Adam Lambert - "For Your Entertainment" - Thread 2

[brb]

Apr 14, 2010 11:01:19 GMT -5 Stephen said:

However, his single is falling, not "going top ten," lmao.

He didn't say in which chart, and his single did reach the top 10 in HAC this week and does look like it could reach the top 10 in AC as well.

[rosemoor]

One funny thing about this thread, it seems people who're clearly not fans of his music actually took more effort following his career, analyzing and writing about every ups and downs of his career. I wish I had their dedication.

LOL I watched idol for the first time last night. oh god, the commercials every five minutes, how do you guys stand that? Anyway, I think he was great at actually giving them specific, constructive opinions. He's a natural on tv.

[maria4hitz]

Apr 14, 2010 11:01:19 GMT -5 Stephen said:

I think Adam's right. I guess the reason I rag on his success and call it disappointing is because I, like Ken, apparently, expected significantly more of him based on all the hype. I forgot that hype rarely transcends into permanent sales, heh. He's doing well, that's all that matters.

I agree. You can have all the hype and attention you want (like Adam had last year) but it'll translate in sales depending on the music, only if you have "hits". People will never buy an album based on the hype surrounding someone, not even hype about his music, all the hype was about him, his sexuality and his run on Idol. When Idol finished it was time to see what he was all about and how well his music was going to sell (given that no one had any idea of what his album would be like) and then they made the biggest mistake of releasing FYE as the 1st single (I say "they" because there's no way Adam picked For your entertainment by himself). You're going to sell records mainly based on the music you release, and I love every song on this album, but FYE should've never been a single and WWFM is generic and forgettable, now we know it was never going to be a huge hit, but it was safe and good enough to keep him in the public eye and it's doing well on hot ac. And like someone said earlier, WWFM had to overcome a lot coming after the FYE disaster and given those circumstances it did great. I think If I had you will have a similar run and at least will maintain his album sales. I see this album reaching 700k or a little more when it's all said and done.

[kod]

Apr 14, 2010 10:58:25 GMT -5 Berry said:

Adam Lambert responds to 'American Idol' exec producer Ken Warwick: 'I don't feel like I'm struggling at all'

In anticipation of Adam Lambert’s appearance as a mentor on American Idol this week, Idol exec. producer Ken Warwick told EW on Monday that “at the moment [Lambert's] not doing quite as well [in his career].” Warwick explained that he hoped Lambert’s appearance on Idol would help put him “back firmly where he belongs, as a major star,” adding that “it kind of breaks my heart to see someone with that much talent struggle a bit.”

EW caught up with Lambert at Idol last night during a post-show press Q&A, and asked him about Warwick’s comments. “It’s so sweet of him,” Lambert replied lightheartedly. “I don’t feel like I’m struggling at all. I think things are right where they need to be. My single ‘What Do You Want From Me,’ is just breaking into the Top 10 right now.” The track, which Lambert will perform during tonight’s Idol results show, is currently at No. 13 on Billboard’s Pop chart, and number 23 on the Billboard Hot 100, having peaked at No. 20.

“I’m really glad that they had me on the show,” Lambert added. “I really enjoyed helping the other contestants.” So what it was like for him to sit in the Idol studio audience instead of perform on the stage? “It was a trip being out there,” Lambert said. “My mom was sitting next to me tonight, and she was like, ‘This is what it used to be like for us! We used to sit here and we got so nervous and we’d be chewing our gum really hard and we’d be going Oh god, I hope he does a good job!‘”

popwatch.ew.com/2010/04/14/adam-lambert-american-idol-ken-warwick/

He handled that quite nicely. I don't particularly like the liberties taken with Adam though from Ken, he would never say something like that about another mentor or guest.

[tsharky]

Adam did great tonight and also did a great job mentoring!

Honestly, Carrie Underwood is on tour all week this week and also has the ACMS Sunday, so she was way too busy to mentor this week. Kelly Clarkson is touring in New Zealand right now, so she was unavailable too.

[kod]

I thought he did really well tonight- that was much more spirited delivery of WWFM than I've seen him do before- he was really good.

