Life’s good for Adam Lambert. The Grammy nominee remains one of the top-selling contestants from American Idol’s varied and lengthy roster. His fan base, affectionately appointed with the “Glamberts” nickname, is well known for its devotion. His résumé is solid and on par with the cherished divas regularly deified by the gayborhood. Yet inexplicably, gay men haven’t exactly rushed to celebrate one of our most visible international representations with the same fervor given to Lambert’s female contemporaries. With Trespassing set to broadcast a groundbreaking gay male perspective on global radio waves, Lambert connects with his heart like never before and hopes that, in turn, his music will connect with his community.
The outspoken entertainer, one of very few openly gay recording artists signed to a major American label, didn’t shy away from discussing what he sees as the elusive gay demographic early on and without prompting when he sat down to chat with Instinct.
“As a community, we’re a little bit resistant to a gay male pop star ourselves,” Lambert says. He’s confident. His delivery indicates he’s spent time thinking about the topic. “It’s very easy for people to look at my origin, which is American Idol, and automatically assume that I’m a commercial sellout or a puppet or a flash in the pan. I don’t think I’m any of those things.”
A laugh, marinated in tension, inspires him to get a little more personal.
“There’s something weird there. We’re very eager to celebrate a strong female.
But to celebrate a fellow gay man—it gets catty sometimes.”
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Lambert has always marched to his own 808 drum beat, but for Trespassing he moves beyond his pop-rock debut, For Your Entertainment, to join these celebrated “strong females” on the dance floor. His evolutionary journey toward a gay-friendlier club sound is not an engineered tactic drafted by a marketing team or focus groups held in Chelsea or WeHo. It’s authentically Adam.
“This is the kind of music I listen to. I know the style of vocal I have is kind of big. It has a certain edge to it. I’ve always loved rock, but I also love stuff that is more groove-based, more funky, more soulful, more dance music.”
His passion for the genre is apparent the moment the four-on-the-floor drum loop of his new track, “Cuckoo,” meets his unmistakable vocals. With a taste of what some are hailing as the “new era of Adam Lambert” lingering, that ’90s bumper-sticker adage of electronic music opponents, “Drum machines have no soul,” is ripped to shreds. The singer’s soaring tenor nimbly breathes new life into dance-pop, a niche too often bastardized by a manufactured and Auto-Tuned sound. The magic doesn’t skip a beat with other offerings like “Chokehold,” “Never Close Our Eyes” featuring Bruno Mars, and “Trespassing,” the titular single produced by a celebrated artist from the exclusive one-name-only club, Pharrell. Here, on Trespassing, drum machines do have soul. And the other genres that once remained distinct forms, like funk and rock—which Lambert has also married in blissful matrimony with club music—do too.
Read the rest of our cover story with Adam in the May Issue of Instinct—out now on newsstands and available for order by calling 888-454-6784.
um.... Bruno Mars does NOT feature on the track NCOE. He wrote it but is not singing on it. However, Sam Sparro (singing) and Nile Rogers (guitar playing) DO feature on the track Shady - which I think should have been the second single. Kickin In, Pop That Lock and Trespassing are also brilliant tracks, written by Adam, that deserve a singles spot.
+13
... written by Queenbee,
April 24, 2012
Never Close Our Eyes is a brilliant summer track, I love it!
+20
... written by Donna,
April 24, 2012
Great review!!!
+6
... written by Annie,
April 24, 2012
Love the article! This album is really something special!
+13
... written by LW,
April 24, 2012
Great, thanks, always interesting thoughtful comments from Adam. Love your review of the album tracks, from what Ive heard from the itunes snippets, its gonna be great.
+9
... written by Jai,
April 24, 2012
Great article!
Adam's Trespassing album is fantastic. I love the 2 singles released so far .... Better Than I Know Myself and Never Close Our Eyes .... and the Better Than I Know Myself video clip is superb.
+6
... written by GL,
April 24, 2012
I'm eagerly awaiting the May 15th release of this stellar talent's 2nd album. Having heard snippets of most of the songs on Trespassing, it is exciting to hear Adam finding his own unique sound - he deserves much success!! Now we have to hope his music gets the radio play it deserves.
+6
... written by JLA,
April 24, 2012
Looking forward to reading the entire article - just ordered the magazine.
Lambert's an extraordinary performer with an incredible voice. He's also a very nice guy and deserves the support of his community.
+3
... written by cjh,
April 24, 2012
why hasn't adam or his music been embraced by the gay community? it's an interesting question. you don't need to love a particular album or musical style (his change because of his versatility and newness) but that's different from being supportive as opposed to catty and undermining (thank you PH). this is the most direct reference to that i've seen from adam. he went with safer songs for the first single releases, but many of the others are extraordinary and powerful --- and we'll never hear them if his own community doesn't want to.
+8
... written by Mel,
April 24, 2012
Interesting review, good read. The album sounds fun and intriguing. Looking forward to it.
+2
... written by Eriskay,
April 24, 2012
Thanks for the great review! Adam is on top of his game, as always. I love what I've heard on this album, so far and I'm looking forward to the release date on May 15 2012 Shady is gonna be a killer!! Right now, Never Close Our Eyes is foremost, and the video should be fantastic. Too bad the gay community is resisting, as they are missing one the great voices in music. And being catty is so old!
