Whataya Want From Adam?

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VIDEO EDIT

This Whataya Want From Me? edit of mine was meant to coincide with the celebrations for Adam's Grammy win for best male pop vocal. I can't help but wonder if his chances would have been better if the record production did more justice to his voice. After listening to so many renditions of the song and even though the sound quality is lower, I'd take a live version every time. The vocals have the edge with the extra dynamism that's not flattened by meddlesome production, and a raw vitality that comes from the buzz of singing to a live audience.



I've watched about 95% of all concerts from start to finish and this acoustic WWFM from the final stop at Club Nokia is my favourite. Why? Aptly, it's because of the vocals. Before we get to those though, there's banter at the start, where Adam's charm is at work and he gives us a glimpse as to what he would be like as an evil villain with his sadistic little laugh. I noticed that he started singing a little lop-sidedly with a wonky mouth at times towards the end of the tour, but nevertheless it's impossible not to fall for his gritty belts and soaring improvisations at the end. Amazing.

WHAT DOES IT DO FOR ME?

It was some time ago during an interview that Adam first told us that the sound of the second album would be like WWFM, the song that has brought him most success so far. I've not been thrilled by this because it's one of my least favourite on FYE. I feel that lyrically it's fairly bland and clichéd, and its sound is one of the least distinctive, bar that voice. On its own merits, it's not something that would interest me nor would I buy it. But as I've mentioned before, music isn't only about sound being pleasant to the ear. It's about the experiences and emotions that we attach and weave into it. I wasn't fond of WWFM but it turned out to be one of my favourite performances from the tour. Why? Because it's a time capsule of the journey since that AMA performance. It took on a significance because the song became real and was sung from Adam's heart. The different versions got played enough times to reach a certain threshold for the hook to do its job and we were all able to sing along. Knowing that so many others at the concert shared the same ups and downs whilst being united in song with Adam was a beautiful experience. So I ended up liking it because it reached a certain level of success whereas I think it should really be the other way round.

WHAT DO WE FANS WANT FROM ADAM?

I've got the results of some crude polls taken by you. The one on the left was taken soon after the album was released and the one on the right taken soon after the end of the tour (where were you all for this one?!). I've only taken the songs included in both. The complete album poll included a total of 16 songs and the Glam Nation poll included a total of 20 songs including some classics, which may explain why overall percentages have generally declined. Users were allowed to select multiple answers.

It's not the most scientific study (especially as participation was fairly low on 2nd poll), but if we compare the percentages, I think it's an indicator of a number of things:

• Song's ability to stand the test of time
• Difference between album production and live experience
• Comparison of different arrangements

Results

Contrary to my opinion above, WWFM, the song whose sound Adam wants to base his second album around, has suffered a significant drop between polls. It could be that the acoustic arrangement performed on the tour is less popular than the original (I'm doubtful of this because of the popularity of acoustic Aftermath), but I'm inclined to believe that fans have become tired of hearing the song. I don't think it bodes well if he decides to continue down this route.

The biggest loss has been from Music Again, which has continued with the same arrangement. I think it has suffered from its change in order too, from being the album opener to one near the end of the set. Performance-wise, it had a lot of energy but there was little that stood out or made us keep tuning in to see what Adam would do differently each time. Without any tricks, the popularity of this OTT song has fallen so I think the decision to include "Less rhinestones, more leather" is a good call on Adam's part.

FYE and Broken Open have also suffered considerable drops and I think their results were partially due to their scarcity. FYE had a different arrangement which I feel was lacking in melody and punch, and was also buried within a medley which didn't help. Broken Open came in two different varieties during Glam Nation. In its initial form at the start of the tour it seemed too long and sleepy, sucking the life out of the set. It later re-appeared with an acoustic arrangement. There are too many differing factors to conclusively explain why they fell in popularity.

DTRH has held steady, but SFW and Strut with the same arrangements have fallen a little in popularity. As well as the dilution effect of more songs in the second poll, I think this is due to their attention-lull position in the set after a long interlude. They tended to go by in a blur, maybe because they're not the strongest of songs.

On the positive side, the biggest gain has been from Aftermath, which was our least favourite on the album (and I reckon one of Adam's too, who describes it as "Heartland, adult contemporary rock" and admits to always having heard it as a dance-pop anthem), but its debut on the tour through an acoustic re-arrangement has become one of the highlights. I think the acoustic version is better placed to showcase his vocals and sheds the outdated feel of the original. It'll be interesting to see how its message will be received after being re-packaged as dance-pop.

And now we come to arguably the most important part for deciding future direction - the songs that have scored consistently high. For a song to achieve lasting success, it needs to be well-written to stand the test of time, and Adam needs to be able to perform it well live. I think the latter contributed to FYE not taking off - the key is too low for him.

1. Fever was on top by some margin in both polls. I'm sure the kissing antics made a significant contribution to the Glam Nation poll but nevertheless, it's a superb disco-dance-pop song. Catchy but evidently not annoying because we still love this arrangement, it has an addictive bassline hook and oozes sass. And we know Adam does wonders with it live. It's just a shame it hasn't been released as a single.
2. IIHY has had an appreciable increase after already scoring well on the album. The live performances were less dance-pop, and being the last song incorporated the band and dancer introductions to keep up interest. The audiences were also very familiar with it, generating a lively atmosphere. Its success is down to both the quality of the song and the interactive live performances.
3. Sleepwalker still has the same arrangement so seems to have stood the test of time as a well-written song. It's atmospheric and engaging but it's Adam's voice that really makes this. The live performances have been electrifying, leaving audiences in awe.
4. Soaked is another song which puts the focus on the voice. Both the aggressive original and the gentler tour instrumentals take a back seat for a timelessly rousing experience.

So how do the results of these opinions fit in with what we know about the second album so far?

Lyrically: heartfelt, honest and personal, maybe even a bit dark, with Adam doing much more writing

The results show no predilection towards songs that Adam was involved in writing but that shouldn't discourage him, especially as two of the top performers are songs that had been written by established artists some time ago and had already made it to the demo stage. I think there was a lot of promise shown on the album and with more time in which to perfect the songs, the results could be impressive.

"Personal and honest" immediately translates as self-absorbed and serious, even soppy to me, so it rings a few alarm bells. I hope Adam avoids extolling the virtues of love or getting emotionally over-indulgent with the dark. At times during the tour, the way he worked backwards to fit the set neatly into an unnecessary box labelled "Love" made me cringe a bit. It's like he tried too hard to create a flowing theme out of the material so the result felt rather crude and inelegant. When he was explaining it to the audience, it seemed like he was also trying to convince himself at the same time. It's probably a result of having followed everything too closely but I'm afraid to say that for me, it missed the mark and felt contrived. But that is a niggle over how he tried to find a common theme to link the set, not his songwriting, which I believe won't follow that style. I'm not a fan of the direct and overt like Aftermath and WWFM when it comes to emotional songs. I prefer something a bit more oblique, leaving the listeners with something to interpret.

It could be argued that all the songs are personal because Adam can relate to them. Under the heading of "honest", I would welcome some social commentary with astute observations sprinkled with snark. I saw some potential in Pop Goes The Camera but it wasn't further developed. I do give my thumbs up to "personal and honest" as long as the songs are cleverly written and quirky, steering clear of boring clichés. This category does however, exclude the light-hearted fun and frivolity of Fever, our firm favourite.