[Stephen]

The version was awful. His vocal was ok, but the production, the changes... MESS.

[poptartz]

Apr 14, 2010 20:26:02 GMT -5 reese said:

I guess it is better to be safe than sorry:

Advocate.com
April 14, 2010

Idol Afraid of Lambert Going Rogue: American Idol producers aren't taking any chances that Adam Lambert might spark controversy in his return performance Wednesday night.
By Julie Bolcer

Reportedly nervous that Adam Lambert might attempt a repeat of his sexually charged performance at the American Music Awards, American Idol producers have issued strict instructions to their star alum in anticipation of his return performance Wednesday night.

Rob Shuter at PopEater reports on the tension leading up to Lambert’s performance of "Whataya Want From Me" tonight. (Scroll down in link for his report.)

“‘Idol does not want a repeat performance of what Adam did at last year's American Music Awards, where he simulated sex and kissed a male member of his band,’ an insider tells me. ‘The producers are confident that Adam will stick to their rules, however, they are taking no chances and making sure they have a 3-second delay on the live show, just in case Mr. Lambert goes rogue.’

“Sources tell me the other bone of contention was that Adam didn't want to perform in front of the judges.”

According to Shuter, the judges will not be moved to make way for Lambert.

A) they always have the tape delay in place; that's how they managed to bleep out Alex Lambert's f-bomb earlier in the season, and B) if they were really worried they would've just had him pretape the performance. the original source of that article is AOL's Popeater gossip column, which has posted a lot of questionable stories about Adam in the past. I think this is bull.

the LA Times just posted an article in which each of the contestants comment on their favorite Adam moment, lol. kinda corny, but sweet!

Big Mike: "My favorite Adam Lambert moment is hearing about his reputation from the crew and from our handlers. He was always prepared, a super good kid; he's just one of the people they talk the highest about. To me, that's something that's important. I always want my reputation with the people I work with to be good, and to see that about him, that he's one of the people they talk about out of all the seasons, that's my favorite thing about him."

Katie Stevens: "I loved when Adam sang 'Feeling Good' last year. That was one of my favorite songs. He came down the stairs and all cool, and with the light in the background and it got bigger and he did his whole riffing crazy ridiculous chops thing. Having him as a mentor was just incredible, because he knows what we're going through, so he's able to give us the best feedback."

Siobhan Magnus: "Just meeting him was incredible; his presence is really big and he's just so positive and genuinely kind. He said he would figuratively be throwing glitter at me, and I felt it up there."

more here

[jchang365]

I thought that performance was the bomb. Good job, Adam!

[brb]

Apr 14, 2010 23:56:09 GMT -5 poptartz said:

if they were really worried they would've just had him pretape the performance.

+1

I so loved this performance.

[maria4hitz]

Some comments on last night's performance

- ADAM LAMBERT: This week’s mentor and last season’s runner-up returns to the Idol stage to show Season 9 how it’s done… Taking notes? He rearranged his own song for this performance (originality… check.). Adam begins "Whataya Want From Me" dramatically and quietly in the dark. A vortex of glowing swirling fog surrounds him and ascends into a laser pinpoint above him as if he is about to lift off into space. Then the song builds (Beginning, middle, end… See Casey? Dynamics!). And of course, the signature screams (Listening Siobhan?). Even my DVR seems to be getting into it with lights blinking along to the music (or was I just sitting on the remote control?). Shiny suit. Bedazzled ear monitors. Oh, how I miss Season 8!

CNN Morning Express mxp.blogs.cnn.com/2010/04/15/american-idol-technically-speaking-2/

LIGHTS, CAMERA, ADAM
What's changed about Adam Lambert since his "Idol" days? Well, he's gotten a haircut — probably several, really. His vocals seem to have matured to an even grander scale of amazing. Oh, and he now travels in a smoky, luminescent pyramid. It's what all the kids in L.A. would be doing if they could finally stop waiting tables and get their big break.