+3
... written by xqzmoi,
April 24, 2012
What a joy to read a well-written, researched, and thoughtful review. I wasn't sure this kind of thing occurred anymore anywhere.
I plan to go out this afternoon to purchase Instinct to read the whole interview.
+3
... written by RoRo,
April 24, 2012
Not everyone, even gay, like the same kind of music. One of my gay male buds only likes country - the last thing that Adam's music is. Women may like pop-dance music because they like to dance! It's a form of intimacy. Not everyone likes dancing or dance music.
+0
... written by Glamou5,
April 24, 2012
Loved your article on Adam. Definitely going to get a hard copy so I can read the rest. It's hard not to rave about Trespassing. It has a strong beat that you can groove to on the dance floor or just tap your toes if dancing isn't your thing. And the powerful ballads will grab hold of your heart and not let go. Adam is versatile and his new album fuses different types of genres into his own unique style. Just let his music get into you. And you will be hooked.
+5
... written by glamity58,
April 24, 2012
I will certainly get this magazine. You write so well and explain exactly what us "Glamberts" already know. I will never understand the gay community. In my mind, buy his record for support even if it's not really your type of music. I have several gay friends who love Britney, Madonna, Katy, and I just don't get it. Adam is uber more talented vocally than any of them. Then there is radio airplay. Owners and/or DJs just don't want to play his songs. I am livid over this. If he doesn't get radio exposure, people won't request the song and they won't buy downloads or the album. TV is the same thing. I am so sick of the auto-tuned singers who sing the same thing and have #1 hits. I've already purchased several copies of the CD. Thanks Instinct.
+9
... written by MicheleMusicfan,
April 24, 2012
@RoRo - if people would actually check out Adam's records, they feature many different styles of music. "Trespassing" has a heart-wrenching song called "Underneath" - Adam's voice is full of emotion, & the song deals with going underneath the facade, where sometimes you have to put your game face on in public, but this song is vulnerable & open... it's brilliant. Also "Outlaws of Love" deals with all the difficulties that the gay community have to deal with - how they're made to feel like outlaws because of who they love. Then there's the awesomely funky "Shady" co-written with Sam Sparro & Nile Rodgers played guitar - this song is fun & about going out to the clubs & gettin' "nasty" as Adam puts it. lol Then there's fun "Cuckoo" and "Kickin' In" and "Trespassing" also deals with acceptance & being yourself. Adam spent over a year working on this album, he also executive produced it, he put his heart & soul into it. I think there's something for everyone on it. Great article... I wish people weren't so quick to judge before really checking it out... Adam is a phenomenal artist. I hope he gets acknowledged by the music business, and by his community.
+15
... written by adamluv,
April 24, 2012
His new album should get album of the year. He is so cute!!!
+8
... written by FoxVegas,
April 24, 2012
LOVELOVELOVE this new album of Adam's!!! Funky, dancey, groooovy tunes to get yer butt shaking and yer feet movin' to the new Lambert groove! Congratulations, M'sieur Lamber'! THIS album shreds it for me totally...♥
+6
... written by barbs,
April 24, 2012
The gay community as a whole celebrates the Gagas and Spears, they just do not relate to a male pop star that declares himself gay and celebrates it. A man that is such a beautiful person, so gorgeous and sexy with talent that is just incomprehensible. It makes no sense. They have this preconceived notion about Adam and none is what or who he truly is. Adam is the the most honest, real, decent human beings you would ever want to know, but for some reason some in the Gay Community find fault with everything he is or does. I have seen the comments written and the nonsupport of his music, Does the sexy bother them, that women love him. What is it? I dare those that feel negative about Adam to listen to the brilliance of Trespassing. Every single song. I dare anyone to put this music down. Adam has blended old with now and created his own unique sound that is out of this world. Every single song is brilliant. I also hope those that do not see Adam for the beautiful person he is listens to one particular song called "Underneath" from Trespassing to see and feel who Adam really is. This song is so personal and tears your heart out. This is a song and and a singer of a lifetime. God if you don't get Adam after listening to Underneath and Trespassing, then I just give up! I don't get the Gay Community for not feeling proud of Adam and all that he has had to endure just because he is gay. Radio treats him like crap, the hate he endures every day on the internet, being treated as an outsider in the music world and to top it all off, being treated the same way by his own community. The hate comments I have seen for a man they know nothing about makes me feel ill. Some seem to be resentful of his confidence in owning who he is and being proud of it. Here is the greatest artist of our times and so many in the Gay Community put him down or dismiss him. I just makes me see the Gay community for what it is, no different than a lot of the narrow-minded straights in America. I guess I don't get shocked by the straight bigotry, but I do when it comes from the Gay community for one of their own!! Diversity should be embraced and celebrated, not maligned!!
+21
... written by Shelby,
April 24, 2012
There's so much to love about this music from what I've heard in the snippets. So much Adam in them. His vocals soar on the darker side, his dance club vibe is right on with the light side, you cannot deny the groove! It does have soul and sexiness! I can't wait for this album!! Gay or straight, everyone should love this music because it's just damn good pop music, the way the greats did it! BRAVO ADAM!!
His new album should get album of the year. He is so cute!!!
