[Disclaimer: It’s entirely possible that this lengthy post should have just been added to the wordpress draft entitled “Things to Look at When You Are Not Sober or Even When You Are, Whichever“ which I believe Laneia started a few months back and which, when it is published, will probably be really cool to look at when you’re “not sober.”]
So, because approximately .075% of Glamnation’s population descended upon my American Music Awards post last week to talk about Adam Lambert’s E! True Hollywood Story, I found myself watching Adam Lambert’s E! True Hollywood Story on YouTube last night. There wasn’t much new information in there for those of us who’ve already read everything ever written in (relatively) mainstream media about Adam Lambert. But kids, WHAT A TRIP DOWN MEMORY LANE!
[part one, follow the magical youtube trail to watch the whole thing]
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Were we ever so young?
I was only 27 years old when Adam Lambert entered my life via Alex’s insistence that I had to see this guy she was obsessed with do this amazing Mad World cover. I was like, “I think that song was on The O.C. soundtrack” but also “Hot.” 
Then, I actually started getting excited about American Idol for the first time since that la-la-la-long-ago summer when I only ate peanut butter, tortillas & vodka-crans, snorted a lot of Vicodin, and was strangely obsessed with Ruben Studdard.
MASSIVE Sidenote: This is special because I categorically hate all network television except The Office and Law & Order, but I have a REALLY SPECIAL HATE-SPOT FOR AMERICAN IDOL.
Like, my #1 Feeling about American Idol is: Have you seen Hey Paula? and my #2 Feeling is: I feel like Ryan Seacrest is not gay — like his sexual orientation, I fear, is for ladies — but when it comes to the rest of Ryan Seacrest? I feel like there is a gay starfish in his ribcage getting a tan on that stage! You know?
And my #3 Feeling is: For Chrissake Barack Obama could deliver six State of the Unions in the amount of time it takes Ryan Seacrest to finish a motherf*cking sentence about who is/isn’t moving on to the next round/location/musical-number.
My #4 Feelings is: I hate America, I hate idols, I hate everything, I hate this motherfucking show.
via Hyperbole & A Half
This picture represents how I usually feel if American Idol is on the Teevee
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When American Idol debuted in 2002, I really didn’t “get it.” Having graduated a few years earlier from one of those arts boarding schools where parents send their baby-genius musical starlets in hopes that they will evolve into Julliard/Carnegie-Mellon students and/or Broadway/Film/Rock stars, I was fundamentally flabbergasted by the Idol concept. “ALL OF MY FRIENDS ARE BETTER THAN THESE FOOLS!” I yelled at the television. What the hell was going on? WHO WERE THESE RELATIVELY UN-TALENTED PEOPLE? This was the beginning of my eight-year hate-affair with This Fucking Show.
But Adam Lambert? Adam Lambert was essentially a clone of my aforementioned wildly-talented friends (gay, cute, liked costumes, kissed boys, starred in a national tour of a popular musical) that I almost felt he WAS my friend. Finally, a contestant I UNDERSTOOD. [I still had to mute everyone else’s parts, obvs]
Autostraddle had a feeling about this kid (as did many other psychics), and actually did our very first Autostraddle Roundtable ever on May 1, 2009, in response to an article on Yahoo which asked “Will Adam Lambert Be America’s First Gay Idol?” Opinions included:
Riese: Regardless of his sexuality, I’d much rather see Adam [not win and therefore be] working on a more edgy label than the crapmongers that packaged the underwhelming careers of Fantasia, Ruben Studdard, etc.
Robin: I think I’ve seen maybe 5 male contestants on this show… ever… whose orientation was not questionable.
Stef: Is this show even relevant anymore? I stopped watching once they made the audition specials like eight hours long.
Alex: It’s difficult to get me to sit down and watch anything at all unless its Intervention or Survivor and I’m a slave to Adam’s 6 minutes each Tuesday night.
That was clearly foreshadowing: he “lost,” but we won. And by “we” I mean Adam Lambert and also the Radical Queer Liberation Army in my Mind.
See, our culture is arguably undergoing its first major Gender Revolt since the 60s/70s, when Women’s Lib and hippie counterculture opened up some new ways of looking at sexual fluidity and the gender binary. Its accordant psychedelic flower-child rock music defined the 60s, but the 70s brought Glam Rock stateside and that scene really made its mark on gender norms — I mean it had a very gay sensibility, all of it.
‘Cause here’s the thing: although hippies placed a concordant premium on authenticity, sexual fluidity, spontaneity and rebellion, they weren’t quite as gender-liberated as they claimed to be. Many women and gays felt slighted by the fact that (as George Mosse observed), “the hippies’ clothes and appearance tended to blur [gender] distinctions, and yet they were not meant to question a basic heterosexuality.”
