Adam Lambert proud of new album
by Jane Stevenson, QMI Agency
“I think it was a real accomplishment that the album was able to chart that high without a big single,” says a smiling Lambert, 30, glammed up in black and white tie-dyed, torn pants, silver jewelry and a skunk-like blond streak on the top of his jet black hair.
“So it’s kind of a grassroots, kind of fan movement. (I was) very surprised. I mean, I knew that the fans were going to want a copy but I didn’t know what numbers we were dealing with.”
But he also made history as the first openly gay singer to have an album debut at No. 1.
“It feels really great,” says Lambert, who’s also written an intimate and melancholy song, Outlaws Of Love, about LGBT discrimination on Trespassing.
But, at some point, Lambert wants his sexuality to no longer be a part of the story.
“It’s an interesting journey being identified as ‘the openly gay pop guy’ because I feel like it’s a privilege to be an example of somebody that’s not making any apologies for it and to try and give young people the feeling of pride and the idea that they can reach their dreams if they want them,” he explains. “But the flipside to it is that it does get a bit objectified, mainly by the media. I think this milestone of reaching No. 1 and being the first hopefully it makes the statement: That it really doesn’t matter. That we just need to move on.”
In fact, Lambert moves on to London next week to begin two-week rehearsals with Queen guitarist Brian May and drummer Roger Taylor for six European dates together in July.
Lambert first performed We Are The Champions with Queen in 2009 on the eighth season of American Idol’s finale on which he was the runner-up and then that tune and two more songs on the 2011 MTV European Music Awards.
“They’re really, really cool guys, total class acts.”
Lambert adds he’s not nervous at the prospect of touring with Queen for the first time but admits “there’s going to be some work involved.
“But I’m looking forward to it. I think I’ve worked so hard and been so focused on my project it’ll be nice to step into somebody else’s world for a minute again. It’ll be a creative sidestep and it’s a nice sweet, short, little commitment.”