Sound: Less try-hard, less camp less rhinestones more leather, production focus on vocals

To know that the production will do more justice to Adam's voice must be music to our ears. Since I prefer the live recordings, I hope they'll leave it well alone this time round.

With the the decline of MA, it looks like time's up for glam rock, but should we really be swapping rhinestones for leather? I'd say the top songs are a mix of clubwear and leather. We can group them into two categories. One is dance-pop with a strong melody, a driving bassline and a rock edge, the other is big vocally-driven dramatic power-ballads. Adam seems to counter-intuitively be wanting to back away from camp favourite Fever. Could it be the wrong decision to ignore the former to focus on the latter? Let's not forget that the poll was taken by fans and one of the aims is to win over new ones. My guess is this second album is geared towards the US market where WWFM did better than IIHY and Fever was deemed unsuitable for release as a single.

So what's the point of this post? Well I've learned recently that Adam is more easily influenced by fans than I expected, from an interview where he said he kept kissing Tommy because he thought it was what we wanted, to the social media summit where he said he has used ideas from fans. It's evident from his recent blog post that he's interested in our opinions and we know he lurks a lot around this fandom, so I thought it might be useful to do a bit of market research for him using stats. Also, maybe now is a good time to express our opinions when the second album is still in its embryonic stages. Please help out by completing and sharing these simple polls:

What type of music do you think Adam should record for his second album?		If achieving commercial success were not an issue, would your choice be different? If so, ideally what type of music would you like to hear from him?

WHAT DO I WANT?

I prefer the bonus tracks on the last album so wasn't keen when Adam said he'd be basing the next album on the safe pop-rock sound of WWFM. I'm hoping to see him push things, be more adventurous, experiment a little, but I also understand the need to turn in a profit so he's better placed to do this in future. There has always and will always be this balancing act between artistic integrity and commercial success. He's managed it quite well so far and I expect it to continue.

If I could decide what to have on the second album I'd have a funk-rock core, especially after having been teased by a few licks from Monte during the tour. I'd put some soulful vocals on top of it, and to add variety but keep it cohesive, there'd be elements of acid jazz, electrofunk and disco thrown in. The lyrics would be witty and have a little humour in them. The voice would take centre stage and there'd be a stripped-down jazz/blues track or two just to kill a few people. And there'd be a crazy-as-fuck bonus track that I don't even have the imagination to describe.

Adam thought that on his first album he tried too hard to stamp his identity, but could it be that on this second album he'll try too hard to please the masses? Something that one of the AI mentors said comes to mind and that is the aim shouldn't be to make music that's popular, but to make music that you like and work on it so that it becomes popular. Even though this whole post has been about what we want, ultimately I don't want Adam to over-think things and pander to what he thinks other people want, but to follow his musical instincts. The advice I'd give to him comes from his own mouth and is the reason why he has won over so many of us in such a big way. That is to stick to his promise of surprising us and to stay ahead of the curve, giving us what we didn't know we wanted.

DOWNLOADS

DOWNLOAD WWFM (with intro) mp3 - 13.48MB Alternative download link
DOWNLOAD WWFM (without intro) mp3 - 7.56MB Alternative download link
DOWNLOAD WWFM iPod compatible mp4 - 39.73MB Alternative download link
DOWNLOAD WWFM HD mp4 - 139.19MB Alternative download link

Chameleons

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When I first heard about Adam heading to Boy George's party, my first thought was WTF? I hadn't heard much about Boy George in recent years apart from tabloid stories about his seriously bizarre (and somewhat hilarious) offence of imprisoning a gigolo and threatening him with sex toys. He hasn't had the best publicity of late but I think Adam would have found it really interesting to meet one of his visual muses and to talk about their shared experience of being heavily influenced by David Bowie.

After some pondering, it seems to make more sense that Adam was there for networking. Most of us remember Boy George for his Culture Club days but he also achieved considerable success as a big-name club DJ, only he was less visible. He did a series of best-selling house remix albums for Ministry of Sound, perhaps the biggest global dance music franchise. I'm not sure whether he still has much clout with that scene, but turning Adam's songs into club remixes and getting them spun along with his dancier numbers could acquire him quite a following. I hope Adam will be marketed more as an electropop-dance artist over here because I don't believe his straight-up rock will do particularly well. Having a club hit before the TV promo circuit reveals his AI connection would certainly be to his advantage for sustaining commercial success. It's prevalent because of the backlash against reality shows' stranglehold over the charts, as demonstrated by our Christmas campaign against the X-Factor winner. The current timescales for Adam's single and album releases rule this out, but maybe it's something to consider further down the line. But what do I know? I don't follow Boy George or the pop charts, but sometimes it's fun to just speculate.

Out of Order

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Much has been said of the controversial letter by Aaron Hicklin, Editor in Chief of Out, addressed to Adam Lambert. His veiled criticisms of Adam through his management, accusing them of toning down his gayness has annoyed many. Whilst it won't get me spouting vitriol, I don't think the letter has done Out any favours. It was an irritation that this came on the day of the album's streaming and overshadowed it a little.

I think Hicklin did have a valid point to make, but it lost support because he stuck the knives in before rolling it around in bullshit. After reading the interviewer's response, the heart of all the controversy seems to have been triggered by Adam's publicist not wanting the interview to sound 'too gay' and wanting to stay away from politics. There was no clarification of what exactly 'too gay' meant and we don't have the full context. Had Adam evaded talk about being gay in the interview, then Hicklin would have had a case. As it was, Adam gave a fascinating, enlightening and frank interview, talking openly about matters relating to his homosexuality. It's interesting, and perhaps deceptive, that the article in print is an edited version of the one online which I think has been spun to lend support to Hicklin's letter. From the results of the online interview though, there's scant justification for launching into a tirade about how Adam's management has been de-gaying his image. From all the evidence of his work so far, whether it's his song lyrics, his appearance or his album cover, this rant just makes Hicklin appear ill-informed. I can see why Hicklin took exception to the publicist wanting Out to tone down the gayness, but considering the results, it's a complete a non-issue. Laying into him for the Details article for not mentioning gay fans just seems petty and smacks of sour grapes. I mean, seriously, would only a public display of sodomy be enough for him? There are a multitude of reasons why Adam's management may have chosen to turn down the cover but Hicklin went for headline-grabbing homophobia. Coat-tails anyone?

While I think Hicklin has done his cause no favours through his bitchiness and inability to demonstrate his backing of an emerging gay artist, Adam on the other hand, I think has done plenty. He's played a part in challenging a number of gay stereotypes and has done much more for awareness — by living openly and unapologetically and in doing so, encouraging others to not be afraid — than by getting on any soap-box. The problem Adam faces is that, like it or not, and despite stating that he doesn't want to become the poster-boy for gay rights, he won't be able to completely escape the politics and the burden of responsibility thrust upon him. That could have been one of the many reasons for turning down an Out cover. The pressure of being put on a pedestal to represent the gay community must be immense and is not something a heterosexual counterpart is required to bear.