Conversely, glam rock offered a transcendent philosophy which let go of gender altogether and sought to create a “discordant collision between masculine and feminine gender codes” in a more tolerant space, with its first big star claiming allegiance right away:
Alice Cooper: “One of the things I’d like to do would be to play for Women’s Liberation and Gay Liberation since so many people are trying to liberate themselves from the roles society has imposed on them.”
A 1973 Creem magazine article (as quoted in Performing Glam Rock, by Phillip Auslander) pointed out that within “Androgynous Rock,” “homosexuality and transvestism, while always present, were generally suppressed in rock culture in favor of displays of heterosexual machismo.” Glam Rock did its best in that political climate to bring strength and sex in equal doses, dousing every performance with a flood of aggressively playful and effectively distracting theatrics.
Now it’s 2010. Genderqueer is a thing. Gay liberation is a thing. Feminism is an increasingly popular thing.
Once again, we’re starting to need new adjectives. Adam Lambert isn’t “masculine’ or ‘feminine,’ he’s just Adam Lambert. At last cultural forces have aligned and Adam Lambert is here, proudly discarding any semblence of an (albeit already genderfuck-friendly and entirely heteroflexible) glam-rock-n-roll closet. This shit can THRIVE in all its occasionally homosexual glory.
Furthermore, people dig this ambisexuality: Adam Lambert just won this year’s Flecking Records poll for Sexiest Male of 2010, beating out that guy from Twilight and Leonardo DiCaprio (who was way cuter when he still looked like a girl).
Nat Garcia for Autostraddle Interviews Adam Lambert at the glaad awards
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One of many differences between a pop star and a rock star is that a pop star puts image first and a rock star puts the emotional core of their music first — many expected Adam to “clean up his act” after the AMAs, like a pop star would do, but he didn’t. After creating television’s first live, unplanned male-on-male kiss, Adam responded to the backlash responsibly but unapolagetically. No shield of publicists, no censors. Thus he began really developing a fiercely loyal and surprisingly diverse fan base (some passionate fans even wrote a book! It’s called The Meaning of Adam Lambert!) who appreciate Adam for his authenticity rather than in spite of it.
If anyone doubted Lambert’s moxie following the AMA debacle and its subsequent toned-down talk show appearances, he made it clear in Sydney that he wasn’t going to stop being himself: “..what’s consistently interesting about Adam (and Lady Gaga for that matter) is that just when you expect him to retreat from his homosexiness, he freaking throws on some black latex sexpants and gyrates while a dude in underpants and leather humps a gold statue. “
We’re clamoring for authenticity over here — we all want something that’s true but also beautiful, and that’s why music is always at the center of major cultural shifts. When it’s smarter for a musician to stick to their truth and take risks than it is for them to bow to conservative market forces, our culture is heading in a very positive direction. Lady Gaga, like Lambert, presents a genuine character (regardless of how flashy or constructed it may seem). There’s no faux-edginess a la Avril Lavigne, nor is there the pre-packaged aftertaste we get from Gaga & Adam’s anti-heroes, Taylor Swift and Justin Bieber. At a time when our community isn’t sure where Obama stands on gay rights and we fear two steps back for every one step forward, we’ve seen this year that nothing will stop Lady Gaga from advocating for gay rights.
And nothing will stop Adam Lambert from kissing boys.
Tokyo, in October:
Yup. We’ve come a long way since Boy George, baby.
Adam’s antics aren’t Ozzy-Osbourne-eating-the-bat-style irrational or Madonna/Britney/Christina kiss-style calculated, either. Adam adjusts rationally when necessary, like for morning talk shows and concerts in Malaysia, and like Gaga (who dressed down for the HRC and took off her sunglasss for Barbara Walters), it’s his true-to-his-art authenticity that enables him to responsibly navigate these standards in shades of grey.
In Paris for a Glam Nation concert on November 18th, Lambert covered Jimi Hendrix’s “Purple Haze,” changing “excuse me while I kiss the sky” to “‘scuse me while I kiss some guy.” (Fun fact: Kissthisguy.com, the archive of funny misheard music lyrics, is named for that famously misheard Jimi Hendrix lyric and Hendrix himself liked to switch up the lyrics sometimes).
In Amsterdam, Adam Lambert sang the song, fully lit a joint on stage, requested that the audience excuse him while he kissed this guy, and then proceeded to kiss this guy (Tommy, of course):
DRUGS AND HOMOSEXUALITY!!
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Anyhow, MY POINT IS that basically, while watching this fantastic E! True Hollywood Story, the Oracle spoke to me and it said: “I have a feeling that Adam Lambert’s second full-length album is gonna be intensely fucking good. He has it in him — we know this now. Like it’s gonna be the album that some indie brooklyn veganindieponyhipsterdinnerfork dotblogspotdottumblrdotcom has to give a positive review despite the fact that it’s the guy from American Idol, because it’s that good.”
