Adam Lambert - Whataya Want From Me

[Sarah.]

Jan 23, 2010 10:36:40 GMT -5 brb said:

And up to #23 in US Itunes, despite the Haiti songs.. I don't think it's the Oprah effect anymore

Yeah since it's not freefalling back to the 30s, it's holding it's own now!

[StarSprinkles]

Great update today!

Dear God- he wore "all white attire" to a party?
The nerve!
Think of the children!

I know right? How DARE he wear all-white to a "Heaven" themed party! Apparently Katy Perry didn't get the memo either because SHE wore all-white to the exact same event! Those heathens. Tsk.

Adam's guitarist Monte Pittman played guitar for Madonna last night on the Hope for Haiti concert. You can watch the performance here:



As for Canada? Now we know where most of Adam's 60,000 international albums have been sold! He seems to be doing well there.

[saga]

Jan 23, 2010 9:54:53 GMT -5 DimWitty said:

Jan 21, 2010 15:56:38 GMT -5 soundUPsceneDOWN said:

Being gay is part of who Adam is; but being overtly sexual and wearing all-white attire to a party, or caking on makeup, is what might turn people off... not the fact that he likes kissing boys.

Dear God- he wore "all white attire" to a party?
The nerve!
Think of the children!

Say what you will, but I will never believe that egregious sartorialism could be stretched far enough to include "all white attire", and most especially not at a "Heaven" gala.

I just have to high-five this post...

[eustacia]

Jan 23, 2010 10:41:30 GMT -5 Sarah. said:

Jan 23, 2010 10:36:40 GMT -5 brb said:

And up to #23 in US Itunes, despite the Haiti songs.. I don't think it's the Oprah effect anymore

Yeah since it's not freefalling back to the 30s, it's holding it's own now!

To be fair, only one of the Haiti songs became available for download today, and it went straight to #1. The rest of the songs will be available for download next week.

[lucytor]

Jan 23, 2010 9:54:53 GMT -5 DimWitty said:

Jan 21, 2010 15:56:38 GMT -5 soundUPsceneDOWN said:

Being gay is part of who Adam is; but being overtly sexual and wearing all-white attire to a party, or caking on makeup, is what might turn people off... not the fact that he likes kissing boys.

Dear God- he wore "all white attire" to a party?
The nerve!
Think of the children!

Say what you will, but I will never believe that could be stretched far enough to include "all white attire", and most especially not at a "Heaven" gala.

Wow! So gays are allowed to marry in this country so long as they do not wear makeup, nailpolish, or white suits? This makes me think more highly of the States, but, honestly, that no makeup, nailpolish, or white outfits rule sucks for weddings.

Thanks for "egregious sartorialism."

[P!nkch TheO™]

Jan 23, 2010 10:36:40 GMT -5 brb said:

And up to #23 in US Itunes, despite the Haiti songs.. I don't think it's the Oprah effect anymore

nice! its debut @ #11 on vh1's Top 20 video countdown should help the song return back inside the top 20 on itunes too.

[strawberries]

Glad to see this song doing so well, his singing it has made me love it when it wasn't one of my favs on the album and still isn't.

[brb]

Jan 23, 2010 11:09:08 GMT -5 eustacia said:

Jan 23, 2010 10:41:30 GMT -5 Sarah. said:

Yeah since it's not freefalling back to the 30s, it's holding it's own now!

To be fair, only one of the Haiti songs became available for download today, and it went straight to #1. The rest of the songs will be available for download next week.

I see two, there's also the Rihanna song, and either way, WWFM is still doing great in Itunes, especially considering its combined AI compared to the combined AI of other songs that are close to it in Itunes. I think it can re-enter the top 20 in Itunes again soon.

[grey]

Jan 21, 2010 15:56:38 GMT -5 soundUPsceneDOWN said:

Jan 21, 2010 13:54:06 GMT -5 StarSprinkles said:

Boy George I don't think had much mainstream success in the US. He was massive in the UK though. Elton, Geroge Michael, et al, were all huge BEFORE they came out.

Eh? Boy George was like a pop culture icon in the 80s in the US. I was a wee child and I knew him very, very well.