We should respect that Adam doesn't want to be a political figure and just wants to make music now. It's out of order to expect him to follow paths that we dictate or to feel disappointed when he doesn't. Entitlement is not sexy. It may be frustrating for those who want Adam to champion their causes because the set of qualities that create such buzz around him would put him in good stead for being a successful torch-bearer. He makes a great role-model and I can see why some would want him to front their campaigns. Looking at the curt reponse he tweeted, it was perfect: mildly sympathetic, assertive, sarcastic and with the right amount of venom for an appropriate bitchslap. Not only does he handle himself expertly in the media, but he comes across as thoughtful, articulate, intelligent, honest, bold, proud of his sexuality and a great orator. He possesses the exceptional ability to inspire, and right now he's choosing to do that through his music.

Intimate Details

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Before chiming in, I thought I'd wait to see the actual photos from the Details shoot rather than the distorted and slightly out-of-focus photos of the magazine that were in circulation. I had wondered beforehand where exactly 'racy' sat on the Adam barometer, thinking it would probably be very sexually suggestive, maybe a little kinky. In terms of this wave of publicity though, I think it came a little too soon after the leak of TfM. In the morning we were all excited about TfM and later on that day, it was all about the photos which ended up slightly overshadowing the music.

The cover shot features a heart-stopping look directly at you, brooding and slightly accusatory. The styling is Teddy Boy meets Top Gun, the result a dark and mysterious stranger. The pose looks a little unnaturally forced, but overall I like the result and I'm very thankful it wasn't artificially smoothed over with an airbrush.

When I first saw the portrait of Adam at the start of the article, I thought it looked very strange - it didn't resemble him and looked conspicuously photoshopped. He looked way too thin and angular but the light reflection suggested the magazine wasn't flat. No wonder Details was trying to get the photo pulled because it didn't do it justice. The black and white image is striking and you're drawn straight to his intense gaze. The feel of it hearkens back to classic Hollywood screen icons of the 50s. The chiselled features, the strong jaw, the slightly stubbly rugged complexion, the pensive gaze with the wrinkled forehead and thick furrowed brows all make him look classically handsome. The slicked hair, the simple white T-shirt with the gathered sleeves and the earring give off a rebellious air - the dangerous bad boy you want to ride off into the sunset with. It's a beautiful portrait.

The rest of the photos see Adam with closed eyes sporting a strange manicure posing with a naked model in various positions for some intimate shots. The photos are sensual but due to the light touch and positioning of Adam's hands, I don't see them as that sexual. Neither Adam nor the model look fully engaged in each other but absorbed in their individual pleasure. For the model it appears to be pride at achieving her conquest and for Adam it's the fascination of the female aesthetic. The kiss I find a tiny bit clumsy because their mouths are so far apart. The horizontal one shows his passion for the female form as if it were a work of art, a sculpture. His plain black T-shirt and position makes me think of him as an artist, maybe a dancer. The last one in the mag is the most explicit where he's sporting a Teddy Boy look. I think this is my least favourite because it lacks the believability factor for me. On seeing the rest of the photos on the site, the kissing one works better cropped without the hand cupping the breast, and the licking one works better without the model's rear on full display. I actually find the shots they didn't use in the mag more beautiful and prefer the one with the exposed nipple to the one where Adam's hand is on it.

The photos portray Adam as very masculine which I find very different to the RS shoot where I thought his effeminacy was highlighted. The imagery and feel of the photo shoot, although not quite as steamy, remind me of the work by Herb Ritts, who in addition to being a photographer, directed one of the most beautiful music videos - Wicked Game which I've included here. Watch it and you'll know what I mean. The portraits of Adam are quite reminiscent of the close-ups of Chris Isaak in the video.

The racy photos I'm sure have already been discussed to death but I might as well pitch in.  I don't see it as Adam betraying his sexuality and selling out. The shoot is for a lads' mag, and lads' mags aren't subtle and need breasts to sell. These are comparatively high-brow compared to the bulk of them. I think the point of those photos is to illustrate the sub-heading of the article 'Why does every woman in America want to sleep with Adam Lambert?' and to reinforce Adam's view that attraction isn't necessarily dictated by sexual orientation. Being gay doesn't exclude you from appreciating the opposite sex and the photos show him exploring that beauty. The editor decided to include in the mag the shots with the greatest shock factor, which I find a little vulgar and gimmicky. I'm fine with the nudity but I'm one who prefers the sexy to be implied and think the same message could have been put across without resorting to as much gratuitous flesh fondling. I think Adam was rather shocked himself on seeing them but seemed to get a kick out of it.  He liked the results and I consider them a success having achieved the goal of fuelling fantasies and generating quite a stir. It's kept us talking, given headlines to the magazine and helped maintain the buzz. It also gets the controversy over and done with should Adam want to put his bi-curiosity into practice or cavort with the opposite gender in his music videos. It's certainly keeping people very interested in what he does next.

The article, although eclipsed by the photos, is interesting and elaborates on what was said in RS. Adam appears to be getting comfortable with being more forthright in his speech. I felt he had an increased impatience towards the overzealous Christians who he's mentioned before, and more annoyance directed at those fans who think he owes them. Although he was a big tease about being tempted to make out with women, I think the article could have delved a little deeper. After all, that was supposed to be the heart of the article but I felt that it was more like an excuse to show the photos. He talked in a bit more detail about his past issues and his destructive streak. I have a liberal attitude towards recreational drug use and don't find it surprising, but I'd suspected he'd done speed rather than coke judging by some old photos where he looked very thin. It surprised me a little that he talked about having slept around, I thought he'd keep that a mystery but I guess its purpose is to lay the foundations for future eye-rolling if anyone steps forward with a tabloid kiss and tell. I'm pleased for his success and it's always reassuring to know that Simon Fuller recognises what a rare talent Adam is, putting him amongst the all-time great singers. I often find myself shaking my head in disbelief when I remember that Adam came out of Idol. Looking at this latest article, it seems he couldn't be further from it.

Twisting the Dial

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It's been a couple of days since the end of the tour after which there have been some unexpected goodies. First of all, there was the release of a video yesterday giving us a glimpse of Adam's ideas of putting on a spectacle for the Zodiac Show:



We had a better idea at the beginning of the tour how much Adam held back during AI. We'd already seen his performances at the Zodiac Show but were never sure how much he had to just follow directions and how much of it came from him. This article from way back suggested that Adam had a fair amount of control, but until seeing this video, I never realised the extent to which his ideas were tamed. I love his child-like enthusiasm that makes his requests impossibly difficult to resist. The comment about 'Those albino dudes from the Matrix' not having the desired effect and his reaction is very reminiscent of Simon's and Rocky Horror. At least he didn't waste the outfit idea, which I would describe as Glamazonian warrior ice-queen.

I have to wonder about the timing of the release of the video because I believe it to be deliberate. Was it to keep up the buzz? Was it a present to his fans? I'm inclined to think that its purpose is to prime us for what's to come in terms of the visual performance aspect. In the same manner in that if he had first appeared on AI with his tour antics, he would have irreparably alienated many. But by the time the tour came along people were somewhat prepared. He was still contained during the tour so now it's time to crank it up a notch. I think a lot was learned by testing the waters with RoF about how far to push the envelope and stay on the right side of the line. This video seems to say 'You ain't seen nothing yet. This is me, this is my art, this is my direction, these are my crazy-ass ideas, so get ready bitches!' The Zodiac Show is already pretty far out, but if even there he had to make compromises, you have to wonder what the mind-blowing extravaganza will be if he's given full artistic license to do exactly as he pleases. With rumours of the next single being 'Strut' and a music video ready, how far will he dial up the avant garde? Exciting times await.

