marcandrew.ca/interviews/adam-lambert/Adam Lambert takes control
AdamLambertAdam Lambert is a real hands-on kind of guy.
The singer is especially active when it comes to his career and his latest album The Original High.
Adam showed everyone just how serious he is when he split from major label RCA earlier this year due to creative differences.
Word is the superstar was more than ready to give fans fresh, original material, but his label of 6 years was pulling all the strings and pushing for an 80s cover album. No if’s or but’s about it.
Well, at this point in Adam’s life, the 32-year-old refuses to be anyone’s puppet, so he cut ties and walked.
Whataya want from him? He just doesn’t like being told what to do.
“It’s my name on the cover of the CD. It’s my picture,” Adam says in our sit-down interview.
“If that’s going to be a representation of who I am as an artist, then I want it to be a true representation.”
The Original High is the clearest image of Adam there is and he turned to tag-team hit makers Max Martin and Shellback to help paint that picture.
Famous for working pop music magic with top of the line acts including Britney Spears, P!nk, Taylor Swift, Maroon 5, J.Lo and Ariana Grande, the producing duo previously helped Adam with his chart topping tunes “Whataya Want From Me” and “If I Had You,” so he knew they could be relied on.
“I worked with a great team,” he says. “Everything was discussed. It was a team effort and a good experience.”
The final product is a new sound and a departure from the bubblegum that Adam’s been feeding the world. The lead single “Ghost Town” is the perfect intro to the artist Adam has become. Just like the song hints, the man is still all about pop, he just cut back on the camp and theatrics.
Those things that were often overkill have been replaced with a sense of maturity, sophistication and a little darkness. This collection is bittersweet and quite personal too.
“I got involved,” Adam mentions. “I got to co-write most of the music on the album.”
These songs are Adam’s stories, they’re who he is now. Once The Original High drops and you give it a spin, you’ll pick up on all that.
Fans will also get an ear full of other talent on the new record.
“There are some people that collaborate on the album that I sought out,” Adam says.
Tove Lo for one.
The Swedish sensation who we all know from her hit song “Habits (Stay High)” met up with Adam while he was recording a portion of his album in Scandinavia. The pair hit it off and now share vocal duties on the track “Rumors.”
Queen’s Brian May is another guest on The Original High and lends guitar to “Lucy.” Of course this isn’t the first time Adam and the icon collaborate. These two go way back to Adam’s American Idol days in 2009. Queen joined the finalist on stage for one epic performance which led him to fill Freddie Mercury’s shoes as frontman for a string of international tour dates.
Adam hopes to trot the globe again if the reception of The Original High is grand enough to support a tour, but for now, he’s just happy feeling proud of the album and all it represents. Standing for growth, freedom and a new beginning, The Original High is everything Adam wanted it to be.
“I was in the creative driver’s seat. I was at the head of the table creatively,” Adam says. “I got final veto power on everything. If there was something I didn’t want to do, I just didn’t do it.”
The Original High is out Tuesday, June 16.
