Adam Revisited
12.7.2011
By Aaron Hicklin
Two years ago, in the 2009 Out100, we anointed Adam Lambert “Breakout Star of the Year,” and shot him for the cover, alongside Dan Choi, Wanda Sykes, Cyndi Lauper, and Rob Marshall. In the accompanying editor’s letter I took the entertainment industry to task for the way they control and limit access to the gay press, using our experience with Adam’s publicist at the time as my example. In hindsight, I was mistaken to address the letter directly to Adam: Although the massive response from his loyal fan base started a valuable debate, my letter was received as a personal attack that muddied the message. Lambert rightly sought to defend himself, in part by demonstrating his independence at the American Music Awards, when he simulated oral sex and kissed one of his band members. A lot of time has passed, and we can look back on that firestorm with cooler heads—so cool, in fact, that we were able to chat together, something we should have done first time around. This year we are honoring Adam for the way in which he has held true to his identity as a gay man while managing a successful musical career, a balancing act that is no mean feat. As he told The Advocate recently, “No one teaches you how to be a gay celebrity.” In a very real way he is leading the way.
Adam Lambert: I heard your name and thought, Oh, here we go!
Aaron Hicklin: You know, I was putting this together, and I realized that it was two years since we put you on the cover of the 2009 Out100. It struck me as important that this time we actually speak to each other.
I agree. I have no hard feelings. That was then, and I’ve learned a lot.
I have too. And I learned a lot from the experience of using my editor letter [as a critique of the entertainment industry]—good and bad, frankly. For a start, I realized you have a gazillion passionate fans and every single one was determined to make sure I knew they existed [laughs].
Yes, they’re very verbal.
They certainly are, and some of them still communicate with me, and I’ve made an effort to respond to as many as I can.
It’s an interesting dynamic, because I think the thing that’s ironic about it is that the photo session for Details [in which Lambert posed, controversially, with a nude female model], the one that we were talking about, was kind of done to play out the fantasy of many of my female fans.
They have deep imaginations, and there’s a lot of fantasy fiction that’s written on the Internet. I try not to read it because it can be a little creepy, but I know it’s something they really get into. So, for me, it was like, OK, I’ve lived my entire life as a gay man; I’m very comfortable with that. And all of a sudden, I have the opportunity to do this photo shoot, to play the opposite stereotype of the straight, butch guy. I found it really interesting, creatively, and didn’t think for one minute that I was toning anything down or trying to change who I was, so much as playing into a fantasy that I knew was really, really present, having been on tour all summer, having women throw their bras at me, and all that crazy shit. I will say that, on the flip side, timing is everything. That’s one thing that I’ve learned a lot about this year. I was still introducing myself to the masses then and, to me, on my own personal journey, it seemed like an interesting thing to do.
Sometimes I’m not as objective as I could be, and I don’t look at things from the perspective of a first-time audience. That definitely was somewhat the case with the American Music Awards performance [when Adam simulated oral sex and kissed his keyboard player]. I didn’t quite put myself in the position of the viewer at home that had watched me on American Idol and, the next time they see me on TV, it’s that performance. The AMA thing was maybe a little too much, too soon, and the photo shoot for Details, although very beautiful, maybe it wasn’t the right timing.
But two years on, I’m curious about what you’ve learned about yourself in this process since you’ve, very transparently, gone from a contestant on a show whose success represented a radical breakthrough to becoming a superstar. It must have been pretty exhausting and demanding and emotionally draining in many ways.
Yeah, it was definitely a lot to take on. But whenever I would feel overwhelmed or stressed out, the thing that kept me balanced is that I really do appreciate the opportunity I have. If I was a little younger, I wouldn’t have dealt with it so well. I’m 29, and having been in the entertainment industry throughout my entire twenties in Los Angeles, I grew almost, like, a Teflon coating, rather than being a kid from Ohio just jumping into it.
So you were prepared to some extent?
