Thursday 26 November 2009

FU With a Loaded Smile - The Perfect Vindication


The fall-out from the AMAs gave Adam plenty of publicity with the cancellation by GMA inadvertently giving him another huge boost and plenty of backing. That The Early Show immediately snapped him up just proves how much he is in demand. We were all curious as to how Adam would handle his first live TV appearance after the AMAs and I was eager for him to show the low-key side of him, reminiscent of the RoF-ToMT arc on AI. I wanted him to show everyone how well he could sing and that he wasn't a just gimmick meant to shock.


His morning look was great with light make-up and perfect imperfectly sculpted pompadour - very Elvis. He was still undoubtedly rockstar with his AMA red carpet jacket, some spray-on trousers with sparkle, clunky boots and fingerless leather gloves. There would no doubt be some questions about the awards show and Adam handled them with grace. Some of the questions were difficult and perhaps pushing for an apology or an admission of regret, but Adam seemed unflustered, speaking eloquently. He gave convincing and intelligent arguments, backing them up with valid examples and opened up a debate about sexist double-standards. He spoke with conviction and made me proud that he refused to back down.



Whataya Want From Me? was the ideal choice of song after all the controversy. The way it related to the situation gave it that extra poignancy. There was a slightly distracting plucky sound throughout the song but the arrangement stuck close to that of the album. Adam was pitch perfect in his heartfelt plea for patience and understanding. This was perfect answer and antidote to the criticism over his AMA performance. Bringing Leila on was a transparent attempt to turn him into sweet momma's boy Adam suitable for kids and daytime TV, but by doing that, it was also giving the finger to ABC for deeming him unsuitable for a morning show. And I loved the comment about the how shoulderpads help him bear the weight of the pressure.



Music Again had a completely different energy that was lively and fun. He did forget the lyrics by singing the betterer line twice and missed the first jump into falsetto but nailed everything else. I loved the interaction with Monte and the timbre of his vocals was beautiful. His interaction with the fans after leaving the studio only further endeared him.



Whataya Want From Me? on Letterman was filmed the day after the AMAs and Adam toned himself down to suit the occasion, looking smart in a satin jacket and tight sliver trousers. This wasn't as pitch perfect as the Early Show performance as some places could have done with a little fine tuning. The vibe was different though, being impassioned and angrier-sounding, reminding me much of his BoW performance. You could see that he meant every word of that song, which injected that extra intensity.

I think after these peformances, there may be people who will be revising their opinions on Adam after the AMA debacle, thinking they over-reacted. He's certainly proven that he can sing well live, he's shown himself to be articulate and charming under fire and demonstrated that he can tone it down to suit whatever platform he's on. As far as I'm concerned, Adam is the big winner out of this because he's rightly pointed out and made us question our hypocrisies while the networks have only further proven his point. He's expertly managed to deflect the bulk of the fire and remained consistently unapologetic for his actions. This was a measured 'Fuck You!' response to his critics delivered with a sweet and confident smile, earning even more respect from me. Well done Adam!

8 comments:

  1. As Kara DioGuardi used to say on AI: Is he really doing that??? He is!!! That man is definetly my idol.

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  2. Oh Yeah! Adam has worked it perfectly. I had to smile when they brought Mom on,nice touch. How can anyone not love him?
    I can't imagine the pressure he must have been feeling on Letterman. He looked like he hadn't slept. It was great to see his band perform,they sound great.

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  3. Anonymous, haha I just love the way he refuses to apologise. I think he sets a great example for people to learn to be comfortable in their own skin.

    Adamspirit, he seems to be dealing very well with the pressure. I think the pressure was worse during the CBS performance with it being the first live gig since the AMAs. I think he needed to prove he could sing to those who'd never seen any of his other performances.

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  4. (from australia), AB loved your summation, Adam looked sensational and so focused at his media interviews even after all the pressure etc from the AMA's. I loved the way Adam exposed the hypocrisy in the industry and society in general...and he does it with a smile! For all those negative, moralising bigots out there, thank you for boosting Adams music sales. Now back to his music which we all loveand hunger for!

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  5. I can't beleive I missed those 'early show' performances before now. I'm a bad Adam fan LOL But there just isn't enough hours in the day sometimes! Thank you for posting, as good as ever :-)

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  6. AB, I LUV his Whataya want from me @CBS. That live version nearly beat my number one favorite, Broken heart. Apart from being pitch perfect, that emotion is so convincing. Argh. Love it, esp. the verse. It's just like his Come home at Upright Cabaret. I cannot take my eyes off his face. :) Imagine, if he is singing Broken open live, OMG! :)))))

    I got the same vibe from "Music Again" as "Playing the funky music". It is all about having fun and enjoying the moment. There is so much charisma in that performance. The happy face and the smile are real. He isn't just saying that he doesn't care about the negativity. He is actually doing it for real, taking no apology for being who he is. I'm not only very proud of him. I do wish to have that strength for every doubting moment I have.
    AB, SRY to hear ABT that. TC
    ~K :)

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  7. Anonymous from Australia, although he dealt so well with the interview, I think from his recent tweets he has been feeling the pressure and maybe got his hand slapped. I hope it doesn't mean he'll be overly cautious or over-analyse everything in future to the detriment of his performances. I found the spontaneity sexy. I think what Adam did was great. Without Adam, GMA would have been condoning domestic violence.

    La La, glad you managed to catch up with the performances here! Last week was such a hectic one it was difficult to keep on top of everything.

    k65535, I think we'd all be drowning in pools of tears if he ever sang it live! He should make sure he gets some kind of endorsement from Kleenex beforehand!
    I couldn't agree more with your observation. It was reassuring that he did seem to have such fun during Music Again. I was a little worried after all the shenanigans that he would've been hurt by it but his positivity is one of the many things I love about him and makes me proud.
    Thanks, I'm sad and still doubtful but doing OK.

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  8. Perfectly said - absolutely. Loved that you pulled all of the performances together and looked at them side by side.

    Did you notice the almost tears at the end of WWFM on Letterman? In that moment, he seemed so vulnerable and probably completely exhausted - physically, spiritually and mentally. Just wanted to hug him and tell him everything will be all right.

    I still hurt a bit when I see him put his left hand behind his back, hiding there and missing out on all the "fun" from the Idol tour. It's still a bit like seeing a beautiful wild beast on a leash.

    I know this is the price tag for selling the record which in turn will facilitate a tour where hopefully we'll see our beautiful Angel without the media's choke chain.

    Until then, I'll treasure every moment.

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