The beginning of his performance of "Whataya Want From Me" is riveting television — it's like a live music video, with effects that occasionally overpower even the state-of-the-art HD cameras in the "Idol" studios.

When Adam finally emerges, he's wearing a jacket from the Liberace collection (even his noise-canceling earpieces are bedazzled!), but singing a song that's a modern blend of '80s bombast and '00s spacey dance beats.

No doubt about it, Adam is the full package. A tremendous singer. An impeccable showman. And when in shadow, his new pompadour even recalls the very 2010 "I'm with Coco" logo. He's got everything!

He made his own "Idol" mold, then broke it. His appearance this week has likely only strengthened criticism that the show ain't what it used to be. One thing's for sure — none of this year's contestants have yet shown the kind of onstage power that he can unleash. I think we'll be hearing about him for quite some time.

www.expressnightout.com/content/2010/04/american-idol-adam-lambert-katie-stevens-andrew-garcia.php

There's an old saying that you can't go home again. On Wednesday night (April 14), however, Adam Lambert did exactly that — and left a worldwide audience welcoming him back with open arms.

"Adam is the King!" read a sign held in the air by an "American Idol" audience member, moments before the season-eight runner-up took the stage in the newest role of his career: music icon. Appearing as a mentor on Tuesday's episode, Lambert reminded the "AI" folks why he's a fan favorite.

www.mtv.com/news/articles/1637080/20100414/lambert_adam_american_idol_.jhtml

Adam Lambert gets his usual tricked-out light show for Whataya Want From Me. He's wrapped in what looks looks like a cone-shaped swirling cloud of green light. And the Whataya Want From Me is neither the version from the album nor the popular acoustic version he recently performed for VH1, but something different from either.

Hope the contestants are paying attention to this. Siobhan, in particular, should listen and learn how to sing high and still retain some sense of the song. All of them could use his sense of staging. Maybe a few of them will get some ideas about things to ask for with their lighting.

Whataya think -- best performance of the season, performance or results night?

"Now, that's a performance!" says Ryan.

Adam tells Ryan that American Idol definitely prepared him for the real world of the music business.

content.usatoday.com/communities/idolchatter/post/2010/04/whataya-want-from-adam-lambert/1

Well, anyway, speaking of popular male contestants, at least there was one truly exciting performance this evening: Midshow, this week's mentor and Season 8's runner-up, Adam Lambert, was thrillingly beamed down to the stage, standing atop a grid of "TRON"-style lasers and shrouded in the fog of an overactive dry-ice machine, looking like a finalist from "Mars Idol" in his silver spacesuit. And after Sir Glambert belted out "Whataya Want From Me" near a cappella, in near darkness, Ryan raved, "Now that's a performance!"--in what seemed to be a very thinly veiled dig at the top nine, all of whom have failed to measure up to last season's overall awesomeness.

So, remember how on Tuesday Adam advised Andrew Garcia to be less boring, and told all the contestants to "wake up a little"? Well, this is what he was talking about. I sure hope the top seven were taking notes.

Lindsey Parker from Reality rocks new.music.yahoo.com/blogs/realityrocks/340185/idol-top-9-results-shocker-america-gets-it-right/

