Glam rocker talks celebrity culture, being an icon, his music

Apr 9, 2010 10:07 GMT  ·  By
Adam Lambert makes it on Paper’s Beautiful People for 2010 list, talks music
   Adam Lambert makes it on Paper’s Beautiful People for 2010 list, talks music

Adam Lambert is far from the kind of guy one could pass by on the street and not notice, and that’s not only because he loves eyeliner and everything glittery. Truth be told, Adam is also very good looking, which is why Paper Magazine has decided to include him in a special issue titled Beautiful People of 2010.

As Paper also puts it, Adam is “the splashiest singer” ever to come out of American Idol, always surrounded by controversy and generating only mixed reactions. He has millions of fans around the world, has a debut album that went gold and has put out so far three videos for the singles that promote it. In an industry that’s not looking up and that has been plagued by decreasing sales for years, for a record label to have this kind of faith and make this type of investment in a newcomer speaks volumes for said artist’s value, the mag says.

Adam explains the amazing reception he got from the community of fans, one of the strongest and most loyal out there, by saying that he simply came to fill a slot that’s been empty for years, if not actually decades. He remains the Adam he always were – but that’s not to say he doesn’t enjoy constantly pushing the envelope, challenging and taking down barriers.

“Most of what I do doesn’t feel controversial. I’m just the same Adam I’ve always been, and in the circles I run in, it’s not all that shocking. There’s been a void in mainstream music of a male performer who’s theatrical, campy, over the top. That’s something that used to be celebrated, and I haven’t seen that lately. So I think that’s an interesting challenge – to fill that spot,” Adam says of his “mission” in showbiz.

“Without a doubt, Adam Lambert is the splashiest singer to ever lose on American Idol. The glammy 28-year-old has a knack for grabbing attention, from his costumes (Ziggy Stardust by way of Los Angeles) to the clubby pop-rock featured on his debut, For Your Entertainment, which went gold earlier this year. The album hit iTunes last November, and Lambert’s already released three videos to promote it – an anomaly in a time when the music industry is cutting back on such extravagances. But Lambert’s an extravagant sort of guy, the kind of performer who puts the emphasis on spectacle,” Paper magazine writes by way of introduction.