Adam Lambert Ushers in the Era of 'Papa GaGa' in NYC
Filed Under (article,If I Had You,video ) by Admin on Thursday, June 24, 2010
Posted at : Thursday, June 24, 2010
A positive review from the Huffingtonpost. They compare Adam to Gaga.
Each week during season eight of American Idol, the judges swooned over ultra-unique contestant Adam Lambert, and I groaned loudly. Paula Abdul coherently applauded his artistry, while the other panelists flaunted over their star in the making. Even Simon Cowell gave Lambert his due aside from a verbal lashing over his exotic misfire cover of Johnny Cash's "Ring of Fire." Meanwhile, I grew frustrated at the panel for admiring a man I thought was merely reconstructing songs each week as a gimmick, and was more style over substance. That all changed for me after Lambert lost the Idol finale, and released his first album, For Your Entertainment.
While not exactly the most impressive debut ever (let's give that award to Roxette, wherever they are - yeah, I said it), FYE was a nice surprise - a wicked pop dance record that plays like a 1980s greatest hits collection. Listen to tunes like "Music Again" or new single "If I Had You" and tell me you can't picture it playing in the background of an old school C. Thomas Howell volleyball movie? With his breakout "Whataya Want From Me," and the closet door fully open thanks to a Rolling Stone cover and American Music Awards controversial breakout, Lambert's rapidly living up to the hype those mundane judges gave him with "no boundaries."
Lambert is sort of the male pop star answer to Lady GaGa. As a matter of fact, it's time we refer to Lambert as "Papa GaGa." They both have natural raw talent, dress outlandish, have no shortage of eyeliner, and come with extremely loyal followers. GaGa may have her "monsters," but Lambert's "Glam Nation" is going strong.
That sentiment was front and center Tuesday evening when Lambert took the stage at the Nokia Theatre in New York City in a theatrical laser-shining performance. Fellow Idol vet Allison Iraheta, who should be a star by now, and guitar popstress Orianthi opened the show. Speaking of the latter, there is no question of the Aussie's talent but she needs some more edge.
Dressed in an outfit the offspring of the Mad Hatter and Skeletor might sport and a Rihanna do, Lambert strutted his stuff, summoning the crowd to have an entertaining evening during his hour set. They did, and he clearly did. Whether it was showing off his pipes or his semi-provocative dance moves backed by dancers right off of Scandal's "The Warrior" music video set, Lambert proved his pop melodies have bite and he won't go away easily. Lambert was in top form in New York with a stripped down version of "Whataya Want From Me," a spot-on "Aftermath," and a faster paced seductive version of Gary Jules' cover of Tears for Fears' "Mad World." (How's that... a cover of a cover of a cover!) In a nice touch, Lambert ended the night by merging "World" into a rendition of Led Zeppelin's "Whole Lotta Love." It was a fitting way to end the night since the crowd, a hybrid of parents, teens, and 30-somethings like me, there was plenty of love going around.
While Idol winner Kris Allen struggles to remain relevant and standout in the industry, Lambert has easily made the transition from contestant to pop star. Papa GaGa's next album should push him over the edge.
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Each week during season eight of American Idol, the judges swooned over ultra-unique contestant Adam Lambert, and I groaned loudly. Paula Abdul coherently applauded his artistry, while the other panelists flaunted over their star in the making. Even Simon Cowell gave Lambert his due aside from a verbal lashing over his exotic misfire cover of Johnny Cash's "Ring of Fire." Meanwhile, I grew frustrated at the panel for admiring a man I thought was merely reconstructing songs each week as a gimmick, and was more style over substance. That all changed for me after Lambert lost the Idol finale, and released his first album, For Your Entertainment.
While not exactly the most impressive debut ever (let's give that award to Roxette, wherever they are - yeah, I said it), FYE was a nice surprise - a wicked pop dance record that plays like a 1980s greatest hits collection. Listen to tunes like "Music Again" or new single "If I Had You" and tell me you can't picture it playing in the background of an old school C. Thomas Howell volleyball movie? With his breakout "Whataya Want From Me," and the closet door fully open thanks to a Rolling Stone cover and American Music Awards controversial breakout, Lambert's rapidly living up to the hype those mundane judges gave him with "no boundaries."