And no, technically he didn't scream "I'm gay!!" but it's one of those things where people knew... I mean, come on.

IMO, if being gay hurts one's career, it's the stereotype of being gay that does, not the actuality of being gay. Even if Boy George wasn't gay, he was still extremely feminine, danced like a woman, looked like a woman, and had female mannerisms. If something was going to hurt his career as a male singer, that would be it, not the fact that he liked kissing boys (because loads of gay men are not feminine, even if that's the stereotype).

Really, if Adam wasn't gay and Rolling Stone didn't make such a huge deal after Idol of this fact, do you really think he would have half the hype that he does? Summer 2009, the majority of his press was about his sexuality, not what kind of music he would make. That round of press fueled the subsequent hype, which fueled more hype, etc. But without that initial "zomg look a gay guy on American Idol who is, like, flamboyant and stuff," Adam wouldn't be seeing the interest by the media that he has now, primarily because what Adam presents isn't innovative in the grand scheme of things. He made a pop record; not even the best pop record in the world--just a pop record with some decent tracks. He danced around in gothic makeup--Tokio Hotel and The Darkness have done that. So the big deal about his ZOMG GAYNESS after Idol started it all. It has helped Adam, and I don't understand the thought that it has somehow hurt him. Because, if anything is going to hurt Adam it's the fact that not everybody will like gothic S&M-style overt sexuality on stage--but straight artists have pulled that stuff before too.

Being gay is part of who Adam is; but being overtly sexual and wearing all-white attire to a party, or caking on makeup, is what might turn people off... not the fact that he likes kissing boys.

(And note: no artist will be loved by everybody, so the argument that some right-wing Christians will boycott his music doesn't mean much to me; they weren't his target music audience anyway)

Rather than lambasting this poster by pulling one sentence of her quote out, why not read the entire thing in context and share in the adult conversation she was trying to have?

[lulu1001]

Jan 23, 2010 9:54:53 GMT -5 DimWitty said:

Dear God- he wore "all white attire" to a party?
The nerve!
Think of the children!

Never mind the children. What about the rest of us? That image is burned onto my retinas now and I'll never get it off

I have to hand it to RCA, they are bound and determined to make this guy a superstar. I've never seen them throw this much money at an Idol without getting mega sales in return.

Is it because they genuinely believe at some point he'll catch fire? Or is it because his A&R guy left a while ago and there's no one in charge to pull the budget plug?

[lucytor]

Jan 23, 2010 14:35:36 GMT -5 grey said:

Jan 21, 2010 15:56:38 GMT -5 soundUPsceneDOWN said:

Eh? Boy George was like a pop culture icon in the 80s in the US. I was a wee child and I knew him very, very well.

And no, technically he didn't scream "I'm gay!!" but it's one of those things where people knew... I mean, come on.

IMO, if being gay hurts one's career, it's the stereotype of being gay that does, not the actuality of being gay. Even if Boy George wasn't gay, he was still extremely feminine, danced like a woman, looked like a woman, and had female mannerisms. If something was going to hurt his career as a male singer, that would be it, not the fact that he liked kissing boys (because loads of gay men are not feminine, even if that's the stereotype).

Really, if Adam wasn't gay and Rolling Stone didn't make such a huge deal after Idol of this fact, do you really think he would have half the hype that he does? Summer 2009, the majority of his press was about his sexuality, not what kind of music he would make. That round of press fueled the subsequent hype, which fueled more hype, etc. But without that initial "zomg look a gay guy on American Idol who is, like, flamboyant and stuff," Adam wouldn't be seeing the interest by the media that he has now, primarily because what Adam presents isn't innovative in the grand scheme of things. He made a pop record; not even the best pop record in the world--just a pop record with some decent tracks. He danced around in gothic makeup--Tokio Hotel and The Darkness have done that. So the big deal about his ZOMG GAYNESS after Idol started it all. It has helped Adam, and I don't understand the thought that it has somehow hurt him. Because, if anything is going to hurt Adam it's the fact that not everybody will like gothic S&M-style overt sexuality on stage--but straight artists have pulled that stuff before too.

