An Inside Look at Adam Lambert’s Song Picks For His New Album ‘High Drama’
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American Idol alum, and Grammy-nominated singer Adam Lambert recently spoke about his latest album, High Drama. The album, which is his fifth studio album following the release of Velvet in 2020, features a collection of covers from iconic artists such as Bonnie Tyler, Duran Duran, and Culture Club.
Adam Lambert Details The Songs in High Drama
In a recent interview with Audacy’s Channel Q, Lambert talked about the creative challenge of reinterpreting and reinventing classic songs. Lambert revealed that he initially planned to work on another project with a longer timeline, but he wanted to put music out quickly. Hence, he decided to do covers, which will use music that is already there.
One of the covers on the album is Bonnie Tyler’s “Holding Out for a Hero,” which gained popularity after being featured in Shrek. He was inspired by Tyler’s stellar vocal on the original track and how she sang with all her might.
Lambert also covered Sia’s “Chandelier,” which he said he felt more comfortable with, knowing who he is as an artist. He experimented with different genres and knew what worked for him. Duran Duran’s “Ordinary World,” Billie Eilish’s “Getting Older,” and Kings of Leon’s “Sex on Fire” are other songs on the album.
Lambert gave his fans the rockstar energy they want by covering Lana Del Rey‘s “West Coast,” which he did in one take with scratched vocals. He also covered Culture Club’s “Do You Really Want to Hurt Me,” which he dedicated to his friend Boy George.
Adam Lambert Talks About the Changing Culture of the LGBTQ+ Community
During the second segment of the interview, Lambert discussed how the LGBTQ+ culture has evolved since his career began. As well as reflecting on his 2009 American Music Awards performance that some people considered controversial.
Lambert started off by discussing the shift in culture that the LGBTQ+ community has experienced in the last decade. While artists like Elton John and Melissa Etheridge had previously paved the way, there were no openly gay artists at the time who were peers of Lambert. Lambert said he was excited to be part of a new wave and to see things changing.
He then mentioned about the controversial onstage incident when he kissed a man compared to Madonna kissing Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera. The latter of which didn’t get the same backlash that Lambert received at the 2009 American Music Awards. Queer artists are now able to be open about their sexuality without facing backlash or discrimination from fans or other members of the music community. This openness has allowed them to express themselves more freely, leading to a level of creativity that was not as possible before.