See, For Your Entertainment is pretty awesome, is charting well, and (most fans and) I obviously would make love to it any day of the week AND Soaked & Whataya You Want From Me are killer tracks any which way you cut it. But in my experience, it doesn’t surpass a casual music-snobby listener’s presupposed notions about Adam-from-Idol at first listen. However, I really have a feeling that his second full album is going to be out-of-your-mind-incredible and will be on a lot of critics top ten lists. In other words, we’re talking about “art” here.
Also exciting? The potential of “Adam Lambert Acoustic,” due out December 6th. HOW FUCKING SEXY IS THIS PICTURE?
Conclusion:
Ultimately though; it’s not the boy-kissing and theatrics and genderf*ckery that makes Adam’s performances so meaningful for his fans. That’s just part of it. The other part, I think, is that when Adam struts up to the edge of the stage and gushes, “you’re all gorgeous, and beautiful,” you believe him because he’s looking at you when he says it. And somewhere in that crowd is an awkward, lonely, singing/dancing kid (or his Mom) like the kid Adam Mitchell Lambert used to be, who for one moment realizes that he is, really, gorgeous, beautiful, and definitely not alone.
Ok I’m gonna go have some more Vegan Zucchini Chocolate Nut Bread left over from Thanksgiving right now and listen to Dar Williams.
They don’t make ’em like “HEY PAULA” anymore, do they?
nope, not even close.
Despite the massive amount of Adam Lambert content here, I’ve never been all that interested until reading this. Excuse me while I go catch up!
This is, most probably, the best article written about Adam that I’ve ever read. both hilarious and sweet and entirely true.
it also reminded me why I love you guys at Autostraddle so much!
wow! This is GOOOOOOD!!! The last paragraph is very touching. Thank you!
How do you read my mind like that and explain things in words that I wish I could string together in such a holyshit, yes, that’s what I meant way? Great article, and you included some of the best pictures of Adam Lambert. I pray that the Oracle is correct and snobby critics everywhere suffer!
OMG! This is hands down the best article I’ve ever read about Adam – and I’ve read millions! Adam Lambert is the future!
Thank you so much!
Love this, especially the part about his authenticity — Adam could easily have stayed with his gay-next-door clean-cut Idol persona, played nice at the AMAs, and cleaned up along with Susan Boyle in record sales to his Idol fanbase. But he stayed true to himself. Though he initially promised a family friendly tour and no more guy kissing, he slowly left that behind, and gradually began incorporating Tommy kisses and other sexually oriented antics back into his show — perhaps as a way to overcome some Americans’ “ew factor” when it comes to guy action, and to show it can be beautiful, sensual and normal. As the one-year anniversary of his AMA performance and CD debut came around – with the E! True Hollywood story debuting and returning him to the public spotlight – he didn’t play it safe, but fired up in Amsterdam to Jimi and Led Zep, showcasing retro rock vocals rarely heard by today’s auto-tuned pop performers while he sucked on a joint and snogged Tommy senseless. That feisty performance alone would have earned my fandom, if I hadn’t also been captivated by his Idol run and his summer tour appearances.
While you’re eating your Thanksgiving leftover treats, want to check out some recent Adam-Tommy on-stage spiciness, served up mainly to European audiences this fall? Give a look-see to a very well-done fan video, set to a Queer as Folk tune:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bVod0a-sV0w&hd=1
That music video proves that there are somethings better than sex! *fans self*
So glad you posted that video. I was going to. I am addicted
This post is perfect, flawless, amazing. A+ strut down memory lane, and I hope like fuck you are also sekritly psychic because that is a homosexy future I can get behind. I adore Adam in a way that makes me question my sanity, and I want him to have lots of success and happiness and hott twinky boys showered upon him.
And that second to last sentence? Legit made me tear up a little. I would bet cash money that is trufax. *wipes tear*
I love you.
THis is a fantastic article, you are a wonderful wordsmith. I was laughing and nodding and having a great time until the very end. For some reason this sentence brought me to tears (sentimental old idiot that I am!):
“And somewhere in that crowd is an awkward, lonely, singing/dancing kid (or his Mom) like Adam Mitchell Lambert used to be, who for one moment realizes that he is, really, gorgeous, beautiful, and definitely not alone.”
So, I’ve listened to Adam Lambert’s album a couple of times, and I see all these pictures that people see and go crazy about, but I don’t find I am moved.
I believe I am suffering from Glambivalence.
Is there a cure? Is this just the way I was born? Is it already too late?