Lambert is sort of the male pop star answer to Lady GaGa. As a matter of fact, it's time we refer to Lambert as "Papa GaGa." They both have natural raw talent, dress outlandish, have no shortage of eyeliner, and come with extremely loyal followers. GaGa may have her "monsters," but Lambert's "Glam Nation" is going strong.
That sentiment was front and center Tuesday evening when Lambert took the stage at the Nokia Theatre in New York City in a theatrical laser-shining performance. Fellow Idol vet Allison Iraheta, who should be a star by now, and guitar popstress Orianthi opened the show. Speaking of the latter, there is no question of the Aussie's talent but she needs some more edge.
Dressed in an outfit the offspring of the Mad Hatter and Skeletor might sport and a Rihanna do, Lambert strutted his stuff, summoning the crowd to have an entertaining evening during his hour set. They did, and he clearly did. Whether it was showing off his pipes or his semi-provocative dance moves backed by dancers right off of Scandal's "The Warrior" music video set, Lambert proved his pop melodies have bite and he won't go away easily. Lambert was in top form in New York with a stripped down version of "Whataya Want From Me," a spot-on "Aftermath," and a faster paced seductive version of Gary Jules' cover of Tears for Fears' "Mad World." (How's that... a cover of a cover of a cover!) In a nice touch, Lambert ended the night by merging "World" into a rendition of Led Zeppelin's "Whole Lotta Love." It was a fitting way to end the night since the crowd, a hybrid of parents, teens, and 30-somethings like me, there was plenty of love going around.
While Idol winner Kris Allen struggles to remain relevant and standout in the industry, Lambert has easily made the transition from contestant to pop star. Papa GaGa's next album should push him over the edge.
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23 comments:
Yeah 24/7 - you're so quick to get stuff on the site. I just read this elsewhere online (I do love me some Huffington Post sometimes, Neil Lambert should write for it :))and think, despite a few "tired" references, it's very positive and interesting, especially in that the author is not shy about boldly stating that he feels Lambert DID live up to the Idol/post-Idol hype, and he appreciates the not-necessarily-Idol-esque direction the debut FYE cd went in instead of bleating on about ridiculous bait-&-switch nonsense! Yay.
MassGlamFan
I like this review though I am not terribly enamoured with the "Papa Gaga" moniker. It is cute for the sake of the article, but I think Adam is unique to himself & hopefully remains so. I don't think he means to copy anyone at all. I actually think he is still gleefully surprised that his popularity is rising so quickly after what had to be a tough year.
Adam and his managment team deserve full credit for this. (let's not forget to include his loyal and wonderful band and stage team in this equation!!!). I have not seen any performer work harder and learn faster than Mr. Adam Lambert and I think most will agree that the more he performs and the more comfortable he becomes the better he gets. Even his vocals have matured and improved as he backs off of them and explores all the neuances of his unbelievable vocal range.
Good luck to you Adam Lambert. I, of course, hope you have all the popularity worldwide that you want and that you can continue to enjoy it as much as you seem to be right now and do so without the overbearing ego we are seeing from some other artists latley.
Sorry to bother you again but I forgot to mention that, although I have not seen a live performance of Adam, I have watched many of the downloads of his "Glam Nation" tour and have fallen in love with the song "Aftermath" in it's acoustic delivery. I was not that fond of it on his cd as the production overshadowed his vocals. The simple delivery Adam chose for his concert performance of this song lets this song deliver it's message in a gentle and touching way that can reach inside the heart of each of us.
I hope Adam starts writing with Monte and others sooner rather than later. I really think his own voice is what will take him to Icon status. Do you agree?
ADAM STANDS ALONE...HE IS N O T A GAGA ANYTHING!