Reminiscent of the transition between RoF and ToMT, we see another huge contrast between that video and Adam's appearance at the corporate event today where he dialled it right back down with a bare natural look and honeyed voice entirely appropriate for the situation.

Here are Starlight, Tracks of my Tears, Mad World, Crazy (duet with Kris):


Pre-performance banter

Starlight is sung in a manner very similar to the GMA performance and it was a pleasant surprise to hear acoustic ToMT again despite being so short. It was all about the voice, which lingers long after the peformance. Even though I've heard MW so many times, I appreciate hearing a version with acoustic guitar. The sparseness of the arrangement makes it a beautiful lament and the purity of those final notes are just breathtaking. The banter before the duet is worth watching as Adam effortlessly charms the whole room with his charisma, you can't help but smile. Crazy is a little frustrating for me though, as Kris seems to be straining while Adam has to restrain himself to try to make the duet work. It would have been too jarring for Adam to go all-out but that's what we all wanted.

The last couple of days have reminded us again just how dynamic and versatile Adam is. If I were to hazard a guess, the tour performances would sit somewhere near the middle. During today's performances, he dialled it right down but for the Zodiac Show, we know he didn't crank it up fully. My thoughts are that he's been tweaking up the dial in stages so that we don't all explode. One thing I'm really itching to know is - just how far does the dial go?

The Cover

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I know it's been a long time, but I just wanted to comment on that cover. I'd been waiting for it to arrive here in the UK for what seemed like forever but now I have it in my possession. Thank you so much to everyone who generously offered to send me a copy! When I called up the nearest big newsagent asking whether they had RS and who was on the cover, the reply was 'That bloke who won American Idol.' It amused me that Adam Lambert has the power to alter history.

When I got there, I looked for the green amongst the myriad of music mags and found one copy peeking out. My face dropped a little when I picked it up and saw that the cover was dog-eared. I searched the rack and found one more copy hiding behind a pile of Q magazines (I'm sorry to the Glambert who probably hid it and hope this blog makes up for any bad karma!) so snatched it up quickly. When I got home, I realised it was a less-than-perfect copy. There must have been a bit of a printing mishap because there were various ink splotches on the photo of Adam applying eyeliner. It does detract a little from the picture but could also look like a deliberate effect so I gave it points for uniqueness (continued after photo).



Even though I'd seen it and read the article from scans, I still found myself staring at the photo for some time. It's an incredibly arresting, erotic photo and the first thing that struck me were those eyes. They are thickly lined and intense and see straight through to your deepest buried secrets. His head is angled so he's looking slightly down, showing who's in charge of that power struggle. He's playing with you because he knows your darkest desires and wants you to explore them. The self-assured 'come hither' expression, the barrier of arms out of the way, the very dilated pupils and the open mouth are suggestive of a state of arousal, daring you to try to see if you can handle what's next on that messy unmade bed, or whatever fiery impulses lead to.

The next thing I was drawn to was the crotch area and the luminous green python with its forked tongue licking out. That snake is truly a thing of beauty - I never knew they came in such brilliant shades of colour. It was Adam's idea to use the snake in the shot, alluding to the Garden of Eden and wanting people to question the concept of morality. Then there's the starry butterfly next to it, which was the stylist's idea. There's a lot of symbolism to be made of what these elements mean. The snake embodies temptation (you know you want it, quit resisting and just succumb to your infernal desires, bitch!) but is in itself phallic, and the way it rests on his crotch could point towards his homosexuality. The butterfly is quite feminine, complemeting the masculinity of the snake and perhaps representing Adam's experimentation with masculinity, femininity and androgyny. I think it reinforces his belief in the universality of attraction and the fluid nature of sexuality. It could also symbolise Adam's liberation in finally spreading his wings after emerging from the safe conformist middle-America-pleasing AI chrysalis to reveal his true fabulous nature. Next I'm drawn to the chest, exposed by his unbuttoned shirt, and the notice the stubble. There seems to be a tie draped over his neck, which adds a kinky S&M element to it. His wrists are inviting to be tied up and he's willing to be submissive whilst remaining domineering. The thick ruffled hair begs to be grabbed onto - you'll need to hold on for the ride of your life.

The Rockstar Adam photo simmers and is reminiscent of Jim Morrison but with more clothes on. The composition is superb, I love the understated colour and the areas with the strongest contrasts lure you to the two focal points: face/crotch crotch/face, one leading to the other, and we're torn between the two. It's one sexy MF of a cover which I feel is another one of those full circle moments where he started on the Idol stage doing a Rolling Stones cover only to end up as the cover of Rolling Stone.

Kiss Don't Tell

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The recent photos of a Kiss and Tell performance at Society got me thinking how glad I am at the absence of any sordid kiss and tell stories about Adam surfacing and being sold to the tabloids. There weren't actually any big scandals at all this season, with the closest thing being the kissing photos. They usually happen when media interest is at its peak so whoever sells the stories can really milk it. The most likely time I thought this would happen was around the final and I was relieved that there was nothing. But does it mean that the kiss and tellers don't think the peak has been reached so they're biding their time until Adam really achieves superstardom for the big bucks? Is there a Sword of Damocles waiting to drop?

I think it's fairly safe to assume that Adam's had an exciting life with plenty of outrageous stories behind him, probably involving things that are too shocking for conservative America to handle. I'd love to go out and get hammered with him, talk random shit and exchange mad stories about trippy experiences, maybe over a smoke. Yes, want to know all about them, but only from his own mouth if he chooses to tell me. I think it was wise to be so candid in the RollingStone interview because it means that people will just roll their eyes if someone tries to sell a story about the things mentioned. If he has led a crazy exciting life seasoned with the risqué, is it surprising that there've been no kiss and tells?

There is stereotype of a large section of the gay community being highly promiscuous. I have a gay friend who made my jaw drop when he told me the number of sexual partners he'd had in the course of a few months. I wonder where he gets all that stamina from! I also have hetero friends whose bedrooms have been fitted with revolving doors. I also wonder how they deal with the whole headfuck aspect of it all. There is a difference in how they are viewed though, and I feel that if you're a gay male, you're more likely to have a label slapped upon you as being part of a 'scene' where you indiscriminately screw around. I don't have any statistics so it's impossible for me to say whether the label is in part justified. I think the point I'm trying to make here is that the likelihood of these types of stories appearing increases with promiscuity.

Adam has revealed in an interview that he's spent his twenties looking for love. His relationships have been few and far between, and he's only been in love once. I think this helps to challenge that stereotype of gay men cruising for no-strings sex and makes him seem like more of an old-fashioned romantic. Yes, gay men can also be romantic and idealistic and it seems Adam is a good example of that. His detractors would argue though, that his lack of relationships could be interpreted to mean plenty of debauched casual sex as he doesn't currently consider Drake as his boyfriend, and the reason no stories have leaked is because of an unwritten code of conduct. I was a little surprised when he mentioned Drake by name to say that they were dating, as it's leaning towards kiss and tell territory, but afterwards when I thought about it again, the site that did the interview had already written about them as a couple and I realised he'd said it to nip those sensational 'Lambry Split!' type of headlines in the bud before it got out of hand.