@Sally – Try seeing him live if you have the chance!! Nothing compares to seeing Adam live. And if you’re still ~glambivalent? Well, that’s okay. Some people’s musical taste is just different. We will not ~loose the attack dogs. ;)
@sally! You’ll be thrilled to know it’s never too late and EASY to switch from Glambivalent to Adamazed in no time at all. SO don’t despair! Depending on what moves you, watch one of his WLL performances – eg Fantasy Springs or Foxwoods, if acoustic is more your thing watch Down the Rabbit Hole live at VH1-unplugged, or Sleepwalker/Soaked from Copenhagen and/or listen to the acoustic version of WWFM @ NRJ Paris or Berlin. Any and all of that should get you on the path to recovery one way or another :) Have fun!
Yeah, I’m with you. I appreciate his voice. I appreciate that he’s being himself. But his music is just…I mean…it could have been a Britney Spears album (circa 2000 no less). And no, that’s not a compliment. And before you jump down my throat for being some sort of elitist, I’m not. I love pop music. But the music on his album just so bland to me. It would be great if he were some sort of second coming of David Bowie or even Alice Cooper. But he’s nowhere close to being as musically interesting as either of them. And that AMA performance was just laughable. I’m all for transgression. But just because something is transgressive it doesn’t automatically make it good.
I too am not a fan of the album. However, if you listen to his live performances of the same songs, you will change your mind. He’s the only performer I’ve ever seen that is better live than on the album. The live performances give a whole new sound to the music on the album. He really knows how to bring his songs to life. I am a diehard Adam fan and can’t wait for his new album. His acoustic stuff is out of this world.
You haven’t yet lost your Glamvirginity. Once you see Adam live you will be gitterized and mesmerised! The air becomes electric. You forget to breathe. He owns the stage and you can’t take your eyes off of him. He’s so classically beautiful, it hurts. Adam is a people magnet, drawing you in and keeping you rivited. After seeing him live, you’ll want more and every song on FYE will take on new meaning with a burned in your brain image to accompany it. He’s magnificent!
This is a wonderful tribute to the man I adore. Everything you wrote is the truth. The pictures round out this amazing story about our beautiful Adam. Its almost like reading a mini-autobiography. I had so much fun reading it, and yes, it was like taking a trip down memory lane.
I love you, please marry me.
um. I mean, hi, I love this article like air, and I just got home from Adam’s London show, and every word you say is absolutely trufax.
Great article! Loved it (and Autostraddle in general, obvs).
Another really cool thing about Adam? He surrounds himself with such a diverse crew of people – gay, straight, all sorts of different races. It’s such a positive (and, as you would say, ~homosexy) environment. Two of his dancers (Sasha Mallory and Terrance Spencer) and one of his bandmates (Camila Grey of Uh Huh Her) are openly gay as well. The energy of the whole troupe is just really positive and totally inclusive of everyone.
And his makeup artist is Sutan Amrull, who will be copleting on Season 3 of RuPaul’s Drag Race. HOW COOL IS THAT??? (He and Adam have been friends for years.)
Basically, he is the Gay Messiah and lesbians love him the end. XD
wait, Adam Lambert is the Gay Messiah that Rufus Wainwright predicted in his song. yes.
Best article on Adam I have read. Thank You!
Let me tell you, I am not really an Adam fan (or anyone else from Idol, just not my bag at all) but him singing “Purple Haze” = A+++++ in my heart. With the mondegreen? SMALL CHESTULAR EXPLOSION. So maybe you’re right! (It makes me CRY that someone in comments on one of the posts you linked to is like, “I’m 17 and only know Jimi Hendrix’ name.” HOLY CRAP GURL, go out and Experience. My 17 year old sister knows him backwards.)
a question i was asked recently is why every single playlist on my itunes seems to include at least two jimi hendrix songs. the best i could come up with was, jimi hendrix does no wrong. it’s just impossible to get sick of and anyone who doesn’t like it is wrong. i want little wing played at my hypothetical unlikely commitment ceremony.
I completely agree & it really makes me sad about how short his life and small his output was. Incredibly talented.
100% with you on “Little Wing”, the sweetest song I know.
Thank you so much for this great article. Adam is so special, I can’t wait for his next album.
Thanks for a great article! :)
i really enjoyed this article. adam is still selling a year after his album came out; how cool is that. sadly americans won’t let it go plat though there is so much crap out there. why RCA/19 is not releasing sleepwalker here as a single is mind boggling! thanks for this great article.
I think that new acoustic live CD cover is as sexy as hell too.
I am speechless. I am all into admiration!
THANK YOU FROM TE BOTTOM OF MY HEART FOR THIS ARTICLE!
You were outstanding.
Great article. I always like when someone gets Adam, because it’s not just about the music, which by the way, I think he is the greatest singer/entertainer alive. It’s all about changing the world, changing the way we listen to music and changing each of us….for the better. I am one of Adam’s bat shit crazy fans. And I can say that I am the happiest and healthiest I have been in my entire life thanks to Adam inspiring me.
Adam Lambert is Love, Sex & The Voice all rolled up in a beautiful package.
