Aural Only: Adam Lambert

As a proud gay man with an appreciation for a little flair and glitter, I really want to like Adam Lambert. Though his early post-Idol efforts didn’t aid this mission, he started to win me over with his last single “Whataya Want From Me”. In fact, I would have truly been sold if I could have stopped thinking, “Wow, I really wish Pink had recorded this instead.”

That’s the thing. I prefer when Adam utilizes his vocals on songs that lean towards the pop-rock spectrum. There’s something incredibly off-putting about hearing him on a dance track, to the point that I really can’t enjoy his new single “If I Had You”. Am I the only one who feels this way? Or are you guys feeling this?

– Dewitt

To listen to “If I Had You”, follow the JUMP:

32 thoughts on “Aural Only: Adam Lambert

  1. It seems on most of Adam’s work since he was robbed of the title on American Idol doesn’t show his real talent – his incredible vocals are lost in over-produced dance music and auto-tune effects.

  2. It makes openly gay men look bad. So awful. Bad song, ridiculous video, total cheesefest. Makes we wonder how some one could make so many bad decisions at once. Stunning in its badness.

  3. sorry to say he will be around for a while … his music actually gets people up and off their butts to dance … and yes, he was robbed of the title of American Idol … I actually like his music and he actually has a message to those listening if you understand what he is truly saying

  4. Um no. There are a 100 songs that look and sound like this. Most of which are on the weekly chart on here. So I guess this will fit in nicely.

  5. I used to really agree with all you said about his vocals over a dance track, then heard the mixes for Whataya Want From Me and in time, really grew to appreciate that a rock vocal on a dance track is fairly unique. I really love this. Will be downloading next.

  6. Lambert may have been “robbed of the title” on American Idol, but if you compare the amount of media blitz, single releases, personal appearances, and promotion dollars spent by the management and label, it is clear that Adam won big time and Kris Allen, though much cuter and more appealing, really lost. Kris made what I thought was a great album with potentially three or four hit singles on it, but where is he? His first single is still on the Billboard Hot 100 at about 150 or so, and that was it. No follow up single, no promotion, no personal appearances on TV, no publicity. Looks like Kris got punished for getting more votes than Adam, and the A.I. people decided to go with their pick and not the public’s vote.

    This single is maybe a little better than Adam’s last, which I hated, but what’s up with that pained expression in every shot and every video. His attempt at a menacing look is a real turn-off, and I still think Adam’s public persona and obsession with shoving his gayness in the face of straight America has set gay rights back at least 20 years.

  7. Adam Lambert has “something to say with his music”??

    Really?

    C’mon. Poetry or heartfelt elegiac prose this definately is not. In fact, I’ll come right on out and say it. It’s typical generic dance/pop music fluff.

    Maybe Adam Lambert has something to say … but he is doing it through the non-musical elements of his work.

  8. I guess I still have mixed feelings about him. I think he has an absolutely amazing voice (a real, rare gift), but I personally am not all that crazy about how he chooses to use it (I felt the same way on Idol, with all the shrill shrieking). I just think he could touch more people if he showed some self-restraint, intelligence, and “real” artistry. At the same time, though it might not always be to my taste, I guess I have to give him credit for being true to himself, and really putting it out there.

    I agree with the posters who feel like so much of his talent gets lost in these over-produced, almost banal numbers. They sound like songs you here 1,000 times on CDs, and that anyone with a good producer could “sing”. I don’t agree with the comments about Kris Allen – to me, he seems like an incredibly nice guy with just a fairly mediocre talent. Nor do I think that there is some sort of AI conspiracy to try and get revenge on him because he won! It was clear from the start (in my opinion) that Adam was going to have more impact/staying power, but he just alienated too many people on that show with his constant flamboyance and pushing things over-the-top (screaming). I think Kris Allen seemed like a nice, wholesome alternative to “that guy who screams/shrieks all the time”. I still hope he records some things that show some soul…

  9. What is wrong with u people? This is a good song and a kewl video….Adam just can’t win with peole…why do we criticize him for being “to gay” or setting back gay rights 20 years? Give me a fucking break…If he had videos where he “acted” straight it would come off as phony and the gay community would blast him for not being gay enough…What other openly gay man is getting this kind of backing by any record label? NONE….and hello did it ever occur to any of u haters that the reason Kris Allen’s record flopped is because it SUCKED…just because Kris is cuter does not make him a star…

  10. I Like the song… Hate the video!

    How can he dance with all those layers of clothing on. Its gotta be hot, sweaty (not in a good way) and kinda smelly underneath. I’m guessing that he’s kinda ashamed of his body, because he’s always way covered up. Has anyone ever seen a picture of Adam shirtless??? The boy needs to get to a gym… cut his hair… wipe off that fucking makeup. (A gay ‘Justin Timberlake’ wouldn’t turn so many people off and probably sell more records)

    Two of the better voices of our time… ‘Adam’ and ‘Christina’ lost in their overdone costuming, hair-dye and makeup!

  11. I have to admit that I do like this track, along with t he mixes of whataya want from me. I do agree with Dewitt, I could so hear Pink singing both songs. I also agree with the shrieking he tends to do in live performances, it is kind of a turn off. As far as him being shirtless, that would have no impact on my liking his music, as I don’t see him as a sex symbol. I’d love to see him collaborate with Pink on these tracks, I think a duet with them on these tracks would be great.