Kiss and Tell, which he wrote, isn't about a tabloid kind of scandal but I think rather a song about feelings that aren't reciprocated. The lyrics initially suggest some level of promiscuity with 'I've had lots of lovers, And everyone knows it' and a certain nonchalant, liberal attitude towards sex in a casual liaison, after which your big mouth lands you into trouble. On closer inspection, I think it's about more than that because the rushy excitement and positivity suggest that real feelings are involved. I'm inclined to think it's about feeling a little hurt after being chastised for jumping the gun, assuming and announcing a relationship with someone who either wasn't ready for a relationship or who wanted to disassociate themselves from you. It's about frustration with your partner not feeling comfortable with being 'out' as a couple. Most of us have been there and I feel that the song comes from a personal place. If the song is autobiographical, it may be why he has denied that Drake is his boyfriend out of fear of being stung again by making that assumption. Of course he may have just simply written the song based on observations of those from the club scene who can easily identify with the situation, who knows?

Adam is sweet, charming, and gets on well with almost anyone. Of those who have been graced by his glittery aura, who would want to hurt him by selling their story? He's had plenty of opportunity to make enemies so far, but I can count up all the negative encounters on one hand, which is pretty good going. People are taken by him and he has left no one in his wake feeling hurt and bitter enough to spill the beans yet. As far as I can tell, he still appears to get on with his exes although this is pure conjecture on my part based on his relationship with Cheeks, who allegedly rejected an offer to tell all, and the example set by his parents. He's been careful not to make enemies of the media and paps with diva behaviour, always showing kindness and consideration even if they were being downright rude. This has set him in good stead. I think he understands the importance of being on good terms with the tabloid media, and if the public is overwhelmingly on your side, it's not unknown for the tabloids to help you stamp out these stories. There are plenty of examples of them demonising the opportunists instead of selling the scandal.

I think Adam chooses who he mixes with carefully, with his peers being involved in the creative industries and likely to share similar experiences, attitudes and mindsets. If any of them were to sell him out, surely they'd damage themselves more than Adam, and they'd be ostracised like lepers. Many of his circle of friends live on the cusp of fame, trying to break through and wouldn't lower themselves to be tainted by the tabloid buck. Anyone who tries to sell Adam out would also incur the wrath of his not-to-be-messed-with fans, who would be quick to fiercely jump on them based on Want-gate and #gokeyisadouche-gate. After all, what goes around comes around, and they would forever need to watch their backs. We all know never to make an enemy out of Adam because he can easily outwit anyone, paint them purple, dye their hair blue, dress them up in feathers and apply sparkly makeup on them before they can even finish their diss. And by the time they get to that point, they've lost their train of thought when they realise they've been made to look ridiculous because they're actually digging their new appearance.

Kiss and tell scandals depend on your behaviour, how you treat people and who you get involved with. From all the evidence so far, Adam has kept the risk of this happening fairly minimal. The fact that there's been nothing so far, and unless someone is extremely careless, I expect and hope there'll be kissing but no telling in the future.

Unwanted

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There is currently a furore over the release of studio session tracks that Adam lent his vocals to a few years ago. A single called 'Want' is available from today and an album called 'On with the Show' is to be released by HiFi Records/Wilshire Records.

Am I alone in thinking that this is just a storm in a teacup? HiFi/Wilshire is blatantly trying to cash in on Adam's celebrity status, and while it can be annoying, to paraphrase his words, it comes with the territory. 'Want' isn't train-wreck awful and there are plenty of worse ways people could be selling him out, so I really don't buy into all the fears about it harming his career before it has even taken off.

Firstly, let's get the negative over with. The single seems to be very far from the direction in which Adam wants to go. It may fragment the perception of his style and image to make establishing his artistic identity a little more difficult to new audiences. He's tried to distance himself from it via the following statement:

"Back in 2005 when I was a struggling artist, I was hired as a studio singer to lend my vocals to tracks written by someone else," he said. "I was broke at the time and this was my chance to make a few bucks, so I jumped at the opportunity to record for my first time in a professional studio. The work I did back then in no way reflects the music I am currently in the studio working on. I'm thrilled to be working with some of today's hottest songwriters and producers and can't wait for people to hear what my music really sounds like."

The record company issued a conflicting statement that many feel is deliberately misleading though, and I can see how it can cause outrage, claiming that Adam "co-wrote many of the tracks" and that they are "drenched in Lambert's pop/rock sound and style" when he has made clear that he didn't write the songs, and they're not his sound. There is a definite contradiction between the two statements with HiFi/Wilshire coming off looking decidedly less favourable. The fact that his 'first single' isn't his style and lyrically quite cheesy with a substandard production that leaves much to be desired, coupled with anger turning many fans to boycott the single, combined with the fact that he won't be promoting it will give ammunition to his critics to view it as a failure.

There are many positives though, and the fact that I am writing about it now means that it is publicity. The key thing is that we know it's old material and know that it's not the kind of sound Adam is going for. Due to it already making so many headlines means we will be aware of the tracks being old material that HiFi/Wilshire are just trying to cash in on.

Come on, I think they're actually doing us a favour. What fans of Adam aren't excited about getting different material we haven't heard before? We may not love the material but will still love his vocals, and it'll keep up the interest while he's busy touring and recording. It'll keep us ticking along while we're waiting for his proper tunes. If you're not an Adam fan, it's unlikely that you'd come across the material anyway as it's not going to be a big release that's heavily promoted. And I think that blander ballady material might even appeal to those who aren't currently fans of his.

I think of it like the Ten Commandments releasing 'Is Anybody Listening?' on iTunes, or Fonzerelli releasing 'What's Love Got To Do With It' under Brazen, or someone posting more of his Upright Cabaret performances. They haven't done Adam any harm but in fact have helped him to showcase his range and widen his appeal to different audiences. It's highly unlikely that anyone will be exposed to 'Want' without first being familiar with some of his other past material. After seeing his musical theatre or club performances, you're not necessarily going to jump to the conclusion that he's going to be like that as an artist because they were just paid gigs. I think we can extend that to 'Want' too, as his identity, because of the media spotlight, has already been established enough for most to know that it's not his individual sound.

Like I'm assuming with 'Want', Adam also makes nothing from all the pre-Idol material, but I think the issue that most fans have, being so fiercely protective, is that someone else is misrepresenting him and exploiting him for financial gain, perhaps detracting from his real material and raining on his parade. Clouds have silver linings though, and it keeps Adam in the public consciousness while throwing us a small bone to chew on while we're waiting for the main course. I personally think there'll be little more than a fine mist, and again, looking at the positive, you don't get rainbows without it.

Adam Comes Out (and also answers the Gay Question)

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I'm loving that Adam is allowing the less PC side of him to come out to play because it feels like he's finally taking a break from keeping up his best straight-laced behaviour. As far as I'm concerned, that was the only thing that had been left in his closet. All through the competition, Adam maintained a solid front of niceness and even in the days immediately after the competition it was almost sickly how gracious and humble he seemed to be. There were times when I felt a little frustrated with him because I thought he was disguising his true feelings. My powers of empathy can't stretch to not being disappointed by not winning AI for reasons other than talent.

