to take my time and make sure that I had a sound that I was into and had stories and songs that felt real to me.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=ne79MuCbgmQ

That song sort of culminated what I had, where I started when the record was starting to be put together. I had kind of been in a rut, I was feeling a bit creatively unsettled and uninspired. I had some business situations that were feeling a little frustrating. I was a bit burnt out in general. So that song is about that it’s about that, it’s about being numb and admitting it to yourself but also admitting to yourself, but I don’t want to be, I really want to feel something. I want more and I’m going to climb out of this place.”

With “New Eyes,” it’s blisteringly evident that he found life-affirming fulfillment through impassioned romance, but his stints as the frontman of the legendary Queen seem to reenergize him in a totally distinct way. “Obviously I’ve been on the road quite a bit during the time since my last album. That always enriches me spiritually and artistically. I always feel like I learned so much from Brian and Roger and I get so much from the fans of Queen that we perform for. And you know, of course, of course, I’ve traveled and had my various nights out here and there and have had various little flings and affairs and trysts and romances. A lot of this album is about connection and relationships. Being a traveling musician, you have a very specific, interesting type of love life.”



That idiosyncratic love life undoubtedly served as a major inspiration for “New Eyes” infectious lyricism. “I was writing the song with Paris Carney and Jamie Sirota two really wonderful people. And I was saying, well, I want to write something romantic about meeting somebody that sort of turns it all around for you. The thing that we also kind of thought about with that lyric is ‘New Eyes’ is like, the person that I’m talking about is innocent and their eyes are new. It’s not that the eyes are new to me it’s that their eyes are new to them too, they’re innocent. They’re not jaded and bitter, and they haven’t been through a bunch of bullshit. They’re like fresh and look at things clearly.”

This revitalization of effervescent energy is likely to influence his upcoming album Velvet. Speaking of the inspiration behind the title, Adam coyly explains “Well, it’s kind of I mean, it’s sort of to each their own. I mean, I think the word kind of evokes a lot of different visuals and feelings. And I think I’ll let everybody sort of come to their own conclusions on it. With each song that I put out, I think the album will sort of unveil itself in its concept and meaning.”

While the concept of the album still mostly an enticing mystery, it’s not hard to imagine where some the sonic inspirations might have come from. “There are definitely moments on this album where you will, you might hear a Queen influence of course, and I think that’s natural this point. I think as a whole, I didn’t necessarily model it intentionally on the sound of Queen, but I did intentionally say I want to do something that feels vintage. That feels a little more throwback.

“I’m such a fan of the music of the 70s and the early 80s. You know, I love pop music as well. And there’s definitely modern production and modern touches. But I just wanted to lean on sort of the music that I grew up listening to and that made me want to be a musician. I really wanted to honor that with this album.”

While working on his new album Velvet, Adam also found time to make a cameo in Bohemian Rhapsody, the box-office smash biopic centered around the story of Queen. Reflecting on his experience and the film’s resonance, Adam said “It was really fun. I mean, I was on the set just for an evening and that was really cool to be there and see it in action. Because I’ve been hearing about the movie for years, with their planning and writing of it, and directors and actors and all that. So I kind of had like an inside track on the process. So to be on set, so like a full circle.

“I thought it was funny that I was sort of the first moment that Freddie really questioned to sexuality was based on my character giving him the eye, I thought that was kind of ironic. I’m so happy for the band, I think the success of the movie is so exciting because they have sort of new excitement around them, it’s kind of reinvigorated a certain element of the brand. I even think that we have, like, younger fans now that are turned on to Queen because of the movie. I’m really excited to get on tour this summer because I think we’re going to see an influx of new fans that we haven’t seen over the past six years.”



That six-year journey was recently chronicled on an ABC documentary entitled The Show Must Go On: The Queen + Adam Lambert Story. “It’s crazy. I always try to put things in perspective. It really helps with clarity and choices you make artistically. But seeing it all in a primetime documentary was a real honor. I’m very flattered and honored that the Queen wanted to make that documentary. I’m really proud and feel very lucky that this opportunity came up and that it’s turned into such a long-term project. I didn’t really think it was going to be, I thought it was just going to be like kind of a little short one-time thing. But it’s really just a gift that keeps on giving.”

Managing a solo career alongside serving as the frontman for one of the world’s biggest bands might sound daunting to most but Adam achieves it effortlessly, pondering on the achievement with a self-assured modesty. “I think it’s quite complementary. It’s like when it feels right, it feels right. This summer I have a tour with Queen, it’s about six weeks long and I’m really looking forward to it. I think it’s going to be great. And that’s six weeks out of the whole year. Everything else is you know, available for me for my solo work.”

Obviously, Adam’s well-versed at covering Queen songs but a recent spellbinding performance of Cher’s “Believe” was enough to bring her to tears. Reflecting on the difference between performing his own work and covers, Adam said, “It’s interesting because it’s two different headspaces. When I’m singing a cover, it’s most likely a song people have heard a lot. There’s something about singing a song that people already know and that you know that they like. It’s an easier job in some ways. But the times when it gets challenging is when you’re singing a song by Freddie Mercury who’s like a vocal God. That people obviously have so much love, that’s where it gets tricky.