No one can really prepare you fully. There were things I was very surprised by [laughs] and had to learn quickly, and had to learn the hard way.
And you probably weren’t prepared to have me pouncing on you…
No, but all’s fair in that game. I think it’s been character building, which is great, and it’s definitely put me where I’m at now. I think the hardest thing about being a gay celebrity is that we’re in the middle of a social rights movement and it’s a very hot topic, so we’re at a very pivotal time. Coming out was great, but there are certain issues that always surprise me and I think, Why is this an issue? I live and I’ve grown up in a space that is very accepting and open-minded; I surround myself socially with people that are artists and very bohemian and I forget sometimes that, OK, we’re dealing with mainstream culture now, which does not have the same mentality as I do. I think, too, that by nature I’m very contrary. If you tell me I can’t do something then I’m gonna push back harder and do it. I’m kind of rebellious, but I try to do it with a smile. I’m not a jerk about it.
Do you fear that there is a trade-off in success and sales when you’re as true to yourself as you have been?
There’s definitely a bit of a conflict. I think I spent a lot of energy trying to find my footing and expressing my sexuality one way or the other. And I think now that I have established who I am and I’ve gotten it out of my system, what’s really important—without denying or downplaying my pride as a gay man—is the music. Looking back, I think the other things trumped the music a little bit. With my new album, what’s exciting is that I’m definitely in the driver’s seat. I’m working with producers and my label directly. I’m not being puppeted around in any way, shape, or form. It’s about the music now.
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Adam Lambert is a very good performer, me and my bofryiend voted for him on American Idol. So many in the business have really noticed Adam. Given his talent, I would guess Adam will be someone many will want to work with, but he is a highly creative artist and won’t slip into someone else's shoes for long.
failed dating situations?!
how do you fail at dating when you are freaking ADAM LAMBERT?!
im not buying it. no one THAT attractive fails at dating :P
i read that and im like your adam lambert if not THE SEXIEST one of THE SEXIEST men alive on this planet and you have failed dating situations that just to me doesnt seem possible
I love him, Adam Lambert is one of the most beautiful human beings I have ever met :)
Loved the interview and looking forward very much to the new album and seeing Adam in Detroit.
Looking forward to new album!!
http://norigscrap.blogspot.com/2011/11/ipop-8.html
Thank you so much for giving us more of Adam. Everything about this man impresses me, he is truly a very special human being destined for superstardom. Will be following him every step of the way.
Very much looking forward to the new album and the next tour in Australia - both the Melbourne and Brisbane concerts were amazing!
he recently twetted:
"@adamlambert: Dear amazing fans; I fucking love you!!! ;)"
My reply:
Dear Adam Lambert; I fucking adore you!!! ;)
Excited at what Adam will do in the future - so far we've been on an incredible ride with his outstanding talent. He could sing nursery rhymes and rock it, or lull us all into heavenly dreams. Whatever he does I hope people will still be enjoying Adam's work well into the future. As long as he stays well, takes care of himself and doesn't let the murkier side of the music industry bring him down I'm sure the public will keep him in their hearts and up among The Greats where he truly belongs.
amen to all the positives, Adam is a great singer and a great human being. I am 68 and one of his loyalist fans. just stay the way you are.
I am so excited to hear his new album...He has so much more talent than ninety out of one hundred of the singers out there today. They are one original, and fifty clones of that original.. He in the single and only one of his type. No one has the talent or the voice to clone him. He is a true one of a kind. I think he is so beautiful, singing, speaking, and in every way. I hope his next album is the best selling one of the year. He deserves it. He is such a hard working, and dedicated man. He gives his all to his music. I see so little of that outside of his realm. I think he was a showstopper with Queen on the AMAs. I am so sorry that I missed it. I have had to settle for seeing it on playback. I am only getting to see the one song. I will have to be happy with it, because it is all I have..