It's now become quite a distant memory, but I think Adam considered the consequences beforehand and made a concious decision, perhaps even rehearsed his reaction for when he didn't win. After much thought, I can't see how he could've handled it better. His broad freckled shoulders carried the weight of many projected hopes and dreams. He did us all a favour by lifting us and making us focus on the positive, even if he was hurting on the inside. His optimism carried us through the dejection. Can you imagine how distraught his fans would have been if he openly displayed his disappointment? Fandom manifests itself in some extreme incarnations and his fans are most rabid. It's not beyond reason that lives may even have been at stake so he probably felt some responsibility to hold them up.

I can completely understand all the reasons for keeping up his happy appearance with the result. Perhaps I just felt uneasy that he could hide any negative emotions so well, presenting a calculated exterior and proving what a good actor he is in his ability to dupe. That's why I felt somewhat relieved and pleased when his snark emerged. It made him seem more real, more believable and it allowed me to reconcile Nice Guy with Showman.

There had been early indicators of Adam's wicked and sarcastic side from various sources. From his old MySpace profile, he listed shows such as Weeds, Dexter, Six Feet Under, The Office and Nip/Tuck amongst his favourites. I also love these shows for their dark humour. There were all his crazy friends with all their hilariously far-out comments that they left him. Then there were Eber's wry comments about Adam not really liking sports, said with a smirk. I interpreted it as his amusement of skirting around the subject of Adam's sexual orientation on the show. And let's not forget Negative Neil whose acerbic blog is built from snark.

There were some hints during the show when Adam responded to criticism from Simon. There was his confident 'I can' during Hollywood week, the shrugging after Satisfaction to the remark about parts being terrible, and he just managed to check himself and bite his tongue after RoF. The Rocky Horror comment he cleverly chewed up, twisted and spat back with a sweet smile as his riposte, and he brushed off the Phantom of the Opera criticism. There was also the glee at singing or sneaking in smutty lyrics such as his 'seven inches in the midday sun', 'do what you do down on me', and his 'playing with the boys all night'. Then there was the encounter with the TMZ pap who he confronted head-on and swiftly dealt with by slapping everything back at the biatch to make him feel awkward.

It was only after Adam got out of the Idol bubble that I felt we got to see him unshackled and free from worrying about staying on the show. We saw the slightly sniggery way of dealing with questions about the cheesefest that is No Boundaries. After a few days of keeping up appearances, the snark began to emerge, first in his retort towards Clay Aiken's bitching, then his hilarious reference to the pink elephant, his swearing at Hair, his 'liking the top' double entendre and then his Idolatry interview where he bit back at Gene Simmons's comment about his voice. And of course we have the very frank interview with Rolling Stone and his bi-curious teasing during the 20/20 interview.

I admired the way Adam bitchslapped Clay Aiken after his scathing criticism. There was no resorting to crude insults or outright rudeness, just a snap putting him back into his place. I loved the snarky comment about helping him out, which was probably even more infuriating because he couldn't really dispute what Adam said as it actually rang true. I'm guessing Adam has little respect for the way he lied about his sexuality from the Rolling Stone article. In those early post-Idol interviews, the best ones seemed to be where the interviewer went in with the assumption that he was gay and didn't try to find some convoluted way of trying to trip him up and get it out of him. I thought Adam seemed most natural in the Idolatry one, which was helped by him and Michael Slezak understanding each other's humour. Much of what he said on it he would not have said during AI, like sticking up for RoF, regarding dissing country music as 'bull' and telling people to 'buy the other guy's record' if they don't understand his trying to shake up Idol. And I thought they actually talked quite openly about Adam's sexuality. His swipe back at Gene Simmons was pure genius and was a wonderful demonstration of snark. If not for Slezak cracking up, the irony would probably have shot over the heads of many. If quoted in print, there was nothing incriminating, but the subtext for anyone paying attention was that Simmons's boots were the best thing about him because in his glass house his own singing is rubbish and he only pretended to play guitar. From his reaction to criticism on Idol, you may have been led to believe that Adam would take it quietly, but he's made it clear straight away that he would be a formidable adversary, taking no shit from anyone. Good on him.

Some other things that have made me laugh are his mock scolding of people pretending to be him, his stand mid-song against hecklers after simulating masturbation, his deadpan Best Week Ever appearance, and his wanting to play Judas alongside Kris's Jesus.

I like the fact that Adam is slightly more brazen than he was during the AI run and I can finally see why he thinks he lacks a filter. I'll be covering my thoughts on the Rolling Stone article in a different post but I just want to end by highlighting one of Adam's qualities that will serve him extremely well in the future, and that is his ability to build a rapport with anyone. You often see him leading others to mirror his body language. In interviews, he manages to adapt himself, setting the appropriate tone for the situation and interviewer. There were huge differences between his formal but charming manner on 20/20 to the snark on Idolatry, to the surreal comedy of the Best Week Ever interview to his audacious turn on Rolling Stone. He's been networking for years and one of his greatest skills is knowing how to work people. Before they know it, he's left them in a puff of glitter, standing there semi-naked, confused and wondering what the hell just happened after he cheekily charmed the pants off them without their knowledge because they were too busy entranced by him. I'm glad to see that other facets of Adam are unfolding and no longer being kept under wraps because they're such fun and add extra colour to this already fascinating chameleon.

Sexuality Vs Ethnoreligion In The Media

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The intense speculation over Adam's sexual orientation makes me wonder how long he has before his ass bursts into flames under the gigantic magnifying glass that's focussed on him.  It's continuing to annoy me and seems to be completely overshadowing everything else.  One thing that came out recently which I think is just as important (or unimportant) as his sexuality is that Adam has confirmed that he's Jewish, but this received little or no media attention.

I can see some parallels and as far as I'm concerned, his being Jewish was just as 'ambiguous' during the Idol run as his sexual orientation because Adam had never confirmed it outright.  We had evidence from his singing in Hebrew to doing Jewish fundraising events, and his dad had stated on MySpace that he'd been to Hebrew school.  We'd also had evidence regarding his sexual orientation from his social networking sites, photos and videos.

The American media are piling on the pressure for Adam to make a statement about his sexuality yet no one needed him to make a statement to confirm whether or not he was Jewish, even though in both cases, the evidence was similarly conclusive.  There were plenty of media articles claiming that he was Jewish before his confirmation, even though I believe he identifies only ethnically and not religiously (he has stated that he is agnostic on his Tribe page).  People were happy just presuming that he was Jewish with few questions asked.  Why could this more mature attitude not be adopted for his sexual orientation?  Why is the question of sexuality so much more important to the media?

I can't see the point in forcing Adam into a formal confirmation if he's not keen on bearing the heavy responsibility of being the champion for gay rights.  What right do people have to feel angry or frustrated by Adam's refusal to make a statement about his personal business when he just wants to make music?  He owes us nothing but unfortunately the speculation won't disappear until he gives a direct answer.  It could be argued that Adam's sexuality plays a greater role than being Jewish in defining him as an artist, but it still doesn't justify the demand for a declaration.  What will it change?  I see it as pointless as making Obama tell everyone he's black.