I agree wholeheartedly Bec, with both of your posts and liked the above article. I think it was a good review. Adam is a true showman and the professional training separates him from many entertainers.His theatrical background gives him a distinctive edge and he has his own unique persona. Don't care for the Papa Gaga label, as he has more class and is an exaggeration of himself onstage, where she is playing a character and lately seems to be coming unraveled. I think she's a bit eccentric and has some deep personal issues. She can sing ans has great talent, but I think she is becoming a caricature of herself and is beginning to lose credibility as an artist. Adam seems to be very well-adjusted, highly intelligent, grounded ,business savvy and knows who he is. He's also nothing like Boy George and am not fond of that comparison. {Thanks in part from Isle of Wight.}Didn't mean to ramble on, but it's easy when it's about Adam! funbunn40
I wish people would stop comparing Adam to Gaga.
He is ADAM LAMBERT not Lady Gaga. It is annoying to me how people can't seem to get that through their heads.
(Ditto to the previous post re: Adam's remarkable qualities)
Althouth I haven't seen the NY Times review by Jon Pareles posted on this site yet (and I don't agree with his cynical remarks re: Adam's wonderful band members),I like this critique for Adam. I believe Pareles is sending a very encouraging message to Adam in the title of the review and in the very last sentence: "There's a big-voiced showman in Mr. Lambert, ready to surface when he worries less about pleasing everyone or hitting his marks."
This is what I want for Adam--I want him to please himself. Adam is so bright and sophisticated, I trust him to take us all on a great ride. He will never be able to please everyone. (Such attempts would only serve to dilute or tamp down his remarkable talent.) I don't want Adam to rein himself in, i.e. to be "family friendly".
Sadly, I feel he has somehow been traumatized by the AMA experience (which I absolutely loved--one of the most thrilling performances I have ever seen on TV, and I'm willing to bet 14 million other viewers--or at least more than the 1400 people it took to get him censored--would agree with me). Miley Cyrus is copying him to break away from being family friendly so her career will survive as she enters adulthood. Adam is an entertainer ADULTS already appreciate. By the way, give children and teens some credit,too; my take is the more sophisticated Adam is, the more they will appreciate him, as well, just like the adults.
Adam, I think an awful lot of folks are trying to let you know that we love you for who YOU are, and are ready for more of you whenever you are. Thus, when you come to the Brown Theatre to perform in Louisville, KY, there will be no need to be "Family Friendly" or otherwise rein yourself in. We Kentuckians can handle you--just the way you are.
Kentucky Fan
Adam Lambert*
not Papa Gaga
I'm sick and tired of the "controversial" AMAs
What u deem controversial was just pure sexiness!
I doubt very much that this reviewer for Huffington Post really followed Adam during Idol. If he did, he would know that Adam was more than a "Gimmick," as he puts it. Reviewer is also new to Adam's world. He should have known that the Gaga comparison has been done over and over. It is a stupid and invalid comparison that is not appreciated by Adam or his fans. I suspect Gaga's fans don't appreciate it either. To me they are opposites. Other than being talented singers, there are no similarities.
I really enjoy Huffington and actually follow them on Twitter. However, this review leaves something to be desired. And why in the hell must he mention Kris Allen? This mention shows how irrelevant this review is in the scheme of things.
Go to Huffingon and express yourself.
Wow... so glad I'm on this amazing site reading and learning with you, guys. Seriously, I just got really enlightened by those your info and opinions above; it's kind of been reading a very well written by 6 hands review, I mean, not only flattering comments on our golden boy. As Adam would say: thank you.
Fan4fun
To 11:44 Anony. I agree with you completely. It's all about the voice, although Adam seems to minimize that for some reason. I love his album, but almost everything is over produced in my opinion. He loves pop, so he naturally incorporates all that pop embellishment in most of his recordings, but he is one of the few artists that can sustain with that voice. I would love for him to release a single--like Soaked or better version of Sleepwalker--where the focus is on the voice. That's what made WWFM so great. Just what I think and my preference. Everyone has an opinion.
