Adam Lambert's Big Year is Just Getting Started

Let the onslaught begin.

“I think it’s attention getting. At least I hope it is.” Adam Lambert’s talking about his album cover, but he could easily be talking about his life this past year. We’ve devoted untold pixels to him here at AfterElton.com since his Idol audition, and we haven’t actually been lucky enough to talk to him yet. In reality, it’s just beginning, and it officially kicks off this Sunday of at the American Music Awards.

Adam’s is the most anticipated performance, possibly even more so than the Lady GaGa. And delightful though she is, she has me a bit worried about seeing her live since the blood thing at the MTV Music Awards. As for Adam, he’s got ten dancers, costumes, a band, and a vision. And if the pictures from his video shoot this week were any indication, his vision is sexy. 

Yes folks, this is the beginning of Adam’s career, post Idol. He's one of People Magazine's Sexiest Men Alive. His album, For Your Entertainment, drops this coming Monday. Wednesday he’s doing a concert in New York City for Good Morning America. He’s going to be one of Barbara Walters Most Fascinating People of 2009. He’s one of the featured artists on Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve that Ryan Seacrest is hosting in New York City. He’s going to be everywhere. Seriously, go check your front door right now.

Billboard Magazine sat down with Adam several times as we built to this moment, and they’ve collected them in a really neat launch piece for Adam. People, including Adam, keep comparing him to David Bowie or Freddie Mercury. But listening to Adam talk (as opposed to sing), I’m reminded more of Madonna. Nobody ever said Madonna was a great singer, not even Madonna herself. But she’s a stellar marketer, a mesmerizing performer, and it’s served her well for nearly 30 years.

I see that in Adam, but he’s also got the pipes to back it up. He’s infinitely confident and bristles at the idea that the Idol machine is making him dance like a puppet to their song. This is no kid; he’s 27, toured with Wicked, and has been out since he turned 18. If you tell him he came out in Rolling Stone, he’ll laugh in your face.

There was the unpleasantness this week with the editor of Out. They’ve each had their say on the subject. The whole thing is unfortunate in many ways, because neither of them meant exactly what got said.  But they each had a product to sell. Out managed some notoriety. Adam managed to look in charge of his own image. It was a ripple from a pebble bouncing off the ocean liner that is the S.S. Adam Lambert.

When I reviewed his album, I had some concerns that when taken individually, the tracks were a little derivative of other artists. Taken as a whole, those concerns melt away. It’s a lot like Adam himself, take elements about him individually: theatrical, glam, gay, guyliner, rocker. It causes some concern to his marketability. Taken as a whole, you get Adam Lambert, artist.

t/y to reader Crawfish Po Boy for the tip on Billboard