But then Adam Lambert took to the stage, delivering by miles the best live guest performance I’ve seen on an Idol results show ever in the history of awesome. Alas, Smirkel became so enraptured by Glambert’s laser-light tornado that he let one of the green laser beams hit him square in his third eye. He’s currently convalescing inside Randy Jackson’s belly button lint trap.
Suffice it to say, Glambert completely blew my everloving mind last night, and judging from the deafening roars from the live audience before, during, and after his performance of “Whataya Want from Me,” I’d say I was far from alone. Unlike the horrid group numbers, which are exponentially more horrid in person, in large part because they are choreographed for the cameras and not the studio audience, Glambert constructed his number as much (if not more) for those of us inside Idoldome as those of you watching from home. For one thing, as cool as those lasers looked on TV, they had true dimension and shape in person (in other words, they were in 3D!). For another, the music simply sounded big and gorgeous live, a perfect sonic match for the visual spectacle. Unfortunately, both the live show and the televised version were hobbled by a way over-zealous fog machine; I’d love to tell you what the Idols and judges made of Glambert’s show, but all that smoke utterly obscured them from view.
Oh, that’s right, this was a results show, not a Glambert concert. You could’ve been forgiven for thinking it was the latter, though. A completely unscientific visual survey of the audience counted at least as many pro-Glambert posters as ones for all the other current Idol hopefuls combined. And the mere sight of Glambert during the show’s Dramatic! Opening! Video! Montage! sent the audience into conniptions.
As the crew loaded in Glambert’s equipment with clockwork efficiency, Siobhan clasped her hands together tightly, almost doubled over in her seat, and MamaSox gave Lee a warm hug. The audience was so keyed up for their promised dose of Glambert that some began wildly cheering when one of his band mates stepped onto the stage. When the real Glambert finally appeared with about 15 seconds to go before air, the place became unmoored, and I’ll be darned if Glambert didn’t look totally humbled by the sheer tonnage of adulation.
What did you make of Adam Lambert’s performance last night, dear readers? In your heart of hearts, do you think in a year’s time anyone from this season could match it, if not in drama than at least in the ability to take total command of the stage?

On the scene for results night popwatch.ew.com/2010/04/15/american-idol-adam-lambert-results-night/

Adam Lambert was a great "American Idol" this week, but he was an even better performer. The glam-pop singer took a cue from arena Brit-rockers Muse for his big return to "Idol" Wednesday night, putting on a laser-soaked performance of his current single, "Whataya Want from Me."
Through a haze of green smoke and lights, Lambert brought the drama like none of this season's "Idol" contestants -- and probably none before him -- could. He prowled around the Kodak Theatre stage and belted out his glory notes, eliciting giddy screams from the crowd and no doubt people watching from home. Even if Lambert wasn't your favorite "Idol" contestant last year, his performance couldn't help but trigger memories the good old days of season 8 -- and make it pretty clear why this year's batch of contestants pales in comparison.

www.billboard.com/#/column/viralvideos/adam-lambert-gives-laser-soaked-performance-1004083537.story?tag=hpfeed

In any case, even if Adam isn't Elvis, he is Adam, and that (since he asked) is what we want from him. He guided his successors with a firm and practiced hand—even if he was so much at a loss with Tim that all he could do was repeat the word pretty— coaching them astutely to be bigger onstage. Once again, as when Usher visited, Lee was the only one who listened. But most importantly, Adam brought the glitter back, twinkling from Crystal's spangled guitar and even his own sparkly ear protectors. On Wednesday he also brought lasers, his retooled "Whataya Want From Me?" sounding in silhouette from the eye of a Wicked green cyclone, or possibly the heart of the Matrix. He was so obscured by effects for the first half of the song that if he'd kissed his keyboard player, we'd never have known. I'm going to imagine he did. Overall, he reminded us that Idol needs that flash sometimes, the love of performance that used to define its singers and which even our most consistent contestants are not always delivering in this singer-songwriter-focused season.

www.slate.com/id/2250927/?from=rss

But the real reason viewers turned in — and the crowd showed up, based on their shrieks — was Lambert’s return to the Idol stage.
Singing a song Ryan Seacrest repeatedly referred to as a “hit record,” Lambert belted “Whatya Want From Me” from his debut For Your Entertainment silhouetted against green swirls of light. Though the production featured lasers (”I wanted to do something a little different”), Lambert strove to keep the focus on his vocals, stretching the song’s intro elaborately and concluding on one of his signature pitch-shifting screams. (The AMAs, this was not.) In the end, he told Seacrest he was honored to come back to the show that launched his career: “I owe this show everything, thank you.”

www.rollingstone.com/rockdaily/index.php/2010/04/15/adam-lambert-retakes-idol-spotlight-as-garcia-stevens-exit/?rand=99775#comment-1959149

[secretchef]

Rolling Stone, of course

www.rollingstone.com/rockdaily/index.php/2010/04/15/adam-lambert-retakes-idol-spotlight-as-garcia-stevens-exit/?rand=99775#comment-1959149

[bluetent]

Remix EP #16 on Itunes
Delux album shot back to #45 on Itunes and standard album at #47

[foxxden]

Apr 15, 2010 19:51:04 GMT -5 bluetent said:

Remix EP #16 on Itunes
Delux album shot back to #45 on Itunes and standard album at #47

And the album shot up to #12 on Amazon.com, up 469%! :o

[brianpk80]

Central80 and reese, you both make excellent points.

