Adam Lambert is a flash in the pan-artist whose art will fade the memories of their glory days of American Idol? Or is the “New Messiah” rock – glam-rock second coming of Elvis himself?
From Hollywood to the Bible Belt, a surefire way to start a discussion these days, that is the name: “. Adam Lambert” One thing is certain: If you are an avid fan of Adam or an enemy, talking about him and his art is always bound to get some answers strong, passionate and very different.
Who is buying – or not buy Lambert’s debut album and why, is another fascinating debate. Lambert has one of the most impressive voices in the history of the music industry. He has a great lyrical sense – and the wonderful musical tone and pitch. Vocally, Lambert vocal can jump under the head voice to falsetto – faster and smoother than you can pronounce the name of his vocal coach – Ron Anderson. His live versions of “Whole Lotta Love” proved he can sing louder than the Zeppelin Robert Plant. And his forays into the idol Aerosmith song catalog has shown you can come face to face with Steven Tyler – vocals and a rock god and provocative. Lambert, literally has the voice, the look and delivery to restore the classic rock genre as a culturally relevant and commercially viable.
So why the fuss? Ah yes, the American Music Awards thing. You know, where during his AMA performance virgin, Lambert put his face into the crotch of a backup musician and French male friend kissed another. Sex (sexual and posture) is nothing new to rock. Elvis Jim Morrison, Mick Jagger and Tyler, a scandalous sexual image has always been a prerequisite for a height of rock god and – a continuing controversy rock groupie. And since the days of Elvis and Little Richard, every generation of rockers has become more open and sexually suggestive in its staging.
So why the outrage? The answer is that there seems to be a double standard in rock-pop. It’s great to show their sexuality, if you’re heterosexual. But is not that great, in fact, is downright annoying and uncomfortable for many people, if an artist plays his gay sex / congregation selection. And Lambert is a young gay man declared. On one side of gay pride, foolishly left Lambert overshadow the sexual identity of her vocal performance – and the race in the AMA series. Many of us towards people I do not care that he is gay. But we were very disappointed when they deliver the goods vocally in the AMA.
This is the public outrage about the sexuality of Adam, why the other contestant on reality variety show, Susan Boyle, Lambert is outselling more than 8 to 1 in sales of their debut album? Boyle’s debut album has sold over eight million units and counting. Published last November, Lambert “For Your Entertainment” album had sold about 600,000 copies in the U.S. in January 2010. That’s a respectable sales figure for new artists more common. Especially in these days of declining record sales, illegal downloads and CD piracy. But Lambert is not a common artist. It looks like an androgynous child of Elvis, with vocal chops of a futuristic rock god. He simply does not have a superstar sales record. And a lot of people are wondering why.
The answer is twofold: It has indeed been a cultural divide and reaction against the Bible Belters Lambert and the religious right. His reaction to the spectacle Lambert AMA is not unlike what happened after Elvis turned his hips on the Ed Sullivan Show. Or how American fans burned their Beatles records after John Lennon proclaimed the Beatles to be “more popular than Jesus.” You make controversial statements or actions suggesting – as a public figure – and live with the consequences.
For a new artist, RCA Lambert artistic freedom gave way too much on their first album. With the exception of “What you want from me already,” the songs are not particularly well written and memorable. More importantly, the album lacks a “signature hit song,” “What’s love Got to do with it?” Wing Tina Turner and Olivia Newton-John “Physical” or the Beatles “I Want to Hold Your Hand.” Songs of the firm are what make you immediately think of the artist when the radio. Not only sold millions of records – that create sustainable careers for recording artists. Disco Susan Boyle simple reason is outselling Lambert by a margin so wide is that Boyle sang most of the rules or play to their strength, with the exception of his bizarre version of the Stones “Wild Horses.” Moreover Lambert, RCA and its management team has committed a large number of “branding” and marketing artist’s sins.
It is true that, through their own artistic diversity and controversial actions, Lambert has not made its branding and marketing easy for the guards. By their nature, action and diversity, challenges Lambert fit nicely into the category of any record label marketing or playlist program director of radio genres. That’s hurt his play on the radio. That has hurt sales of albums. Like his behavior.
These serious errors – poor branding, the lack of a “signature hit,” art direction confusing and predictable production values of the song, along with Lambert’s decision to market their sexuality before their craft have created a dilemma that would killed a child artist career. And in doing so, Lambert, RCA and his management team have challenged the paradigm of marketing has long each more successful recording artist.
First, it creates a strong base of fans of a particular genre. To build that base and expand the range of artists and genres along several albums and years. Never intentionally disclose potentially damaging personal attributes that can hurt your record sales. And, if the personal consciousness, alcohol or a law of God compels you to make a sensible personal revelation, you wait until you are an artist platinum set. Team Lambert had some classic examples to follow, but did not.
Elton John built a huge fan base on the strength of their compositions with a Bernie Taupin – and her singing and piano playing skills identifiable through their debut album “Tumbleweed Connection”. That album “Madman Across the Water” were widely accepted by a diverse audience. It was not until several albums and years later that John “was” the first hint of being bisexual and later becomes a famous gay glam-rock icon. And therefore, who had sold millions of records to a loving and faithful fan base, gay and straight, who could not care less about their sexuality.
And although more theatrically charged artists such as Freddie Mercury of Queen, David Bowie and Mick Jagger androgynously straddling the fence of homosexuality and bisexuality in the 1970′s and 80′s, all of them established a wide fan base before their sexual preferences and proclivities became public.
Lambert, by nature, seems to be a focus of controversy. First, is performed in a variety of musical genres that have traditionally been mutually exclusive domains. Forget the Christians against non-Christians. A lot of alt-rock classic rockers honestly detest. Many classic rockers avoid alt-rock and pop-rock disdain for dance artists as “cowardly traitors.” And a large number of alt-rock classics and dance-oriented electronic despise pop-rock acts like Depeche Mode dance. You rarely see fans of these types of music differing in any single rock or a pop concert. And when it does, the interaction is rarely quiet. But Adam, through his many musical muses – and perhaps the futility of trying to make Obama the Republicans – “. Bringing them all together” is inexplicably
But sometimes even the dreamers have to face reality. And the reality is this. Adam Lambert has to assume some responsibility for their modest record sales. He has to learn from past mistakes, not repeat. And artistically, you must choose a path. The definition of art can be more liberating than confining – but artists often immature and irrelevant to the struggle that the truth – rather than searching their hearts and souls, learning his craft and – finally find their voice and messages.
Another reality is this: the music buying public is much more shortsighted and fickle, more oriented in their shopping habits for fads and popular trends – that the taste and discretion. So Adam, and any other recording artist aspiring youth, our prayers here in the “Hall of A & R” is: Stop doing this business of music more complicated complicated than it already is!
Be an original. Choose a musical artistic way. They show their true selves and we will accept or reject in their own right: his artistic project and be proud of it, if you are an alt-rock, classic rock, electronica, dance artist, singer, Broadway musicals, or whatever. What music lovers do not need – and do not reward – Houdini is another ambivalent musical makeup.