www.frontiersmedia.com/featured-stories/2015/05/28/adam-lambert-rocks-gay-prince-on-the-art-of-reinvention/#.VWdP6KA6eRF.twitterAdam Lambert: Rock’s Gay Prince on the Art of ReinventionFrom 'American Idol' contestant to frontman of Queen, he reinvents himself once more on his third album, his most contemplative and personal to date
MAY 28, 2015 - BY PATRICK ROSENQUIST
“This album is a throwback to the ‘90s,” explains Adam Lambert. “It’s the soundtrack to my life.”
He’s the only gay man to debut at number one on the Billboard charts, and he’s the first openly queer singer to launch a career with a major label, but despite the forward-thinking nature of his career, Lambert looks to the past—his time before breaking through with American Idol—as the inspiration for his upcoming third album, The Original High. A mix of acid house, loudly belted lyrics and slick production, the album is an exploration of gay Los Angeles, from West Hollywood to Silver Lake.
“I want to wipe the slate clean,” he says, referring to his past sound and Idol-influenced work. Out June 16, the album is grimier, darker and more introspective than his first two, For Your Entertainment (2009) and Trespassing (2012). Still, Lambert wants you to dance. Though the beats and lyrics are more contemplative, the goal is to move not just a WeHo dance floor but the rest of America as well. As the country gets comfortable with its gay idols, Lambert’s unrepentant and honest approach to pop stardom has gained a following beyond any traditional gay fan base.
The new album’s first single—“Ghost Town,” which dropped on April 21—with its driving beat and sparse production, is the perfect gateway to the rest of the project. The song, with its black-and-white music video, sets a new tone for the artist, who has just signed a new record deal with Time Warner music.
Lambert has worked inside the entertainment business for almost a decade and a half, years before his American Idol debut. While he believes the show certainly jumpstarted his career, his 15 years as an Angeleno also shaped him creatively and personally. The Original High is an attempt to capture that sense of joy—Lambert’s happiness before he became the biggest gay pop star in America.
From Indianapolis originally, Adam Lambert moved to San Diego when he was young. “Music has always been a part of my life,” he says, having moved to Los Angeles while he was still a teenager. Despite a lack of resources, he put together a career path familiar to many Angelenos—working any job he could between auditions and gigs. Landing in Los Feliz, he became enamored with L.A.’s vibrant gay scene, auditioning for Idol when he was 27. Lambert’s success on the show—finishing as runner-up to an already forgotten Kris Allen in the series’ eighth season—meant his career got a huge jumpstart.
“I’m very happy about American Idol,” Lambert says, “but now I get to go beyond that. I can come out as my own artist, and take my career where I want to.” To aid that transition, Lambert has tapped famed producer Max Martin, the Swedish hit-maker behind Taylor Swift’s 1989 and fellow Idol alum Kelly Clarkson’s “Since U Been Gone.” They’ve worked together since For Your Entertainment, but Martin has taken on an outsized role following Lambert’s bumpy transition from RCA to Warner. His old label wanted him to do a compilation of ‘80s covers, while he wanted to record new music. That rift led to his departure.
“The day after I left my old label, I got a call from Warner,” explains Lambert, “and they said, ‘I hear you’re doing an album with Max Martin.’” The cachet provided by the record producer meant his project was not only a hot commodity but a bankable work of music. Nearly six years after Idol, Lambert wanted to reshape his image and rework his sound. Despite the challenges a mid-career shift can sometimes present, he’s more than ready to blossom from former TV contestant to a full-fledged star.
One of the formative experiences Lambert experienced was moving to Stockholm for two months, drawing upon the talent and experience of Martin’s stable of up-and-coming stars, named the “Wolf Cousins.” Tove Lo, a newly minted star in her own right and a Wolf Cousin member, guest-stars on one of The Original High’s tracks.
“It helped that I didn’t know anyone there,” he says of Sweden, adding, “It was really cold, too.” The isolation meant Lambert only had music to focus on, and the lack of a label was liberating.
“I didn’t have anyone telling me what to do,” he says, free to conceive and execute the album as he pleased. The result is Lambert’s most personal work yet, and one that reflects his experiences as a gay man in Los Angeles. “This is the sound of me exploring the city, of the underground gatherings I went to when I was a struggling singer.” The only other guest vocalist featured is Brian May, a member of Queen, the group Lambert now fronts on tours.
“Queen is such a great experience,” he says, as someone who grew up idolizing Freddie Mercury and the band’s orchestral and ornate sound. “I tend toward rock—loud music,” he says. The collaboration—which has not yet resulted in a studio album but could eventually head in that direction—began when Lambert was an Idol contestant. He was mentored on the show by May and eventually belted out “Bohemian Rhapsody” on the show, a track he mentions is one of his favorites.
“I know a lot of their songs, but as a fan,” he says. “I had to learn a lot of deep cuts and B-sides after joining!” His first turn as Queen’s lead singer, a collaboration that launched in Eastern Europe, was overwhelming. “I wasn’t sure what I was doing, but suddenly I had thousands of people cheering me on while I sang. It was life-changing.”
Lambert’s turn as the frontman for Queen only underscores his place in the pop-rock landscape—he is the most well-known gay man currently working in music, and he’s one who not only achieved widespread success but refuses to shy away from flamboyancy or stereotypes. His work as a musician has spanned the androgynous look of his For Your Entertainment period to the gritty, five o’clock shadow machismo of his current presence.
Being openly gay in the music industry has actually been less challenging than Lambert believed it would be. While his wide television exposure certainly helps, changing attitudes also mean he isn’t expected to box himself into one persona. That latitude that he’s been afforded is not lost on him.
“I’ve had a really great career,” Lambert says. “I want to focus on being a good singer. I want this album to be personal, and I want my fans to relate to what I’m saying, even if it’s not their experience.”
Adam Lambert’s The Original High is available June 16
Frontiers magazine @frontiersmag May 28
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