I was a big Adam fan last year but the AMA performance repulsed me. I loved the song FYE when I heard the studio version, and have since never been able to enjoy it with the specter of that humiliating performance overshadowing it. FYE is not a song about love, about society, about loss... it's a song about him. It's so bound to the artist's identity that if the artist becomes a loser, the song inevitably follows suit.

I haven't paid much attention to Adam until recently. After the AMA's, I couldn't tell immediately if the revulsion would last a long time or vanish. 5 months later, I find it's at the same level. For Adam to insult the world by pretending homophobia and sexism dictated the poor response to his performance is arrogant and delusional. I mean the guy was aiming to be a sleek world-class rock star and he fell down while singing flat? Embarrassing. His dishonesty about the performance, as reese mentioned, is a major irritant. Apparently, he's still in that same mode since he claims his career is exactly where it's supposed to be.

Do I care? Yes. I care because I found him personally inspiring, a huge step forward for GLBT visibility, and a brilliant artist capable of ushering in a new genre of high energy songs/stylings. It's disheartening that he's devolved into making very low-brow artistic [mis]judgments and tenacious denials of his own mistakes. Yuck, yuck, yuck.

[reese]

Apr 14, 2010 13:20:05 GMT -5 maria4hitz said:

I agree. You can have all the hype and attention you want (like Adam had last year) but it'll translate in sales depending on the music, only if you have "hits". People will never buy an album based on the hype surrounding someone, not even hype about his music, all the hype was about him, his sexuality and his run on Idol.

Not exactly true. Susan Boyle had tremendous sales without a hit song on the charts. TV has become a huge advertisement for singers. That's why singers are fighting for shows such as AI and DWTS etc. to get their songs heard. Radio is dead.

brian, I completely agree with you. He had me during his run on Idol and lost me at the AMAs.

[brb]

Apr 16, 2010 5:45:46 GMT -5 brianpk80 said:

I mean the guy was aiming to be a sleek world-class rock star and he fell down while singing flat? Embarrassing.

Oh wow, he fell.. so embarrassing.. and Lady Gaga didn't almost faint and sang from the floor at a concert several weeks ago and J.Lo didn't fall in the AMAs too. It happened only to him..

Posts like that make me think that the US just doesn't deserve to have successful LGBT artists. With all the criticism and hate and lack of respect, especially in the US LGBT community, to an artist like Adam who's trying to open doors for himself and for others, you deserve to have all your pop stars locked in their closets.

[Kishi KCM]

Sorry, but Adam pretty much out shined the ENTIRE season!!

[desertflower]

Apr 16, 2010 8:54:09 GMT -5 Kishi KCM said:

Sorry, but Adam pretty much out shined the ENTIRE season!!

Well that isn't saying much, this season sucks except for Crystal. I don't remember any other artist getting the visual effects that Adam got for the show.

I hear the new tour is going to be called Glamnation. Copying Clay huh? Clay fans have been called Claynation for YEARS. Not to original.

I was a fan during the show too...he lost me with his interviews and behavior after the show ended.

[bluetent]

Apr 16, 2010 9:15:18 GMT -5 desertflower said:

Apr 16, 2010 8:54:09 GMT -5 Kishi KCM said:

Sorry, but Adam pretty much out shined the ENTIRE season!!

Well that isn't saying much, this season sucks except for Crystal. I don't remember any other artist getting the visual effects that Adam got for the show.

I hear the new tour is going to be called Glamnation. Copying Clay huh? Clay fans have been called Claynation for YEARS. Not to original.