I love that voice, and the man that carries it. He is one of the most ready and able people to ever land on the music scene. I hope to the stars that his next album is the most successful and entertaining one of the year. He deserves the accolades, that are going to all the so called superstars out there. They are so many copies of each other, young, old black, white, whatever their identity is. He is just the only one of his kind. Only a handful of people out in the industry are true originals. He is the leader of that group now. I am sick to death of the average talents making huge impacts with gazillion album sales. When he is so much more talented than they are. I cannot wait for his new album to be released. I will be one of the first to hear it. I have been waiting ever since the last one came out to see and hear it. I have to satisfy my inner Adam cravings by listening to his Idol performances. His youtube videos, and any other means of seeing him that is available. I feel like a junkie waiting for the dealer. I hope it is not too much longer before I get my drug.
In closing, I wish to say what a joy and rapturous thing it was to listen to his performance with Queen. He was magnificent. They are always magnificent. It was mindstopping..
That pic of Adam is rlly unattractive. Anyway I love him. He's not wasting his gift. He's cherishing his blessing.
. . . .says it all. Been around the block a while and heard a lot ~ from the ridiculous to the sublime across genres . . . Adam is the "real deal" in terms of pure talent. As we have also seen by his public actions to date, he has a social conscience as well as being a genuinely nice person. We are as far up his a** as it is possible for millions of strangers to be, and yet he loves us despite our unasked opinions and wild fantasies about his every waking breath. A miracle by all accounts that this beautiful man welcomes us all - I am a "FAN" for life, and can't say that about a single icon that went before. . . .
. . . .says it all. Been around the block a while and heard a lot ~ from the ridiculous to the sublime across genres . . . Adam is the "real deal" in terms of pure talent. As we have also seen by his public actions to date, he has a social conscience as well as being a genuinely nice person. We are as far up his a** as it is possible for millions of strangers to be, and yet he loves us despite our unasked opinions and wild fantasies about his every waking breath. A miracle by all accounts that this beautiful man welcomes us all - I am a "FAN" for life, and can't say that about a single icon that went before. . . .
love him!!!!
his voice is CRAZY and he is probably the most eloquent person in showbiz))))))
I think Adam is very sexy and i love his so much coming from his fiance charity & i have knewn Adam for 21 yrs and I am having sex with him & Adam & Sauli don't belong together. I am so madly & deeply in love with Adam and all the fans can kiss my ass to. Because the rumor is true about Adam being engage to me charity & i the ring to prove it to. Love from Adam fiance charity. ( Mrs Lambert)
Chariity,
Wow, as the parent of a gay kid. You are talking non-sense, Adam is out and if you loved him you really would stop.... if you have known him for 21 years that means you were like what 8 years old when you met...I knew my son was Gay when he was 4 years old....Adam does not appear to me to be the kind of person who would say he is Gay when he isn't .... if you knew him like you say you do you must then klnow how hard it is for him to be a Gay man in the industry....He would make alot more money by being straight....(just the way society is).....Everyone knew Adam clearly was the winner of American Idol however, the powers that be said mainstream is not ready for an openly gay entertainer of his calibur....
keep your fucking opions to your self & it is true that i am more in love with Adam then Sauli & yes i knew Adam a lot long the rest of the fan so all of u can kiss my royel ass to. love from Adam fiance charity,
I feel so sorry for you to have to post such nonsense on an article that is about Adam. Pathetic.
Charity get over yourself adam and sauli have been together for a year if u say u love adam then stop this nonsense. First off adam likes guys and stuff etc. Like adam has said to women Unless u gotta supprise under your skirt it aint happening. So quit leaving dumb ass comments or they will be deleted dumb girl get a life.
So pleased with this interview - it's very informative - but also that it actually came about. It's wonderful that you were able to resolve your differences and put that past episode behind both of you. Adam loves peace, and this must have brought him some. This young man has taught me so much by being open about his early struggles-it never even occurred to me that this would happen at such an early age-and by seeing how he is evolving with his celebrity. And then, there is the immense joy that his performances bring - his voice is so beautiful, his singing so emotional and evocative, it brings many in audiences to tears. The recent appearance with Queen is a perfect example - his powerful interpretation of the sweeping rock anthem The Show Must Go On. He can sing any genre of music and make it phenomenal. I too wish him happiness and continued success.
