11.25.13 Full audio "The Fox", "In the Groove", BTS Puppets!

Gelly ‏@14gelly 3m
That new pic is from November 21 when we got the "pole dancing tweets" twitter.com/migzmigzmigz/status/403283165009027072 …
twitter.com/adamlambert/status/403382149484519424 …

Adam proved again how good he is at comedy with his funny and cute little puppet routine.

I too was disappointed that Adam wasn't at AMA, but really that was just because I can't get enough Adam on my TV. I do not think his absence had anything to do with being shunned by the industry. When he walked out on the AMA stage last year, he got an extremely warm reception as he did at this year's VMAs. Katy Perry praises him to the hilt at iHeart, Nate Ruess said he was the best singer he knows and so forth. I think he is loved and respected by his peers. My bet is that we will see him at the AMA's next year and hopefully the Grammys too.

I just wanted to respond to the word "debacle". While I am not happy with how Trespassing went down and was vocal about RCA's mismanagement of the promotional strategy back in Dec 2011 (much to the dismay of many Adam fans). But Trespassing was not a "debacle" -- it is a #1 album that will continue to sell for years to come. The debacle was RCA lame-ass promotion and shoving BTIKM and NCOE on Trespassing.

Even if Trespassing had gone Platinum and if Adam was still at RCA, it would not have been the right time for Adam to be performing on the AMAs. And there is no sense having Adam show up to present on the AMAs again. He is not in a promotional cycle right now. On top of that, Adam is an independent artist, without a current or recent hit. No chance he would be performing on the AMAs.

The AMAs are a vehicle for the major labels to promote their artists. This year it was all Sony and UMG, WMG played in the past but since it is of marginal promotional value they probably did not want to incur the expense. The labels make specific artists available to the AMAs and manage that list. The performers are almost always in a promotional cycle with an immediate sales opportunity.

2013 American Music Awards Performers (I compiled this list quickly so I may have missed a performer or an album/single).

Katy Perry: new album Oct 2013, Platinum #1, UMG Capital
Justin Timberlake: new album March 2013, 2xPlatinum #1; 2 new albums Sept 2013, Platinum #1; Sony RCA
Rihanna: new single, 5 singles in 2013 including #3 Stay from her Nov 2012 Platinum album; UMG Def Jam
Lady Gaga & R. Kelly: LG: new album Nov 2013, #1, new album releasing Dec 2013, UMG Interscope;
R. Kelly: new album Dec 2013, RCA
Miley Cyrus: new album Oct 2013, #1, RCA [already shipped Platinum, not certified]
Macklemore & Ryan Lewis: new single (#6 from album); hit single and album released October 2012 Platinum, Independent.
Kendrick Lamar: 5 singles in 2013; #2 album released October 2012 Platinum, UMG Interscope.
One Direction: New album releasing today. Shipped Platinum in the US and UK. Sony Syco-Columbia.
Christina Aguilera & A Great Big World: new single Sept 2013 (re-release with promotion) Sony Epic
Xtina: new album Nov 2012,#7,  Gold. Sony RCA
AGBW: will be releasing their first album in 2014. Sony Epic.
Jennifer Lopez: Single in 2013 with Pitbull. New album planned for release was Nov 2013, now TBD.
Pitbull & Ke$ha: Kesha: 2 Singles in 2013, Album Nov 2012, Sony RCA. Pitbull: 3 Singles in 2013, Album Nov 2012, New album releasing today, Sony RCA.
Ariana Grande: #1 Album released Sept 2013, new album being released Feb 2014. 3 singles + Christmas single released in 2013. UMG Republic
Florida Georgia Line: New #4 (#1 country) Platinum album Dec 2012, 3 singles and 3 featured singles in 2013. UMG Republic Nashville
TLC & Lil Mama: New #6 Platinum album Nov 2012, new compilation album October 2013 UMG Arista LaFace Epic
Imagine Dragons: #2 Platinum album Sept 2012, 2 EPS and 4 singles released in 2013. UMG Interscope, KIDinaKORNER
Luke Bryan: New #1 Platinum album Sept 2013, 3 singles in 2013. UMG Capital Nashville

The only exception to the Sony-UMG domination of this show was Macklemore & Ryan Lewis who are independent artists. "Thrift Shop" was #1 for 6 weeks in 2013, sold 6 million copies. This is a first and lightening rarely strikes like this.

For Adam to be on the AMAs, first he needs a new label and it needs to be UMG (Sony is probably not resigning him; WMG's new owners are financially conservative and the AMA do not have a strong ROI), then he needs to be on a mainstream promo cycle, then just maybe he will be on the AMAs again. But personally, I would rather see him on something with more promotional impact.

And all of that is predicated on Adam doing mainstream music that appeals to an AMA-type audience. I do not have any idea what his new music sounds like. If it is mainstream pop, R&B, Urban or Country, I can see the AMAs fitting in. If he is in the alt pop-rock space, then it makes no sense. I am an Arcade Fire/Reflector fan, but I do not expect to see them perform Reflector on the AMAs -- but they did perform it on Stephen Colbert Show.

But since JT is working on a country album, maybe that is where Adam is headed. Maybe he could cover Jason Aldean's "My Kinda Party".

I was waiting for someone to mention that note. I expected it from either you or Holst. It is a little breathy, but solid. What fun! Also, his vocals on the new songs have some pretty, rich, lower register stuff, don't they?