JUST ADAM'S VOICE IS WHAT WE REALLY WANT!!!!IS THAT WE ARE SAYING!!!HIS BAND IS GREAT, BUT HIS VOICE IS SO AMAZING~~~~~~~~AND THAT SMILE~~~LOVE ADAM LAMBERT, HE WILL BE AROUND A ALONG TIME, AND WHAT WILL HE DO NEXT!!!!!!
IMO, NY Times review was not impressive; it's bland/harsh for Adam. For me, it did not even say a bit nice on Adam. It's too robotic or emotionless. Come on, the show is lots of fun and the crowd loves it; but there was no fun in his/her review.
This Anon 6:02PM. I forgot, about this Huff review, it's great! It's not jealous of Adam or share a feeling of happiness!
A great positive review (Huffington Post) from someone who obviously "gets" Adam, except for the Papa Gaga thing, makes him sound like an old grandpa. He's definitely not THAT!!!! As everyone else said, Adam is uniquely Adam, and like no one else! Wouldn't want him any other way...
....And funbunn40, rambling on about Adam is fine with me, how can you not, there is so much to say.....seems like I am pretty good at that as well, just can't help "waxing poetic" when it comes to him....
Hi Everyone,
papa gaga what the f**K!!!!
and Adam PLEASE stop nodding to the b** g*****!!
bit down at the min.... video,s are not playing well????they keep crashing,
must sort it out soon or i'll end up in screaming my head off and it is 4am in the morning..maybe i need to get to sleep..and get back tommorrow
night all xxx
Love that Lambert
Glambrit Isle of Wight UK
Glambrit Isle of Wight UK
Calm down, fellow, get a good sleep and dream, kind of held in the arms of our sweet Adam. But Don't you become a «sleep walker», promise?
I missed you yesterday!
Fan4fun
Hi Fan4fun,i have left some messages on the
Adam and Tommy they kissed 3 times last night thread
i shall return tommorrow after i have had some sleep
love and headbonks and sandpaper kisses to baby ICON x
Glambrit Isle of Wight UK
Anon 4:09 - I agree. I think Adam's album is too over-produced, although I know it was the sound he was going for. Personally, I could listen to an entire album of Adam standing in a small room, singing all by himself, with one lit candle. OK, maybe a bit of guitar in the background, but not necessary.
I love his album, don't get me wrong...have listened to it nearly every single day since I got it in November, but I was surprised at how over produced it was the first time I heard it.
- Adam Fix
PS - GIOW/UK, yes, get some sleep before you have a Boy George induced coniption fit! ;)
Agree with you AdamFix! In fact, I had to mostly listen to Take One (on youtube....didn't buy it) for awhile in Nov. and Dec. because of FYE's overproduction. It took quite a while for it to grow on me, and I am honestly thrilled that he is doing acoustic versions and scaled down production versions of the FYE songs on tour. The more I can hear that VOICE, the happier I am (even though I'm enjoying even the overproduced FYE versions a lot now too).
Off topic question: does anybody know why Mindchnger's youtube channel was suspended? She did nothing wrong that I can tell. She had those gorgeous photos of Adam on here recently, fabulous videos of Milwaukee, and my favorite Mad World ever - from Grand Rapids last summer, in total CLOSE UP view of Adam's gorgeous eyes, blue glittery eye make-up, etc.
:)
Sweetie
@ bec June 24, 2010 11:44 AM - I agree about acoustic "Aftermath"! I'm just quickly catching up on 24/7, and working backwards actually in terms of threads, so I'm repeating myself here but I saw aftermath live last night - and oh man, stunning.
And I have to also agree with a lot of you about the album - I too absolutely love it love it love it, but I'd be lying if I didn't admit that when I can, I almost always put my ipod on and call up and listen to various concert performances and acoustic performances!
I'm thrilled for AL with the album 'though because he has been very open about the sort of music HE!!! likes, and I think his cd satisfies him - and he works so hard to be generous to his fans that I hope he is indeed satisfied with the production on his cd because he deserves that... but his pure vocals are so incredible that I have to admit that I am happy to have so many non-cd performance options to listen to and enjoy (which of course is why he's created them and performed them and put them out there in this technology age, he's no dummy!). Just another person's POV. :)
MassGlamFan
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