Adam is one of the most exciting artists I've heard in my lifetime. I only wish radio would play him as much as they play other artists, or at all. Everyone would go bonkers if they could only hear him.
Wishing you all the best with your new album Adam and really looking forward to it ....
What I and so many people can't understand is why you're not dabbling more into rock music with your awesome vocal range and stage presence. It just seems to me that you don't have to be all that good at singing to become a pop star now days - the world needs another Rock Star!
Although I wasn't a fan of your first album I will continue to love and support you and hang out for those special "Queen" like moments that really ignite my soul!
Your articles about Adam, both 2009 and 2011, are enthralling and enlightening for me. I'm a senior female fan who has been following Adam's career since his "Idol" performances. He possesses a tremendous talent. Hopefully his career as a star in the music field will last until he is a "senior" entertainer as some other gays' performers have. I hope that is what his goal is and I wish only the best in his life.
Adam really have caught people's heart.Such kind of little freaky but sensuous enjoyment artist is a real treasure in this dizzy,confusing world.And accidentally,MJ an' Maddona are my favorite artists too.
He has a power to draw your attention immediately and bountifully, all the time went by ,at first I just encounter him occasionally on TV box and feel nothing to engage in, but,guess what, suddenly one day I just feel blood pressure on him.How handsome.Most of all,what a beautiful poison! What a gee magic through his voice and perform! There is no escaping never since.
thousands of fans must being in potential!! waiting for his bigger event!!
Adam really have caught people's heart.Such kind of little freaky but sensuous enjoyment artist is a real treasure in this dizzy,confusing world.And accidentally,MJ an' Maddona are my favorite artists too.
He has a power to draw your attention immediately and bountifully, all the time went by ,at first I just encounter him occasionally on TV box and feel nothing to engage in, but,guess what, suddenly one day I just feel blood pressure on him.How handsome.Most of all,what a beautiful poison! What a gee magic through his voice and perform! There is no escaping never since.
thousands of fans must being in potential!! waiting for his bigger event!!
It always mystifies me how Adam Lambert has gotten so many people to believe what he wants them to believe rather than the truth. Those of us who have had a relationship with him know that he is hiding behind the gay celebrity label when he is, in fact, a bisexual man with a closeted girlfriend as well as a boyfriend. You want realness and to live your life honestly, Adam? Then admit to the truth. You can either do it now or wait until you and Miranda have the inevitable parting of ways someday and she sings like a canary, as you know by now just how vindictive she can be when provoked. Just once I wish you would tell the truth and not hide behind the PR machine. It would do your soul a lot of good. While you're at it, admit that the keyboard player you kissed, Tommy, was in reality your boyfriend. Come clean. The truth will always come out eventually, you know.
What I appreciate about Adam, besides his colossal talent, fine intellect and charismatic charm, is his abililty to be honest with himself. Many of us are afraid to look at ourselves fearing we won't like what we see. Adam not only looks deeply within, he then expresses his findings through his art and in his interactions with the world. That takes a level of bravery and boldness that is not very common among current pop artists and entertainers. It often is seen as not commercially viable. Yet Adam is proving that can be done. I imagine that for Adam, there is no other way to live his life and conduct his career. For that reason, I will always respect and admire him.
Thank you Mr. Hicklin for clearing the air! I appreciate your willingness to keep a cool head and re-examine the issues from 2009. Adam, you have learned so much and we your fans are with you all the way! I am all for the emphasis on the music; yes you are honest as to who you are (I so love your honesty) but when its all said and done, the music will speak what your heart really says. The music is what touches us all and brings us together no matter who we are. Keep singing Adam; we are listening!
