ADAM LAMBERT RELEASES HIGH DRAMA

Jason Parsley

Adam Lambert, the iconic out glam rocker, has always been known for high drama, and now he brings that attitude to life in his fifth studio album comprising 11 cover songs.

Billboard magazine calls it an “impressive journey through Lambert’s skill set as a cover artist.” While RIFF magazine writes in their review, “Lambert isn’t trying to outdo the originals on High Drama, but rather take them to a different place. More than anything, it’s an effective showcase of his dynamic range.”

There is no theme to “High Drama” except perhaps drama, but really it’s a collection of songs that are meaningful to Lambert. Some of them include Ordinary World (Duran Duran); Getting Older (Billie Eilish); Chandelier (Sia); and Holding Out for a Hero (Bonnie Tyler).

“I wanted to do songs that could come from my own life, from my experiences,” Lambert told The New York Post. “And I wanted to do songs that were [by] other artists who were real individuals. Most of the artists on this album march to the beat of their own drum. And I really respect that.”

He debuted Ordinary World on the finale of the Voice back in December, where he dedicated the track to the victims of the Club Q shooting in Colorado.

“In the case of Duran Duran’s ‘Ordinary World,’ [Lambert transforms] the song into a piano ballad. It’s actually quite stunning, mixing in strings and orchestral elements that only add to the ‘drama,’” writes RIFF Lambert pays homage to several queer artists on the album, including renditions of Noël Coward’s Mad About The Boy and Boy George’s Do You Really Want to Hurt Me?

“Actually, George is a friend of mine,” Lambert told the New York Post. “He’s someone that I really admire. I don’t think he always gets the credit he deserves when he was really out there being exactly who he was in the early ’80s, when it was a little tricky to proclaim that.”

He also covers a lesser-known song I’m A

Man, originally recorded by another glam rocker Jobriath, who was the first openly gay rock musician to be signed to a major record label in the U.S. According to the BBC he faced repeated homophobia while on tour after his first album was released. His second album flopped and his label dropped him. He later died of AIDS-related complications in 1983. Lambert first discovered the artist after watching the 2012 documentary, “Jobriath A.D.,” about his life.

“When I was a teenager coming to terms with my sexuality, I didn’t think I’d have a shot in the music industry, mostly because I was gay,” he told the BBC. “We had artists that came out once they had success, Elton

John, George Michael, but there was no-one I could compare myself to.”

The rest of the songs include I Can’t Stand the Rain (Tina Turner); West Coast (Lana Del Rey); Sex on Fire (Kings of Leon); and My Attic (Pink).

Lambert, 41, first rose to fame during the eighth season of “American Idol” in 2009. One of Lambert’s most memorable moments on the show was his version of Mad World (Tears for Fears). Since his stint on the show, he has collaborated with Queen and regularly tours with them. In 2022 Lambert performed at SunFest in West Palm Beach and he headlined Miami Beach Pride in 2013.

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