Supreme Exclusive: Whataya want from Adam Lambert?
MANILA, Philippines - Like a moth to a flame, I walked curiously towards the Universal Studios Hollywood Theater in Singapore to view the dazzling lights up above. As if to welcome a musical sensation to the Lion City, fireworks lit up the night sky right before the doors of the entertainment hall opened up for people from all over the region to catch an intimate (about a thousand) acoustic performance by a man who has an out-of-this world vocal range and who unabashedly wears eyeliner every day. Yes, I am talking about Adam Lambert.
“Monster Rock,” as if to warn me of the excitement up ahead, the giant marquee said as Glamberts converged to catch a glimpse of their idol. Past American Idol Season 8, fans are still flocking to get a piece of Adam, and for good reason. This guy with the unique style — vocally and sartorially — is soaring the charts with his new album “For Your Entertainment” selling better than any of his season mates who are all debuting with solo albums. When I first got my copy of the CD, I seriously didn’t know what to expect. I’ve seen him perform live twice in Hollywood during the finals of American Idol, but beyond his outstanding theatricality, I didn’t know what to expect. Plus, I haven’t listened to a CD in a long time.
At the theater, an attack of the costumed clones — completely made-up a la Harajuku dolls with “I heart Adam” fans screamed “for your entertainment.” Some even brought their own laser lights. On my twitter page, a fan of his told me that she had made a customized toilet seat for Adam and she wanted me to have it signed by Glambert himself. “Holy sh*t!” That was Adam’s amused response when I told him about this during our Supreme exclusive one-on-one interview at the Ritz Carlton in Singapore.
Up close and beyond the makeup, Adam is all real. “I really speak my mind. I am very open, and that is how I am. I can really talk — sometimes to a fault, I have to admit,” he spoke candidly like we were long-lost friends. The only difference between the Adam you see in pictures and music videos and the Adam I chatted with is that he doesn’t have perfectly airbrushed skin. But so what? He made me feel like I could ask anything — absolutely anything and he wouldn’t mind. The guy who interviewed him before me, Oli Pettigrew of Sony Style TV, left the room with a big smile on his face, telling me that “he’s a riot.”
‘STAR TREK’ Meets ‘Flash Gordon’
A riot was exactly how America reacted when he made out with a guy onstage and faux f*cked someone in the face during the American Music Awards late last year. Madonna did the same with Britney and Christina and everyone raved. How’s that for equal rights? Recalling that incident, he guested on Ellen and told the world that he doesn’t do anything for shock (just awe, if you ask the Glamberts) value and he respects everyone. “I don’t intend to be a role model, I am just being myself,” he told me as we talked about his celebrity crushes (Chase Crawford, Leo Di Caprio when he was a teenager, et al), brand of eyeliner (he uses MAC cosmetics) and “Kradam fiction” (stories linking him to American Idol Season 8 winner Kris Allen “That’s embarrassing — he has a wife!”). And yes, he’s single, “I just broke up with my boyfriend,” he admitted.
His carrier single For Your Entertainment is followed up by one-two-three vocal punches of Last Song Syndrome potentials like Whataya Want From Me, and Music Again. I played it before the interview and I am hooked — they’re all Sure Fire Winners. It’s still on loop mode in my car — and I can’t get enough of it. Glamrock by Glambert has a sci-fi feel to it — like this is how we’ll rock when we live in another planet. Serves as a great escape for urban warriors who need their Star Trek-meets-Flash Gordon fix. I personally love it.
Later on, I found out from his album’s credits that it reads like a list of the hottest names in the music industry. Lady Gaga, long cited as one of Adam’s major influences, co wrote Fever, and Pink co-wrote Whataya Want From Me. Matthew Bellamy, from Adam’s favorite progressive rock/electronica band Muse, co wrote Soaked. “I feel so lucky to have been granted true opportunity to work with some of the top producers and writers in popular music.”
Listening to him talk about his theatrical roots and his epiphany at the Burning Man Festival, you’d sense that gung ho-I’ll-take-control-over-my-destiny kind of guy. “This album is a reflection of their genius and the collaborative energy that they were gracious enough to share with me.” Adam co-wrote four songs in the album. The track Strut was a collaboration between him and American Idol judge Kara Dio Guardi.
When he got up onstage to sing his tracks, the Singaporean audience went wild. In fact, I’ve never seen them go this wild. Ever. Until Adam Lambert. Watching him perform, you’ll know why. His magnetic musicality and presence is just divine — like the gods started singing and there was no limit in terms of vocal range. When he sang Mad World (a favorite among Idol fans) during the last part of his showcase, I went wild. His encore left me awe-struck, admitting to myself that I am a true blue Glambert as well!
Adam LAmbert's debut album For Your Entertainment, under Sony BMG, is out now in all record stores nationwide.