Attitudes clearly need to evolve because I see a smacking of double standards.  I'm led to believe that the American media are just a bunch of sniggering nosy perverts when it comes to anything non-heterosexual.  I still hope Adam doesn't make that formal announcement in Rolling Stone, but above all, I hope he can shift attitudes to make them all grow up.

The Big Question That Just Won't Fuck Off

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One of the first questions during the press conference just after the final results show was relating to Adam's sexuality.  Since then, it's been a recurring interview theme to ask questions that dance around the subject.  None of the interviewers will ask the question directly because there's no way you can ask the question without sounding like a complete dick.  Even Ryan Seacrest has hidden behind the pretence of asking him whether it affected his chances of winning.  For someone who claims to lack a filter, Adam is very savvy and has tactfully handled his questions in the best manner possible with his charm and quick wit, and he's been successful at somewhat deflecting the question and bringing the focus back onto his music and style.  He seems to enjoy playing the media, teasing them, giving them plenty, but keeping the unequivocal answer they seek just agonisingly out of grasp whilst showing them to be the stupid fools they are, but I wonder how long he can maintain it before the question ends up wearing him down.  I'm finding it yawningly tiresome and I'm not even the one being asked.  When the analysis of the results has finished, what will they use next to try to beat the answer out of him?  I have a horrible feeling that the pressure is going to keep building, they're going to keep pummelling him and it's not going to stop until he gives the answer.

For any sentient being who has bothered to look, the answer to the big question is glaringly obvious.  Adam's told us he's not hiding anything and he's given us an abundance of allusions for us to draw our conclusions from.  We've seen plenty of photos, he's never tried to deny or cover anything up and he's told us he has nothing to hide, it's not an issue for him.  A quick look at what was his MySpace page leaves us in no doubt.  He's changed a load of lyrics in the songs he's done to become gender neutral.  He loves Gossip Girl and dressing up.  Some of his responses have all but been a full-on declaration.  There's little in the way of ambiguity.  To the question 'Do you think your sexuality affected your chances of winning?' he's acknowledged the question and gone on to answer it, not take issue with the question.  His role model is Harvey Milk and he has talked about ACIGC representing new civil rights issues.  When asked whether he was bi-curious, he answered Laura Saltman with a flirtatious look, telling her she was helping him with that.  When asked about the elephant of a question, he told us it was pink, which made me laugh.  It was sharp, witty and very clear in its message.  Come on!  What more do they want?  Do they seriously need a public display of sodomy?

Adam has such class and does not need to be dragged down to the level to get that pointless elusive headline.  I mean, does he really need to spell it out letter by letter for inane assholes?  The media persistence and its obsession with being able to correctly pigeonhole him really pisses me off.  Who - apart from those hungry for a big headline - actually wants or needs explicit confirmation?  It really isn't necessary to state the obvious and the fact that it is so obvious and the media are still hunting it down only serves to make it seem all the more ridiculous.  We know he is sex personified and it's really not important to pinpoint the category he fits neatly into.  His sexuality is such a non-issue for most of those who care and is only significant in the way it affects his art.  I really hope he doesn't succumb to the pressure and never explicitly proclaims his sexuality because I just find the idea of a front page declaration vulgar and tacky.  I think it would essentially undermine part of his mystique if he places himself within the confines of a box.  Like his art, he doesn't belong in any box and I hope he continues to evade the stupid label they're trying to pin on him.

Apple Pie Adam

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This was a week in which Adam returned to his past.  Revisting the past is usually something that's bittersweet but I get the feeling that the past was more on the unpleasant side for Adam because he's talked about how he's always been made fun of and how he was the weird kid at school.  Many people were concerned about the visit dredging up old high school woes but I think it's good to face the past before diving into the future because you can appreciate how the pain of the past is an important part of the journey that leads to the present.  Adam said he said he wasn't that popular, but he was also careful not to play the victim card by keeping any bitterness in check, emphasing that he wasn't necessarily disliked, but rather misunderstood.

I can't say I understand Adam and I think this is a conundrum that has gotten us so fixated with him.  He just seems to be such an enigma.  This past week has shown us polar opposites and the biggest possible contrast between the different sides of Adam that it's hard to believe they are the same person.  Seeing him sing in his graduation video as a cherubic sandy haired, freckly, slightly awkward teen after watching Whole Lotta Love was just shocking.

I'm sure I can't be the only one who has trouble in reconciling sweetheart, gentle, granny-hugging Apple Pie Adam at his homecoming with the disdainful, aggressive, so sexually charged he was audio-visual Viagra that could ignite a population explosion, rock god Adam.  How can someone be so completely different when they are on stage?  Surely to be able to be convincing you have to experience and empathise with the character you are portraying.  But there's nothing about Adam's personality we've seen that remotely resembles the contemptuous snarling sex god.

Throughout AI so far, Adam has managed to avoid any overlap between his on and off-stage self.  I did wonder before, but I'm now convinced that Adam is genuinely every bit as sweet as he apears to be.  I'm fairly certain that if the nice guy thing was just an act, then the cracks would definitely have appeared on such a day as his homecoming.  I spent the day watching the videos and my head hurt from all the screaming hysterical fans.  I felt exhausted and deaf and I wasn't even there so I can't imagine what it would've been like for Adam.  There's just no way you could keep a fake smile and persona throughout the whole day like that.  He conducted himself graciously, radiating charisma and charm throughout.  He showed how much he cared for and appreciated his fans and tried hard to make time for them, hugging them, speaking to them, fulfilling their requests for shouts out and signing autographs.  It was a long day and he displayed patience and stamina.  Through all the videos that I saw - and there were a heck of a lot - I was pleasantly surprised at how generous and responsive he was and he didn't snub anyone.  To be chased around like that I did feel concerned for him being overwhelmed.  It must be a bit of a headfuck to come out of the bubble and realise suddenly you're the world's shit-hot next biggest thing.  The negative part of me was thinking how fickle people are and would compare how differently they treat him now that he's on Idol.  Although I'm confident Adam knew what he was getting himself into from the lyrics of Pop Goes the Camera - which are quite prophetic - I'm fairly certain he couldn't have known how intense the spotlight would be on him or the extraordinary effect he has on people.  I think that if he fully understood the latter, he would be quite freaked out.  I see the benefits of why he waited so long to audition.  Although it was a struggle, I'm glad he has experienced a normal life which has shaped who he is before being whisked away with AI.  I'm glad he grew to be assured enough in himself not to feel ripped apart by the need to compromise because of any negativity aimed towards him.