Being gay is part of who Adam is; but being overtly sexual and wearing all-white attire to a party, or caking on makeup, is what might turn people off... not the fact that he likes kissing boys.

(And note: no artist will be loved by everybody, so the argument that some right-wing Christians will boycott his music doesn't mean much to me; they weren't his target music audience anyway)

Rather than lambasting this poster by pulling one sentence of her quote out, why not read the entire thing in context and share in the adult conversation she was trying to have?

OK: first three paragraphs are contradictory. S/he says that what really hurts a gay performer is being "feminine," then goes on to talk about Boy George, whom she describes as a "pop icon," who was, in her own words, extremely feminine. If being extremely feminine is the thing that prevents success, then Boy George, a feminine performer, should not have ended up as a pop icon, which is a sign of success.

She also admits that Boy George never came out, but fails to deal with the obvious question: WOULD Boy George have been a pop icon if he had come out? She bypasses the fact that there's a difference between a person who declares their sexuality and then kisses their bf in public, and a person whose gayness is implied, but never declared. Was Boy George ever seen making out with a bf in public back in the '80s, when he became a pop icon? I wonder why he failed to do that.

She then creates a hypothetical situation: in her opinion, Adam ended up on RS and got the coverage he did after idol, simply because he was gay. Is there any proof that RS would not have put him on its cover if he had been straight? She also never deals with the KIND of coverage Adam's getting. She never discusses how being described as "the out gay singer" ad nauseam is beneficial for anyone's musical career. I suspect, given the tenor of her post, that she would go on to blame Adam for that, but I won't go there.

And then there is the strange statement about homophobia being reserved only for feminine men who wear makeup and white suits. We are living in a nation where marriages and civil unions for gays are illegal in most states. For any poster living in the US to state that being gay is a POSITIVE thing for a performer (or anyone) in this country is odd, to say the least.

[brb]

Jan 23, 2010 14:42:37 GMT -5 lulu1001 said:

I have to hand it to RCA, they are bound and determined to make this guy a superstar. I've never seen them throw this much money at an Idol without getting mega sales in return.

Is it because they genuinely believe at some point he'll catch fire? Or is it because his A&R guy left a while ago and there's no one in charge to pull the budget plug?

A) The market is down. I think Adam's sales are on par with other RCA artists this year, like Kelly, Daughtry, and Ke$ha, especially considering WWFM is only becoming a hit now, and that he didn't have a hit single when his album was released.
B) I'd love to know how much money they are supposedly throwing on him compared to other idols. IMO, both Oprah and Ellen re-inviting him to her show this week had nothing to do with RCA, so I think they spend on him about as much as they spent on other Idols, and maybe even less than some Idols, such as Cook.

[StarSprinkles]

Chiming in to say that Oprah was certainly not an RCA/19 thing. That was Oprah's call. Adam won her "Favorite Reality Star" poll, so he got a little interview in October, where she was so charmed by him, she invited him on-air to come back to her show when his album came out. She made good on her word.

[Rumors]

Coming from the big Rob Thomas fan on these boards but I was looking for something on youtube today and found this old video of Push. This is the song that started Rob on his way 14 years ago. Check out the nail polish, eyeliner, chains, black leather, etc. This is the kind of rocky, edgy, direction I was expecting from Adam.

Dance/pop edgy or pop/rock edgy...which would have worked better at the beginning of Adam's career to establish him beyond AI?

Check out this classic video from a new and unheard of artist at that time. The video got people talking about the band. Album went on to become a Diamond selling album. This is what is referred to as an impact video. Much like Lady Gaga's videos right now.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=HAkHqYlqops&feature=channel

[tinawina]

Jan 23, 2010 15:03:41 GMT -5 brb said:

both Oprah and Ellen re-inviting him to her show this week had nothing to do with RCA, so I think they spend on him about as much as they spent on other Idols,

Well, kinda sorta. Adam has gotten some great press/media, and that is usually the sign of a good, well connected, experienced publicist (or team of publicists). Of course, Adam has buzz, so that helps A LOT, but its not like this stuff just happens in a vacuum just because someone is popular. There is probably a fairly expensive someone being paid good money to make sure his buzz is fully capitalized on.