I'm sad to hear that Adam was a bit depressed after the Glam Nation tour, but I'm not really surprised as I've read many interviews where performers say the same thing about the end of a Tour. Also he must have been exhausted after doing so many shows in such a short time, sometimes we can get so tired over such a long span of time we don't realise how tired we are, I know I've been in that situation a few times. I'm so glad he got a chance to rest and recover, and that Sauli is helping him so much.
The fan fiction can get very strange sometimes, I just see it as a bit of fun, and it's encouraging that Adam is normally paired with another man even though the other man is often straight in real life. It gives the lie to the myth that women aren't interested in fantasizing about a gay pop star, which has been the excuse for years for record companies keeping their gay artists closeted, after all it's well known that straight men are very interested in seeing two women together so it shouldn't be a surprise that the same is true of straight women fantasizing about two men, most just don't talk about it.
Where the fan fiction has become a problem for Adam in particular is where a very small minority of 'fans' have convinced themselves that the fictional versions they have invented are true and that the real life relationship is fake, and they insist on telling the subjects of their fantasy this, and trying to make reality fit their fantasy.That is very strange.
I am so disappointed with hearing that he was doing dance music for his 2nd album! You should showcase your vocals and do more rock or pop rock like Time For Miracles!
I'm a 64-year-old great-grandmother and a fan of Adam's work. It's fascinating that so many women seem to have that fantasy about a romantic/sexual relationship with him. Granted, he's a beautiful person, physically and intellectually. Granted, he's a great talent, which has its own draw. Aside from the beauty of his voice and his awesome stage presence, the thing he does is bring sex to the stage. Not just for women or gay men, but for everyone. As soon as he's on stage, you think 'sex', regardless of age or gender. It's an exciting and dangerous gift. I wish him well.
i am a 57 year old grandma and agree completely with you. I am obsessed with adam
I am a 58 year old grandma and I feel exactly as you do......I am obsessed with Adam.
I am a 61 yr. old grandmother, and can still get out their and rock and roll with the best. When I was little my Father always invested in me to keep,my youth of which I did and I absolutely believe Adam has brought to the world his true heart, consideration, honesty, and the belief to ourselves that people should have not ever let get away from themselves. We are,people not life's ROBOTS, and it is time we take time to enjoy life, and live simple getting back to old times! Who the Hell changed it cause I didn't! Bless you ADAM and all you do, it is about time someone as you can stand for REAL! I commend you and your family, maybe people will learn from you. Thank You so very much! XO sunshinebonniegirl@gmail.com
Thank you Editor and Adam for this wonderful interview. Adam is still as down-to-earth, frank and sincere. Looking in retrospect does give us many new perspectives. What a year, what a full circle.
Of course, I don't think Mr. Hicklin targeting Adam is only a hindsight:) We all know how media works. There are still many different opinions about how to successfully "gay" role-model. I'd say I'm still very much on Adam's side.
How is that I see you as a completely different artist than you want to be. Last night at the EMA's, you proved to so many of us that you're the vocalist of this generation. Although, it wasn't your music, you knew how to deliver it and completely nailed it. Dance music? Great beat, yes. But hollow of emotion and the connection that you're so special at. Forgive me for butting in your life, but you were born to sing classic amazing timeless rock songs, at least your voice and style is. It is a shame to waste that gift, but, it is your life and you're the one who's living it. So I wish you all the luck, and here's hoping to prove me wrong.
I think Adam Lambert is extremely talented, and I've always enjoyed listening to his music. I was actually a bit disappointed in his first album, because it just didn't sound like him to me. I figured it was because he didn't have as much of a hand in it as he could have, and this article proves my thoughts correct. I'm anxious to hear his new album where he's doing most of the writing and collaborating. I'm also glad that he's remaining true to himself, and is growing in his life and his relationship. And by the way... I think the fan fiction stuff is creepy also. *shudder*. I wish him nothing but happiness and continued success!
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