Thank you. This is the best article that I have read on Adam Lambert, and the first one that truly explains not only why he is so current and popular, but also why someone with discriminating (but not discriminatory) music taste can enthusiastically support him and his music. Bravo.
The first time I heard him sing in the background white noise produced by my old television (I have the habit of leaving the TV on when I am cooking to keep my cat company), was during his audition on American Idol. I had to stop and walk into the living room, to stare in awe at this man. Here was someone that could actually succeed Freddy Mercury, and totally unlike the typical drivel that the media game shows normally produce.
In many ways, Adam is the thinking person’s idol, as his authenticity challenges our preconceived and outdated stereotypes of sexuality; in many ways and places he has proved that he can also transcend the boundaries of ‘American’ idol (ironically for him there really are “No Boundaries”), and appeal to an incredibly diverse, multicultural, and multinational audience of fanatics, who not only feed on his honesty (his famous ‘lack of filter’ and being ‘an open book’) , but also thrive on his very real and very extreme talent. We have been starving in a desert of auto-tuned, sampled, synthetic and manufactured cookie-cutter ‘celebs’, more famous for their pathetic and juvenile behaviour than for their musical expertise. Adam is a breath of fresh air that revives our souls while trilling and chilling our corporeal shells. I do not think we can embrace the poetical enough when describing him. In a world of mass produced and mass marketed mire, he is one of the only authentic artists to rise to the surface and beyond…
Rita you write so intelligently and well. I loved reading your post.
Hands down the best article on Adam ever written.
Thank you so much for bringing these fantastic points to light so well.
It’s everything I’ve thought about him and more, and you rocked it so well.
Your thoughts on his next album I couldn’t agree with more. It’s going to be astoundingly good.
Suggesting this article allll over the place!!!
Even though tonight was the last international GNT show, (and there’s only two shows left in the whole tour) it feels like the start of something.
Thank you from the bottoms of my heart for this article. I do love and live for Adam lambert and his glam troupe because of what you said here. I, too hate Idol for the studio singers that sound alike they produce but Adam is a special case. I love his theatricality( I’m in musical theater) but more importantly I love his authenticity. He doesn’t apologize for who he is, and he won’t become someone someonelse wants him to be. I was a fan of his singles when I went to his concert and I left in love with a man who can transport you somewhere else and connect you with thousands around the world through his music. As you said, he makes you feel beautiful when he tells the crowd you are because he has spoken about his awkward teenage years and when you see this glam god in front of you, you believe that you won’t always be this way.
Everyone in his tour is loving, open and genuinly talented. When a fan on twitter was diaganosed with multiple forms of terminal cancer Isaac (the drummer) sasha (a dancer) Monte(guide) Tommy (bass) and Adam himself tweeted her telling her they are sending love her way and belive in her.
And Adam forms a community just by being himself. On twitter there are thousands of his glamberts who will love and accept anyone, no questions asked. They are some of the nicest, most talented, helpful, caring and genuine people I have ever met. I have made many true friends with many of them.
To anybody reading this article or review who is not a fan, huge or otherwise, I ask that you go at least give his album a try. He is one of the most talented performers and creative spirits of this generation. If his music is not your thing that’s okay, just don’t go bashing him. Respect him and his fans and know that you are beautiful.
“all we need in this world is some love.”
To the fair author of this article: I must tell you how much I love you right now. This is one of the most glorious Adam articles ever written, and you are one hell of a writer.
(And you are right about Seacrest.) And I also believe that his next album will blow FYE away, even though I like FYE. I sure am glad I’m not in love with Adam all by myself.
I also commend you on the term “homosexiness”.
i hate american idol with a passion, but i love love love this person. fun fact: one time i accidentally huffed paint and was watching one of his more colorful videos. this homo was tripping ooouuuut.
Great article.
I hope that everyone could read it, maybe then they would understand…why Adam and why are we, his fans so loyal.
He is true to himself, timeless and yes, he looks you in the eye.
Thanks for this great article and to put into words our feelings, to takes us down memory lane and to nail every single one of our thoughs.
Adam is here to stay because he is who he is, a great voice, a great person and in a world of fakes he is the real deal.
Thanks for the article.
My television watching habits pretty much exactly mirror yours. With the exception of Modern Family and Glee. I HATE American Idol with a passion and pretty much have since it started. So I wasn’t that aware of Adam Lambert until the Idol season ended, and pretty much found out about him with the media frenzy over the boy on boy kiss. I quickly grew to love him. Just like I love this article. You said it all perfectly. Also thanks for the little history lesson about Glam Rock. Fascinating stuff. I had never thought of the hippie fashion movement as being heteronormative, but when I think about it it definitely makes sense.
Autostraddle = educational. It also equals awesome, funny, and heartwarming.