“My intention as a singer is not to be compared to him or to compete with Freddie. It’s more to sort of like, just sing a great song for people that want to hear a great song. So it’s interesting, I think with my own solo music, the joy that I get out of it is that it’s my creation. It’s something that I created and made and its mine. It’s my expression and it’s an extension of my experience. Obviously, when I get on stage with Queen, I always try and find my personal interpretation of a song to make it real but as a composer, it’s a totally different world. With this album, I’m really excited to say that we felt that I co-wrote on every single song on the album. They’re all my babies. It’s storytelling that’s specific to me, it allows me when I write music to say what I want to say.”

Before his acclaim and success, Adam found fame on the eighth season American Idol, where he electrified millions weekly with his dazzling and daring performances. “Idol had its own type of pressure. Obviously, it’s on television, in front of millions and millions of people. I think we had like 30 million viewers like each episode or something, by the end. So obviously that was a lot of pressure. With Queen, there was definitely pressure and there still is pressure. But I think especially in the beginning when I hadn’t proven myself with the band yet, I think I felt the most pressure.

“I knew that the fans were going to be skeptical and kind of maybe take a little while to warm up to me. And also, you know, I knew that the band and I clicked right away when we met on the finale of American Idol. But I also hadn’t performed a two-hour show with them. So I was thinking to myself, I hope Brian and Roger are into what I’m doing and feel good about it. So that was double pressure. Seeing them walk out on stage and get so much joy out of performing still to this day, had really rubbed off on me and made me realize how special the opportunity was.”



Reflecting on his journey since American Idol, Adam said, “Over the course of 10 years, it’s just been, it’s been sort of a rollercoaster because the industry’s changed so dramatically. That, that has been very interesting to sort of apply to my experience. I don’t think I would change anything, because I feel like I’ve had a really good journey. I think one of the things that I feel like I’m doing more of now that maybe I wasn’t always doing enough of is really trusting my instincts. It’s the learning experience of trial and error. American Idol was such a big show, going on Idol all of a sudden, I had a fan base, and an audience finally, and I had record labels interested in working with me. My first time out it was sort of like a trial by fire and everybody was watching.

“So any little mistake was going to be noticed more than somebody who’s starting out sort of at zero. It was sort of an extra pressure type situation. At the time, there was no real blueprint, especially for being an artist being an out artist, you know, a gay artist in American pop music. It was, there was nobody else to sort of look at to see how it’s done. I know that I was just being myself but all the people around me business-wise were like well, how do we do this? We don’t know. Of course, that made it more confusing for me to trust my instincts. It was definitely like a learning experience. But at the same time, it was really exciting because there wasn’t anybody else out there it was sort of like an open playing field for me. It allowed me to sort of just guess, which was cool.”

While he seemingly relished in the pressure and the unprecedented nature of the artistic journey, he still encountered uneasiness. “There were definitely moments where it was stressful and then there were moments where I was like, well, this is exciting because it’s new. I knew that, that doing really well in that show, and being in the, you know, pop culture consciousness and, and having the opportunity that I had, I knew that I was making a change for people. There wasn’t anybody else doing it and I took the opportunity to try to make some statements. I stand by those statements because I felt that they needed to be made.”

Ten years later, he’s still not resting on his laurels with his upcoming album Velvet and recently released the single “New Eyes” demonstrating his fierce willingness to experiment and evolve his sound. “With the last album, I intentionally went to Max Martin who I respect so much and I’m a big fan of his work. And I said, I want to make a really modern pop album, and I want to do it with you. We did and it was super contemporary and progressive that way. I definitely had stepped into the contemporary pop lane with my past two albums before that. Yeah, but I think the original high was probably the most sort of forward-thinking. That’s the irony is that now that with Velvet, I’m actually doing the opposite. I’m trying to lean back on the past. As an artist, I always like having inspiration and a world that the project lives in, that’s just how my creative brain thinks. That’s what took so long with this project, just finding the world that it existed in and I think I found it.”

Words: Luke Pettican
Photography: Jack Alexander
Retouching: Ross Geelan
Styling: Darkwah Kyei-Darkwah
Hair: Stefan Bertin
Grooming: Shamirah Sairally

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Tony Gough FB Jun 13, 2019

Photoshoot with Adam Lambert today in Melbourne for Herald Sun @adamlambert #heraldsun #singer #soloartist #songwriter #actor #entertainer @warnermusic #portraitphotography #nikonphotography @officialqueenmusic #star @americanidol #americanidol #pop #poprock #vocals

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www.billboard.com/articles/columns/pop/8516133/adam-lambert-ellen-degeneres-you-need-to-calm-down-taylor-swift-video-cameo?utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter
Adam Lambert Shares Some Details About His Taylor Swift Video Cameo: Watch



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Adam Lambert Sydney June 14
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