Also, his album included tracks from all the top people - I mean, it was actually a who's who of folks who are hot on the charts right now. He has also worked with all the in demand photogs, video directors, stylists and choreographers. Not to mention the costs associated with backup dancers and such. Adam's roll out has been pricey, no doubt.

But its a GOOD thing IMO. RCA/19 believe in him, and they are making sure to present him as a "star" so the public sees him in that light. I don't get why sometimes it seems like people are so hell bent on trying to deny it. What's bad about that? That's a great thing! And they seem to be sticking with him because their faith is very strong that he will blow up big at some point. Just enjoy it I say. YMMV and all.

[soundUPsceneDOWN]

I wasn't contradicting myself. I said Boy George was a pop icon, but I never said his feminism didn't hurt him in some way. You can actually achieve success not being what the general populace considers "normal," and since an artist *doesn't* need everybody to like him to be successful, who cares? Look at Lady Gaga--would the general populace think she's normal? Um... no. She's still successful. But I do know people who think she's a freak.

And yeah, that was really kind of lame pulling one sentence and attempting to make it seem like I have something against gay people--or flamboyant gay people. That's not what I said at all.

My whole point was that personality may turn off some people, not the fact of being gay. Straight artists have had very odd personalities, and dressed oddly and done strange things, too. And those things have turned off some. That doesn't mean they won't be successful.

I got tired of people making a big deal about Adam being gay--honestly, if Adam's fans would stop making that such a big deal, then maybe others would follow suit and it won't be an issue at all. Because it isn't. It's just one way of being. But it's a fact that the media did make a big deal out of Adam being gay, and that brought a lot of hype. Just because the media makes a big deal out of something doesn't mean the general population (who aren't Adam's fans, necessarily) thinks it's a big deal.

In my experience talking with folks about Adam is that they think he's strange, NOT because he's gay, but because of his performance on the AMAs, or his outfits and makeup. I can't help that those people feel that way - I didn't tell them to feel that way. But they're not homophobic; they just think the dude dresses strangely and didn't particularly like his overly sexual AMA performance. It had zero to do with his actual sexuality.

[StarSprinkles]

Well, Adam's not about to change who he is, so if there's those that aren't fans because of his outfits and makeup? Oh well. He's not about neuter himself to be more "socially acceptable." Thank God. The world doesn't need another sexually repressed, sexually-non threatening gay man like Clay Aiken. Adam's out and proud, and there is nothing wrong with that. Plenty of people love him and his music exactly the way he is.

[soundUPsceneDOWN]

Jan 23, 2010 16:47:24 GMT -5 StarSprinkles said:

Well, Adam's not about to change who he is, so if there's those that aren't fans because of his outfits and makeup? Oh well. He's not about neuter himself to be more "socially acceptable." Thank God. The world doesn't need another sexually repressed, sexually-non threatening gay man like Clay Aiken. Adam's out and proud, and there is nothing wrong with that. Plenty of people love him and his music exactly the way he is.

Did I say you had to think it was awesome that people would be turned off by the way he dressed or acted? No... I said that happens. Do you deny that happens? I'm talking about what happens. People like what they like; and they don't like what they don't like. It's okay if people don't like that kind of stuff, you know. I'm not fond of Lady Gaga's live performances, even if I like some of her songs. It's just not my thing. Nobody is saying Adam needs to change.

And then there is the strange statement about homophobia being reserved only for feminine men who wear makeup and white suits. We are living in a nation where marriages and civil unions for gays are illegal in most states. For any poster living in the US to state that being gay is a POSITIVE thing for a performer (or anyone) in this country is odd, to say the least.

Oh my gosh, I never said that. lol. I differentiate between being gay and being different to the general population because somebody has strayed from social norms. But the thing is, straight people stray from social norms, too. Straight artists have done odd things as well, and people have thought them strange because of it. Being "gay" simply means that you are attracted to and fall in love with people of the same gender as yourself. I'm sorry if I don't subscribe to stereotypes that take the definition of being gay and attach to it some sort of behavioral pattern. I know a straight guy who is actually quite feminine.