I was a fan during the show too...he lost me with his interviews and behavior after the show ended.

You mean his comments about Clay. Haha. Still bitter.

[desertflower]

Apr 16, 2010 10:28:31 GMT -5 bluetent said:

Apr 16, 2010 9:15:18 GMT -5 desertflower said:

Well that isn't saying much, this season sucks except for Crystal. I don't remember any other artist getting the visual effects that Adam got for the show.

I hear the new tour is going to be called Glamnation. Copying Clay huh? Clay fans have been called Claynation for YEARS. Not to original.

I was a fan during the show too...he lost me with his interviews and behavior after the show ended.

You mean his comments about Clay. Haha. Still bitter.

Sorry to disappoint it has nothing whatsoever to with his comments about Clay.

It does have to do with him endorsing drug use, copping out of any responsibility for the AMA Fiasco, and his ENORMOUS Ego.

He said the other day that the only people that have a problem with him are the conservatives...well wrong again Lambert....I'm about as Liberal as they come.

Which is to bad he is so screwed up, cause I think he is a huge talent and he is squandering that with his outrageous behavior.

This is an Adam I could really like

www.youtube.com/watch?v=VQ--ayeYsI8

[maria4hitz]

Are we really still discussing the AMA's??? If people were that surprised by the AMA's then what would they think about his Zodiac performances...

[poptartz]

Adam just tweeted...

adamlambert: The Glam Nation Tour dates will be announced soon! For those who didn't know, my opening acts are Orianthi and Allison Iraheta!!!

yay!!!

[vandj4ever]

Interesting. Certainly one way to manage the costs of a new tour. They package 3 of their newest investments in one rather then expending resources for three separate tours. Smart on the business end.

[Feelin'.$$$hady]

Seems like he's having a great week. Good for him! I think he is immensely talented. The performance was great IMO.
I don't think his televised, big national performances should be low-key or acoustic. Let's leave the acoustics for the small concerts and radio showcases he does.
I think he should be doing exactly what he did on idol this week. Big numbers with production. That should be the image pushed towards the casual viewers. He can switch it down the road, but for now, the performances should be glamorous, no matter what the song is. It'll be wrong to mold him into something else. He is one of few male pop artists who is able to do that and pull it off. Why to mold him in some kind of Daughtry/Cook/Allen stereotype. It's a tough road in the US he has chosen, if you look what kind of male musicians have songs high charted on pop radio, but that's who he is and he should not compromise that. Step in the right direction IMO.

[Feelin'.$$$hady]

Happy about Orianthi and Allison! AMAZING!!! right decision

[maria4hitz]

^Totally agree judee. That's what he's about, he's that kind of performer.

[brb]

Apr 16, 2010 11:57:27 GMT -5 Feelin'.$$$hady said:

Seems like he's having a great week. Good for him! I think he is immensely talented. The performance was great IMO.
I don't think his televised, big national performances should be low-key or acoustic. Let's leave the acoustics for the small concerts and radio showcases he does.
I think he should be doing exactly what he did on idol this week. Big numbers with production. That should be the image pushed towards the casual viewers. He can switch it down the road, but for now, the performances should be glamorous, no matter what the song is. It'll be wrong to mold him into something else. He is one of few male pop artists who is able to do that and pull it off. Why to mold him in some kind of Daughtry/Cook/Allen stereotype. It's a tough road in the US he has chosen, if you look what kind of male musicians have songs high charted on pop radio, but that's who he is and he should not compromise that. Step in the right direction IMO.

Great post Judee.

It is a tough road but if he succeeds, and I think especially if IIHY succeeds, more male musicians in the US could then sing that type of music.

Orianthi and Allison as opening acts sound good to me. I hope Orianthi's new song succeeds so that she could bring some of her fans to watch them on tour, and it would be so great imo to see her joining Adam on stage during "Sleepwalker" for her guitar solo..

[kod]

Allison? I'm sorry but she's terrible.

[bluetent]

Sorry to disappoint it has nothing whatsoever to with his comments about Clay.

Right. Absolutely zero.