Thank you for this wonderful article about Adam! You so “get” him!! Adam IS love personified!! He is so inspiring to so many of his fans. He’s made me want to live again, when I felt as if my life had no purpose any more! He is so beautiful in EVERY way and I hope it happens, sooner rather than later, that he gets the artistic recognition he deserves!! There’s no way he should have been left out of the different award shows this year! No way! He should have wiped them out!! People this is a “Mega Talent” you’re witnessing here! Absorb it all!! Rock on Adam in all your beautiful glory!!
WOW excellent article!! Very interesting historical points I didn’t know about on the influence of Glam rock.
So yeah, I love this guy to an unhealthy degree. First his voice is addictive, aural crack that I cannot get enough of. And that charm, charisma and sexiness…..but he is also smart and sweet and funny.
But for me I adore his honesty, its almost brutal at times and it would be harder to take without the boyish charm and the sense of humor (E THS: “I lost my virginity at 21, to a man, not a woman. It wasnt very good, it takes some time to learn how to do that right.” Then a big laugh).
I kinda really really hate living in a time where ppl like snookie and “The Situation” are celebrities, it says volumes about our current cultural wasteland and our idolization of ignorance and ppl that excel at douchebaggery.
And then there is Adam, does indeed look into the audience to “see” ppl, he stopped his show to yell at ppl fighting in the audience and made them hug and say sorry. haha HBIC. And just tonight at his last UK show took the hand of one of the fans and said how he noticed him there at so many shows, singing all the words to the songs.
So your wonderful concluding paragraph is so dead on: Ultimately though; it’s not the boy-kissing and theatrics and genderf*ckery that makes Adam’s performances so meaningful for his fans. That’s just part of it. The other part, I think, is that when Adam struts up to the edge of the stage and gushes, “you’re all gorgeous, and beautiful,” you believe him because he’s looking at you when he says it. And somewhere in that crowd is an awkward, lonely, singing/dancing kid (or his Mom) like the kid Adam Mitchell Lambert used to be, who for one moment realizes that he is, really, gorgeous, beautiful, and definitely not alone.
thanks for this, love it
This is another great Adam Lambert article on Autostraddle. I love you guys for seeing Adam for what he is…a fucking amazing artist!
BTW, I love that you threw Glam Rock history in the mix because I learned something new.
Thank you for the great article on Adam Lambert. I’m a huge fan of Adam’s as well. I’m not a fan of television and don’t get hooked on watching programs. I do have the tv on at times mostly just for some background noise when I’m reading. I have heard of American Idol but to be honest never watched it. So, I happened to walk by the tv when a music video was playing and stopped dead in my tracks, it was “For Your Entertainment”, Adam Lambert. Since that day I’ve been Adam obsessed. Crazy thing is I’m no spring chicken ! I haven’t felt like this since some of the music greats came about, back in the day, I’m talking the late 60’s and 70’s. Anyway, the short of it is I think Adam Lambert is definitely going to go down in history as one of the great legends. He’s a fabulous artist, performer and vocalist. As for his sexual orientation, it doesn’t bother me in the least, I find it ultra sexy. This young man can wake up the dead. Take it from an old girl, lol. Adam, rock on babe, I love you !!!!
Best. Article. Ever….Your awesome. Adams awesome.
This is a wonderful article and you should feel wonderful. I love you. (And Adam.)
What a great article and fantastic writing! I wish you could post this on adam/24/7 website also. Hell, I’ll bet it will be there sooner or later anyway. I watch out for your articles also because of the last one you posted on adam. Good job
I feel just the same way as you described about Ryan Seacrest.
(and articles about Adam Lambert are always welcome. thank you for reminding me that the acoustic album comes out December 6, this is obvs going to be a Christmas present.)
Thanks for the great article! One of the few things my mom and I both love is Adam Lambert and I was lucky enough to go to one his concerts last summer with her. I love his music, but even more so I love how he’s changed the way my conservative Christian mom sees LGBT people, including me. I had watched the AMA performance before it was aired on the west coast, and sitting with mom waiting for it to come on was nerve-wracking. But she loved it, gay kiss and all. I owe him a lot…I can’t even express how much.
*sounds of wild cheering* That last part, about the lonely kid in the crowd feeling beautiful? I’ve totally felt that while standing in the audience listening to Adam sing. There is something so utterly charming and genuine about him that calls out your true self, that stands you in front of a mirror and introduces you to yourself all the while telling you that you really want to get to know this person because they are beautiful and awesome. It’s heady stuff. I’ve heard people comment that glitter doesn’t wash out, and it’s true. Months after seeing the show I am still wearing my heels a little higher, my necklines a touch lower, my make up a little darker. I sparkle which is a new and wonderful experience and I wish there was a way to tell Adam how many of us he’s lit on fire.
This is why I watched idol, though I never did before, and haven’t watched since. The man’s turning into a personal hero. Thank you.
