Adam Lambert 24/7 News

If you've been doing things the Bonnie Tyler way and holding out for a hero, the wait is over. Allow us to introduce Adam Lambert, a slap-sportin', rawk-warblin', straight-talkin', man-snoggin', stage-hoggin' proper popstar who's already sold half a million albums Stateside. He came from - well, landed on - American Idol last year, but this 28-year-old from San Diego really ain't no Leona. Ahead of his first trip to the UK later this month, we gave him a call.

How are you feeling about your first trip to the UK?
"Oh my gosh! I can't even describe how excited I am! One of the things I've always wanted with this dream career is to travel and I'm getting it now."

Do you have any live dates planned while you've over here?
"Um... I'm not sure what the schedule is. I think the first trip over there is mainly radio appearances and a little bit of television. But the second time I come back, in late April, there should be some performances planned. I have two UK trips on my calendar!"

How would you describe yourself to Lambert virgins?
"I'm a contemporary popstar who draws a lot from the past. I have a lot of '70s and '80s influences and I'm inspired by some of the philosophies of the late '60s as well. That hippy mentality and psychedelic open-mindedness is something that appeals to me. People like Bowie and Freddie Mercury are my major influences as a vocalist and as a frontman, in addition to people like Prince and Michael Jackson of course."

Do you think of your image as provocative or controversial?
"I don't think of myself as controversial - that's not what's going through my head when I'm getting ready. To me, it's like I get to play dress-up for a living! I like to wear crazy clothes and make-up and do the whole glam thing. I think a little androgyny is really interesting and it's a part of who I am. So I don't think of myself as controversial - that's everyone else's job!"

How long does it take you to get ready for a performance?
"Like an hour, but it's always a different thing. Sometimes I have make-up and hair people working with me and sometimes I don't. I'm not really into rituals or routines. I'm a creature of novelty and impulse and I go with what I'm feeling."

Why do you think you inspire such loyalty among your fans?
"I think they see that I'm completely dedicated to being different and to being something that we haven't had in a while. People get excited by that. I'm so excited to meet some of the Lambrits when I come over there actually."

What's the story behind 'For Your Entertainment', your first single?
"It's real sexy, very contemporary dance-pop. It has a dark, mysterious electro sound to it and lyrically there's definitely a double meaning. It's me saying, 'Here I am, I'm going to put on a show'. It also shows my musical theatre influences - it's almost like that song 'Wilkommen' from Cabaret - and I think in many ways it sums up my thing. That's why I wanted it as the first single, because it's a great introduction."

In the lyrics you claim to be the master of pleasure and pain. Is that true?
"Haha no! I'm not really into pain so much, but I'm a master of pleasure, sure! The pain comes when you have to say goodbye..."

You worked with some incredible names on your album - Lady GaGa, Pink, Matt Bellamy, Justin Hawkins, Max Martin to name but five. Were you surprised that they all wanted to work with you?
"Yes! With each person added to the roster of writers and producers, my jaw would just drop! I think part of it had to do with being on a really good label and having great A&R people working with me. Maybe the writers saw something different in me as well - something that hasn't been going on in a while. Either way, I'm honoured."

Has Mr Cowell told you what he thinks of the album?
"No, I haven't been in contact with him at all actually. We haven't really crossed paths since Idol."

Were you surprised to hear about him leaving Idol?
"I was like, 'Wow. OK.' Then I heard he wants to take The X Factor to the States, so I'm sure he's excited to have his own project launching. It was a surprise, but that's how things are. Everything has a shelf-life including people. I have no idea who might replace him, but I heard Elton John is a possibility and I think he could be pretty fun. He'd bring great insight to the panel as someone who's been established and had tonnes of success as a songwriter and a performer. He'd bring a lot of expertise."

Randy Jackson's said that he thinks your album covers too many bases. How do you respond to that?
"I understand where he's coming from and everybody has their opinion. For me, I was just so excited that I had the opportunity to make an album that I wanted to experiment and put a lot of different colours into it. I made a conscious decision to make it eclectic because that reflects who I am as an artist. The album is like a sonic dress-up party - each track has a different color and a different vibe. If you look at my run on Idol, from week to week I changed it up a lot, in terms of going for a different sound or look. Having done that, if I'd come out with an album that was one color, I'd have been throwing away all the diversity I showed I could have."

Have you decided on a third US single yet?
"I think it's probably going to be 'If I Had You'. I think it's got a great message. It does sound a bit cliché but I love promoting love and acceptance and I think the song definitely gets that across. In the pop market we're so sex-saturated and a lot of the big artists are popular because they're "so fierce!" and badass. I love that and get a kick out of that - people like GaGa and Beyoncé especially - but that's the ground I was trying to cover with 'For Your Entertainment'. The thing about 'If I Had You' is that it reflects what I'm really about, which is joy."

Finally, you're known for being a big Goldfrapp fan. What do you think of their new single, 'Rocket'?
"It's so cool, I love it! The thing I appreciate about Goldfrapp, aside from their incredible production and the way that they make music sound, is that they put a lot of thought into their material conceptually. With Supernature they wanted to go for an updated glam thing and it was great - the whole album fit into that concept and they made it sound contemporary. They're doing the same thing with 'Rocket', in terms of nodding to that '80s sound but doing it in a contemporary way. They're so smart."

Can you ever imagine doing something with them?
"I really wanted to work with them and they expressed a mutual interest, but they were so busy with their own project and working with Christina Aguilera that it didn't work out. When I heard Christina was working with them, I was like, 'Aww, she beat me!' It's a really interesting combination though - I can't wait to see how that sounds."

'For Your Entertainment' the single is released in the UK on April 26, followed by For Your Entertainment the album on May 3.

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