  12. Some of you queens are way too harsh. The boy has some pipes. He is an incredibly talented singer and how different is he from the glam guys from the 80’s? Look up his unplugged and acoustic stuff… it really shows off his vocals way better, but these days everyone would rather listen to GaGa speak in rhythm with copious amounts of electronic filtering technologies. It forces artists like Christina Aguilera to conform…

    I love Adam Lambert and think he’s very talented. I wish I could sing like him!

  13. I love this song! It is an awesome song to jam to and the lyrics are great! I’m not a huge fan of his style though. But to each is own! I do disagree that his vocals get drown out. I think you can still hear the talent he has. Plus a dance song usually has a pretty hard beat behind it.

  14. it easy to see that alot of people who are hatting are stupid and need to stop being fucking queens JEEZ he has a ood song and it’s his first album alot of people who start off like this and end up being huge so shut up please and stop hatting

  15. i gotta say i hate most pop music, but there is something about this boy that makes him my guilty pleasure. His voice is excellent and the track is bumpin. i love it. Oh and the video was good, he looks like he is having so much fun, ha

  16. Adam LAMEbert make me SICK 2 my STOMACH Will never listen / buy anything with his name on it !!!

  17. The reason that you can hear pink singing some of his songs is because she wrote some of them. I know for a fact she co-wrote Whataya Want From Me and Lady Gaga co-wrote Fever. I think Aftermath or Pick U Up woulda been better singles than If I Had You…

  18. I am actually liking this song as much as any dance song. Little less repetitive than some of the songs out there, and not too bad actually, in my opinion.

    I know a lot of you are tired of Adam, but I relish the fact that he is soaring while Kris Allen struggles. That is what the religious right gets for interfering with the vote and soaring Kris to the American Idol. Even though Kris is nicer to look at (and if we could get a real nude, I may be persuaded to say even fucking hot!), vocally he did not compare to Adam in my opinion.

    I don’t really think Adam has to change who he is for anyone. On Idol, he was this same Gothic-looking guy. He is actually tapping to something very much attune to what is happening in pop culture right now.

    We are seeing a resurgence of Gothic themes in film and television, on the runways. Recent discussions both in academia and the vernacular are about the milder, even friendlier depiction of of vampires and the undead, than the traditional views. Add to that, the very dark comic book movies, the neo-noir, and persistence from 18-35 straight females to get 18-35 straight males to take them to see the latest “Twilight” film. Adam is fitting right in and his sales are showing it. Couple that with straight men wearing eyeliner and black fingernail polish in droves, and someone is really attune to what will sell to the only other group of consumers who are consistently targeted by advertisers, 18-35 straight males. It is almost as if he is manufactured for the under 35 straight crowd, and this generation is not concerned as much with his sexuality.

    I agree with several of you. He is not going anywhere, so we should get use to him. Wouldn’t hurt to embrace him. He is family!

  19. From a professional musician’s standpoint, I’d rather hear Kris any day to the screaming that Adam does. Yes, Adam has pipes. But he doesn’t use his pipes properly. His voice will be shot in four years. His career will last less than four years. While Kris will still have his voice and his fans.
    It is so funny how people think the Christian Right has so much power! I know I voted for Kris! Hmmmm… What does that make me?!?

  20. I agree w/ tam. I voted for Kris too! I’ve never liked Adam. His screaming and screeching are what turned me off to begin with. Everything he does just seems so contrived. And why does everyone feel the need to bring Kris into this conversation? I get the feeling that Adam isn’t as popular as his fans would like, and so they have to come along and remind everybody that Kris is stuggling a bit to make them feel better. Anyway, I think Kris is adorable, sweet, talented, and doesn’t deserve to get hated on just because people don’t think he should’ve won. That’s not his fault.

  21. Not everyone will like or understand his style, but it doesn’t matter, hes always known who he is, and the man can sing. He will be around a long time.

  22. Yep, I voted for Kris all last season too and totally disagree that his record sucked. It’s a different style than Adam’s and doesn’t sound like every other pop star out there. Anyone could have had their vocals on the tracks on Adam’s album, from Pink to Britney to Enrico Iglesias. Kris made more of a rock album. The cut called “The Truth” is fantastic and should have been a total hit rock ballad. Whatever! I’m kind of over the whole thing and over American Idol. This year’s winners look like even bigger bombs than Kris.

  23. I think some of you need to do a little research and watch some of the video from the Glam Nation Tour. Adam is killing it on stage each night to sold out crowds. It’s a production with lasers, dancers and costume changes. I suggest looking up the video of his acoustic version of Whole Lotta Love….great! And, I don’t get the ‘shoving his gayness in face of straight America’. When has he ever done that? He doesn’t bring up his sexuality in interviews unless asked about it. And, of course, he’s going to be asked about it.

    Kris’ second single has been released – “The Truth”. He is on a headlining tour of his own right now and will be opening for Keith Urban/Daughtry/Bare Naked Ladies and others later this summer.

    I’d say they are both doing quite well and exactly what they had hoped to be doing.

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