I'm not making a statement about homophobia in the US in general, only in the very small subset of Top 40 listeners--in other words, the people who would be open to liking Top 40 music. No Top 40 artist starts out when the whole of the US as their potential audience. Adam's potential audience is very tiny compared to the entire US population. So statements about homophobia in the US in general just don't apply--we're not discussing the same group.

Yes, there are folks who won't like Adam just because he's gay, but I truly don't believe, in 2010, that they make up enough of that small subset of Top 40 listeners to matter. They're just added to the pile of Top 40 listeners that Adam won't appeal to (just like some people don't like Britney because they think she's skanky or a bad mother, or some other arbitrary reason). My point was that if people were turned off by Adam, more of them would be turned off because of his actions, rather than he's gay.

[tinawina]

There are people who are turned off by Adam being gay AND there are people turned off only by his personality. Some won't like his hair or clothes, some will hate his voice. There are all kinds of reasons at play.

But I do agree that he doesn't need everyone to be successful. Look at the hate people like Beyonce or Taylor Swift get. The only question, to me, is this: is Adam's market of potential fans big enough to make him a profitable recording artist? When you add up all the music buyers who would be open to someone like Adam, is it enough for him to get some hit singles and/or a high selling album? I would gamble the answer is yes. He CAN sell a lot of records in theory. The question is will he connect with enough of his potential market to make good on the promise.

[rellybois]

I think if Adam had gone in a more rock-oriented direction from the get-go, his career would be in better shape right now.

[SPRΞΞ]

well in any respect, i want this song to smash all the way to the fuggin top!

[grey]

Jan 23, 2010 19:26:54 GMT -5 @rellybois said:

I think if Adam had gone in a more rock-oriented direction from the get-go, his career would be in better shape right now.

mmm, I don't know, I don't think that would have felt authentic. I think his career's doing fine.

[Kworb]

If he'd gone in a rock direction it'd have to be something like this and I don't think there's a radio format that would play it.

[lucytor]

Jan 23, 2010 16:42:53 GMT -5 soundUPsceneDOWN said:

I wasn't contradicting myself. You can actually achieve success not being what the general populace considers "normal," and since an artist *doesn't* need everybody to like him to be successful, who cares? Look at Lady Gaga--would the general populace think she's normal? Um... no. She's still successful. But I do know people who think she's a freak.

And yeah, that was really kind of lame pulling one sentence and attempting to make it seem like I have something against gay people--or flamboyant gay people. That's not what I said at all.

My whole point was that personality may turn off some people, not the fact of being gay. Straight artists have had very odd personalities, and dressed oddly and done strange things, too. And those things have turned off some. That doesn't mean they won't be successful.

I got tired of people making a big deal about Adam being gay--honestly, if Adam's fans would stop making that such a big deal, then maybe others would follow suit and it won't be an issue at all.if Adam's fans would stop making that such a big deal, then maybe others would follow suit and it won't be an issue at all. Because it isn't. It's just one way of being. But it's a fact that the media did make a big deal out of Adam being gay, and that brought a lot of hype. Just because the media makes a big deal out of something doesn't mean the general population (who aren't Adam's fans, necessarily) thinks it's a big deal.

In my experience talking with folks about Adam is that they think he's strange, NOT because he's gay, but because of his performance on the AMAs, or his outfits and makeup. I can't help that those people feel that way - I didn't tell them to feel that way. But they're not homophobic; they just think the dude dresses strangely and didn't particularly like his overly sexual AMA performance. It had zero to do with his actual sexuality.

Re "I said Boy George was a pop icon, but I never said his feminism didn't hurt him in some way," perhaps my brain is addled, but I saw no such commentary in your original thread. Maybe you said it elsewhere; if you did, sorry.

Re "if Adam's fans would stop making that such a big deal, then maybe others would follow suit," you then go on to note that "the media did make a big deal out of Adam being gay." The implication seems to be that making a big deal of Adam's sexuality has hurt his career, when In the earlier post you had said that the media attention helped his career...I'm confused here. I mean, if Americans are not homophobic, why would media attention on his being gay hurt Adam's career?