You know, I went to his concert and thought what the hell are you doing, he was on American Idol, you are 21 years old, and you live in Brooklyn, this is obviously against everything you stand for. But he is probably actually crazy and also really honest as a performer, and I can get behind that. So, yeah, basically, I agree?
Wow, this is the best article on Adam I have ever read! You really do get it! Like you I detested idol but because of someone telling me I had to watch it to see this guy called Adam who was bloody amazing I did and fell madly in love with Adam! I planned my life around making sure I was glued to my TV set for those precious few minutes Adam was on every week! And I have never stopped following every single thing he does, watching all his tour videos and going to see him live as many times as my wallet let me do it! His cd is so underrated as well as he is simply because he is from idol but it is changing, the world is falling in love with this guy just like I did!! Adam is here and he is here to stay and I am so happy to be alive to enjoy it!! Like someone else posted, Adam is my hero too!!
zomg
Great writing about Adam…and I agree, he really touches his audience in a meaningful way…and it feels so good to see a happy, positive, talented, clever, gorgeous gay guy up there. I’m a lesbian who has fallen head over heels in love with him; that’s what it feels like! I have met so many wonderful people online through my love for Adam; the most amazing worldwide community has built up around him. There is so much to look forward to – Adam’s new EP, Adam’s next album, Adam’s second tour…and the friendships among fans. Thanks for this article x
This was wonderful! Adam is such a breath of fresh air in the music industry, and it helps that he is unbelievably talented. And well dressed. ;)
I feel lost with Adam Lambert and Lady Gaga. Maybe it’s because I don’t think about music and popular culture as myopically as others seem to. When people describe why they think they’re so amazing they usually compare it to all the crap that’s popular these days. And yes, when you put them in a vacuum and compare them to all the crap that’s popular these days with no consideration for anything else, I can see the hype. But in the grand scheme of popular culture (and the subcultures they borrow from)…I don’t get it.
If you follow my link to the website, you will see that I am a leader for the Florida Glambs, meaning that I am a devoted fan. I want everyone in the media to come to the realization that we are witnessing a true star being born. Following Adam on his journey has been a trip that I will never forget and I hope to be dancing to his music for the next 30 years, at least. From music to whatever else Adam desires, he will live his dreams and we will reap the reward. Love you Adam and thanks to the writer for reminding all of us how really, really fantastic Adam is.
Well, I believe you have it correctly said. It is about Adam the person and his abilities to entertain and his art, not his sexuality. Infact, I really wish ppl would concentrate more on Adams talents then his personal life. His personal life is his and should be private. Lets keep our eyes and ears on the person this young man is (entertainer, fantastic vocalist, his ability to adapt to what is thrown at him). Nice job on this article.
Totally awesome. Greatest article ever written about Adam. Just…wow…
I hate this article! I got sucked into following YOUTUBEs magical trail and watched Adam’s E!THS and I have been tearful all day because of that vocal coach.Dam you guys!lol This is one of the best articles I have ever read.
Best article ever written on Adam!! I love this man, his voice, looks, showmanship, authenticity and I could go on and on. I have seen him in concert twice and although his album is fantastic, Adam is the only performer I have ever heard who sounds better live than on album. Talk about TRUE TALENT!!! Future Legendary Icon…ie…ADAM LAMBERT!!!
ADAM ROCKS MY WORLD (ROCK & SEX GOD)!!!
ADAM IS PURE PERFECTION!!!
You hit the nail squarely on the head. Best article I have ever read about Adam Lambert and I’ve read a lot. He definitely has it all, the voice, the looks, the sexiness, the most awesome voice I’ve ever heard. As one person said before me, Adam is a breath of fresh air in the music world today. Thanks for writing this, I loved it.
fantastic article; i feel like i need to go check out some youtube videos asap.
but the reason i really wanted to comment: i love that you referenced a) hyperbole and a half (best.use.of.mspaint.ever.) and b) dar williams (im not a huuuge fan, but god when she sings Iowa… or in honor of the holidays, the christians and the pagans… so so good!)
hearing/seeing Adam LIVE……….is Believing!
Omg, you made me grin like fool at times but also nod in total agreement. Excellent “analysis” and bow you in thanks
thanks so much for this article – laughed and cried, esp laughed at HOW FUCKING SEXY IS THIS PICTURE – LOLOL – hit the nail on the head! Not to mention the music – he is so crazy good live it is amazing!
Thanks – I really needed this tonight, especially the reference to how great the next album is likely to be. He has learned so much and when he applies it to that incomparable voice, the Earth will move.
This is the best fucking lead in to the upcoming sure to be awe-inspiring AL LIVE album! Your writing style strikes the same tone as AFL, which is a majorly big complement! Throwing in some cultural context on gender and music helped make this a great read. So thank you writer for a great take on my rock god crush, which I think will last 4eva (yeah, I’ve been looked at by those eyes, so done).
Can I say that I love this article for the Alice Cooper reference?
