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17 years ago, Adam Lambert came in second place during season 8 of American Idol, losing out to Kris Allen. He went on to become the frontman for Queen, first performing with them during the finale of the competition series. Lambert officially joined the band, which used to be fronted by Freddie Mercury, in 2011.
When asked how joining Queen changed his life, Lambert told the Hollywood Reporter, “I think the more interesting question would be, how did it not change my life? It was such a massive career get. Not only did it give me a lot of credibility within the industry, it kind of proved a point. It was a home that was a real good fit for me — their catalog really suits my strengths as a performer. I learned a lot from Brian May and Roger Taylor. They’re incredible. We spent over 10 years touring, so it really became a big extended family. And getting to honor Freddie Mercury — somebody I really look up to as a performer, as a writer and, from what we know about him, as a human being — I loved the opportunity to celebrate him.”
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Lambert also spoke about the fan reaction to joining the band. He said, “There were some fans in the beginning that were resistant, which is natural, and I kind of expected that. Look, this is hallowed ground — you can’t replace the guy. There were going to be people who were protective and territorial. But in a way, it fueled me to work harder. It gave me the hill to climb. Luckily, I had Brian and Roger being very supportive, saying to me from day one, ‘You don’t need to mimic what Freddie did on the recording. You can find your own way.’ That was all I needed to hear.”
Lambert also spent some time discussing the release of his new album, Adam, which he compared to Nine Inch Nails. He revealed that one song, which is out now, was about a big breakup that he went through.
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“There’s a song on the album that was inspired by a breakup,” he revealed. “’Am I Okay’ was written a week after a five-year relationship ended, so it was very, very raw, very fresh. But even broader than that, moving to New York was all wrapped up in this big life change. One chapter in L.A. was closing, the New York chapter was beginning, and it all lined up with this breakup. So it’s really about reestablishing my individuality, my identity, my wants and needs, my hopes and fears, and recontextualizing them in a whole new environment at this new point in my life.”
Lambert now has six studio albums, including For Your Entertainment, Trespassing, The Original High, VELVET, and High Drama. He also spent time performing on Broadway, working in the revival of Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club.