It does all make sense, however, when I pay attention to your bit on eccentrics. I was laboring under the delusion that there were no laws against eccentrics of opposite sexes marrying one another, but that there were laws against eccentrics of the same sex marrying one another. Now that I have done some research, I see that in all states of the union, those wishing to marry must take tests to make certain that they are not eccentric before being granted a marriage licence. All that stuff about denying gays marriage rights is anti-American crap the French cooked up, damn them. Thanks for enlightening me!

Re people you know who are not homophobic, but who object to Adam's clothes and sexuality onstage, I totally understand, and it's no wonder that Britney Spears, Lady Gaga and Madonna have never succeeded in this country. It's great that Americans have no problems with homosexuality, but, really, Americans must do something to control their prejudice against eccentrics. I mean, Gaga is a talented singer. It's a huge, huge shame that she has never succeeded in this country, and ditto for Madonna. And then there's Britney, suffering for her eccentricity, attempting to feed her infants with food stamps. It's all enough to make my heart break :'( :'( :'(

[soundUPsceneDOWN]

^^ Your sarcasm does nothing for your point. Instead of responding, you're twisting my words, adding to them ideas I never said, and then spitting them out as if I had. I'd rather not play that game.

Biggest eyeroll is that I said absolutely nothing about gay rights or gay marriage anywhere at all, nor did my point have anything at all to do with that, yet you act as if I wrote some kind of slanderous essay about it. My God. I am for gay marriage, but I certainly didn't need to say that for my point to be taken seriously enough that if you plan on responding you at least read it first.

[StarSprinkles]

So about WWFM....

Might I suggest that if you have a personal problem with a poster, that people take it up in PM instead of littering the thread with it? This thread is about the song Whataya Want From Me and it has veered EXTREMELY off topic. I for one would like to see it back ON topic.

So back on the actual TOPIC of this thread...

I think Adam's more subdued styling for his promo appearances for WWFM as well as the music video are very appropriate for the theme of the song.

HOWEVER.

For Adam's next single, if he picks "If I Had You" I think he should go back to this look:



I mean come on. It's hot, and it TOTALLY lives up to the "Glambert" moniker.

[rellybois]

Jan 23, 2010 19:48:41 GMT -5 grey said:

Jan 23, 2010 19:26:54 GMT -5 @rellybois said:

I think if Adam had gone in a more rock-oriented direction from the get-go, his career would be in better shape right now.

mmm, I don't know, I don't think that would have felt authentic. I think his career's doing fine.

I don't know where you get the idea it wouldn't be authentic, considering he performed rock music and rock operas his entire career before Idol and all his most acclaimed Idol performances were rock-oriented songs. For a lot of his fans, the Gaga-wannabe dance music he came out with was a shock.

[soundUPsceneDOWN]

Although his album is less Lord Gaga that it could have been - didn't they nix all the RedOne tracks he recorded (don't recall how many he did). At some point they thought about not going entirely the pop-dance route, and really he didn't. WWFM is not Gaga at all. He did a Gaga track, but not full-on Lord Gaga-like,

[StarSprinkles]

They didn't nix the RedOne tracks-they never had the chance to complete them because they couldn't get in the studio at the same time due to their schedules. Adam has said repeatedly that they only did preliminary work on the tracks, but that their schedules didn't allow them to do more than that, and that there are no hard feelings between them because of it. It was simply a scheduling thing.

Again, this thread is about WWFM, not about imaginary songs that didn't' get onto Adam's album

Also, BACK ON THE FREAKIN' TOPIC OF WHATAYA WANT FROM ME, Adam has said that a remix EP of WWFM will be on iTunes in a couple of months. I'm excited :)

A remix EP of FYE is already available in Finland, and will be available stateside eventually, according to Adam.

[soundUPsceneDOWN]

Um... my gah. Ok, you don't have to beat down on everything I say. It was a statement. I thought the RedOne tracks were nixed. Sorry if I don't follow every single bit of news on Adam. I knew enough to know there were RedOne tracks. I was merely responding the post above mine. And didn't I say a good thing, anyway? That the label wasn't trying to make him Lord Gaga?

WWFM is on the radio <-- there this post is on topic now.