Because I do.
I’d have never made a connection between Alice and Adam on my own.
Adam intrigues me, but doesn’t move me. Alice has been a life-long staple. Makes me tend to respect Adam more, though, seeing a link to Alice’s tradition (arguably started by Screamin’ Jay Hawkins).
@melerwin
For a little more six degrees of separation with Adam and Alice Cooper, Alice’s guitarist Keri Kelli went to Adam’s Stuttgart, Germany show. IIRC they met during Rock Week on Idol, when Slash mentored and brought in some kickass musicians to back the Idols that week.
Here’s a pic with him & Adam (& Tommy) backstage.
http://i53.tinypic.com/9hjn9x.jpg
Ok, clearly we are all major fag hags (and love gayboysex). :) I know this because even though I never watched American Idol, I still found myself strangely drawn to Adam’s edgy dyke look. Then I found out that he did of a cover of a little-known Muse song (Soaked) and was like, we understand each other. If he’s trolling for Matthew Bellamy’s B-sides, I know that we have similar tastes. Such as…
“HOMOSEXUALITY AND DRUGS!!” <—best tagline EVER. Anything tagged with this should immediately show up in my fb newsfeed for my convenience!
Now we know how to take over the lesian world. With gayboysex, weed, rock music. NO LESBIAN CAN RESIST!!!
@damelanoche LOLOLOL.
Soaked is gorgeous, isn’t it? I’m so stoked it made it onto Adam’s acoustic EP that’s coming out. When I saw him this summer in concert, him singing the hale out of it live pretty much blew my fucking mind. And the cut on the EP is apparently from one of the live tour performances.
Thanks for writing this beautiful article. It’s intriguing, informative and funny. I know I will be reading it over and over.
Adam’s music means the world to me. I love to hear (and feel) his voice! He is truly inspirational as a singer and an honest, loving person. I feel refreshed, and truly alive, after seeing him in concert this past summer.
(Just hope the fans can quiet down for the ballads at future performances, though. Every note is so meaninful).
I like Lady Gaga and Adam Lambert strictly for the fact that they support queer things and inspire Autostraddle articles like this.
Also, if you published an Adam Lambert article everyday, you could probably take over the internet or something.
People over at 24/7 recommended this read and so glad I listened to them! LOVED EVERY WORD, ESPECIALLY THE HUMOR USED! Agree with this great article. Been following Adam since Idol and there’s no one out that with the looks, voice, personality, sense of humor, humility, and so on that can compare with him. I’m a fan for life and cant wait to see where Adam takes us next on his journey towards stardom.
Adam Lambert brought about an intense reawakening in me (no, not “that” … luckily “that” never went to sleep) and has unexpectedly and spectacularly changed my life. Don’t know what it is about his fabulous being that I can’t get enough of, but The Real Me is back and having the time of her life like she used to and deserves. And his joy is rippling throughout my life; now everyone who knows me wants some of it! (No, not “that” … well, maybe “that”.) I’m forever in his debt, and yet he’s just running around being himself, being magic, just being. How cool is that? Peace, light, love, glitter, ecstasy, Adam.
Thank you! Your article about Adam was Great!! So much bashing, so much hate(on way too many other blogs, articles, etc.). I am an Adam fan from day one and though my life is more than half over(yep, I’m that old) I will be a fan to the end. He has changed my whole outlook on music (no more country), I have a better appreciation of different life styles, and I can’t get enough of his looks and his talent. I am so glad he is going strong this past year and he will be around a long time.
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This crazy bitch flew all the way from South Africa to Paris to witness the awesomeness that is Adam. And what did I get for my troubles? Freakin PURPLE HAZE!!! Somebody up there clearly more than likes me. Thank you for putting this great article together. I now have a new referral page for anyone who still doesn’t know the who?, what? or why? of Adam Lambert. As from today these folk will be substantially diminished as we now have an official GRAMMY NOMINATION!
WTG Autosaddle I’m hooked. We’ll keep you on :D
Hands down the best article written about Adam. EVER. Thank you!
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..intelligent, insightful and totally accurate. You are a genius and I thank you for the candid and glowing review of Adam Lambert . This man is the greatest gift to music in decades.
This is the best article ever written about Adam how did I ever miss it? Thanks for the accurate description of the Adam we all know and love. Adam Lambert is the most interesting, intelligent, warm, charming and sexy man in the music industry today in fact I think back to Elvis and don’t think there’s been anyone quite so talented as Adam. As Jeannette has said “this man is the greatest gift to music in decades.”
How did I miss this article about Lambert? I’ve read just about everything out there. I am glad someone like you, a class act, and well-written, has taken on this subject. He needs more followers and admirers like you. Thanks.
Your words hit me hard. It was like reading my own thoughts during AI, heck during past two years. Thank you so much. You put tears in my eyes