Next brings me to the Adam I don't think I've seen on AI, which I categorise as a combination of the on and off-stage personas.  The one who likes to dress up and goes to Burning Man.  This side of him is compellingly mysterious and yet so appealing that we can't help but wonder.  Is he still Apple Pie Adam or does he get into a certain character?  Is he still sweet and charming even when he's dressed up as an other-worldly fantasy beast?  He captures our imaginations because he represents what we all wish we could be like but aren't daring enough to take the leap.  This part of him to me is exciting and fearless, symbolising an avant-garde creative free spirit with little regard for social convention.  It represents an exploratory and experimental side which is individualistic, bold and audacious.  He's talked about people loving or hating him and getting kicks out of arousing strong reactions and that if everyone likes you, you're playing things too safe.  His attitude portrays that of an artist who is dedicated to challenging us and he has the potential to create tidal waves.  The thing is, how can you be of all these things and still be so incredibly grounded and nice?  If you dare to push boundaries, surely you have to fashion a 'screw them' attitude about you in order to survive?  Those who take the leap can often get lost.  I can't say I like people who are provocative for the sake of getting attention.  How can Adam manage to be provocative without provoking outrage and consternation, and remain so likeable at the same time?  Or am I just blind to it and it's just a matter of taste?  Adam to me is a screaming contradiction who defies stereotypes.  He doesn't do it in a brash, in your face, 'Look at me, aren't I shocking?' kind of way, but in an unabashed 'Let's have some fun, aw, it's a shame if you don't like it' kind of way.  There may be parts of his art or assumed lifestyle that people could find to hate but he concedes no part of his actual personality to lend itself to be hated.  Even the bashers have to admit that he seems to be a truly amiable person.

I think the homecoming showed him in a very positive light as the theatre kid who worked hard, followed his dreams and done good.  He's not had the background story clips like the others so this will help to show other sides of him.  Each part of his visit showed us something slightly different but altogether, I think it was a great PR success.  I haven't watched any of the other homecomings so have nothing to compare it to, but it seemed to be personal and sincere with the focus on others rather than a pretentious flashy ego-trip.  The places he visited seemed to mean something to him and I thought he was giving a nod to all those who helped and shaped him along the way.  The visits to the radio and TV stations showed how appreciative he is of his fans, easily relating to both young and old.  The radio slots gave us more insight into his time on AI and how winning would validate everything he's done up to now.  It was touching that he was still able to remember his first-grade teacher.  The interview with his mother showed what a sweet and loving son he is.  The clip with the weathergirl showed us how unassuming but delightfully engaging he is at the same time.  The visit to the school was inspiring and full of positivity for the children.  The visit to the theatre group reminded us that he will never forget his roots and wants to make a difference to aspiring little Adams.  The trip to the military base was an unusual move but he showed his heartfelt appreciation to the troops, where he sang a moving and beautiful but very simple a capella national anthem.  In doing this, I think he added to his fan base and at the same time placated those who took issue with his previous Burning Man rendition of the anthem.  In one day, he managed show us his take on social responsibilities to promote art, education, individuality, patriotism, tolerance, acceptance and risk-taking without a hint of self-indulgence, which is an impressive achievement.

I'd challenge anyone to say that they really get Adam but I hope the difference between now and his high school years is that the message that he's been trying to deliver for much of his life has finally hit home for all of us.  I'm sorry you had a tough time, Apple Pie Adam, but it's made you into who you are today.  You may still be weird, we don't truly get you, but we wholeheartedly accept and love you for it.

The Master of PR

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Well my free time is still being dominated and I've been obsessing over what the excruciating viewing of the results show mean for Adam.  Was the release of the new Upright video of Gotta Get Thru This a specific message to his fans at this critical time?  It seems to be no coincidence and it's becoming more apparent that Adam is on the pulse when it comes to PR.  Is he the one who's pulling all the strings in the background?  All his YouTube videos increase people's admiration for him and show us what else he can do that he hasn't done on American Idol.  They show his alternative side, deepen his fanbase and have probably won over more legions of fans than what AI alone would have been able to do.  He seems to have his own parallel Adam Lambert Show simultaneously running on YouTube and we're as much looking forward to tuning in to the next installment of his Upright performances as his episodes of AI.  He's teasing us with the YouTube clips so we want more.  I'd guess that much of the YouTube demographic is different to the AI audience and one of the aims is to get the YouTube (and perhaps non-AI) fans on board to vote for him on AI.  Clever, no?

Will The Real Adam Lambert Please Stand Up?

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Who is the real Adam Lambert? What do we really know about this person we feel we've gotten to know through TV appearances, articles, photos and videos? The more I think about it, the more I'm convinced I know nothing. I think he's like a shape-shifter, adapting himself in any kind of situation but still retaining his essence.

Where does Adam sit musically? He's said himself that his album would be quite schizophrenic, (or should that be more like schizophonic) and would include electro, pop and rock. All the American Idol performances we've seen have been so varied, winning over slightly different legions of fan every week. His fan base has been piling up, and as far as I can tell, none of the other contestants have been able to amass such broad appeal because they've more or less stayed near their genre and comfort zone whereas Adam has straddled them with ease. Everyone has their favourite Adam performances and because there are so many different types of fans, it's becoming increasingly difficult for him to satisfy everyone with each performance. This is a factor that will influence his upcoming choices on the show.

Many believe his true self to be outrageous and OTT and that he's playing it safe and toning it down to win by trading in some of his edginess for popularity. One thing we must remember about all his pre-Idol performances is that they were just performances and not necessarily him. I don't know how much creative input he had on gigs such as the Zodiac Show or Citizen Vein, but he immersed himself into each of the characters for the roles he had to play. He has shown his ability to adapt to anything but what would he be like if given complete freedom? Some argue that American Idol is stifling his creativity somewhat, but do we know by what extent? Much in the way that he did theatre to earn a living, that he has done outrageous stuff before doesn't necessarily mean that's where he wants to go. I'd of course love it if it is.

Adam has talked about structuring his performances like a set list in a show, which suggests he's a strategist who's been carefully plotting each step beforehand. Or have the decisions he's made upon his journey been more intuitive and worked out as he's gone along? From his interviews and soundbites, he comes across as unimposing and articulates himself very well, somewhat in contrast to his performer persona. His answers are intelligent and considered and you get the feeling that he knows a lot more than he's letting on so it wouldn't surprise me if every move is carefully calculated. If you take it even further, you could conjecture that he's been planning and preparing for the show for years. In those years, he's been steadily developing himself, his skills and building up a fan base from his various gigs, applying to American Idol only when confident in his ability to go far on the show.

On the show, he comes across as a modest, respectful and considerate person, which certainly makes him likeable and helps win votes. But could the fact that he has acting under his belt have allowed him to carefully construct his on-screen persona to perfection, treating every moment as a performance? Surely he can't keep up the façade all the time? And when he does perform, does he really sing from the bottom of his heart and feel all the emotions he portrays? If not, it's a true testament to the mastery of his acting ability.

Having said that, he does seem to test the persona on rare occasions, where I think I've detected a tiny inkling of cockiness in his reactions to the judges, and how he seems less camp on the show than during interviews. And doesn't all the pre-Idol material somewhat contradictorily paint him as someone very daring, bold, flamboyant and uninhibited? Or is that just his performing alter ego?

Is the pleasant image part of his manipulating masterplan or is it the real Adam?

All the interviews with people who've worked with him suggest the latter. If he were a Machiavellian genius, then surely he would already have broken through as an artist? I've often wondered why he hadn't already been discovered. Could it be because he's such a nice person and hasn't elbowed, hustled and manipulated his way up?

I guess it doesn't matter who Adam Lambert really is, only that we are under his spell. We just feel that he's captured our imaginations by being fascinating, intriguing, exciting and addictive. I can't wait to see how he expresses himself when he's given free reign. In the meantime, we'll just have to settle for whichever side he choses to show us. Just like his music, Adam is fluid and multifaceted, and I suspect that whoever the real Adam Lambert is, will elude definition. It's all part of his mystique.