Idol Headlines for 06/14/09

hmmmm…it does raise a good question…is it better to be more mysterious with the sexuality, or completely “out”? Androgyny may be a more powerful selling point. Being gay is gaining more acceptance, but we also know that, for teens, being labeled as such is one of the biggest slurs right now in school.

1) great for Jordin. I think she is finally coming into her self as a young adult and a performer. I loved it when she stood up to that nasty comedian last year on the MTV music awards. And her music is getting better. Congrat’s Jordin!

2) On Adam and the Boston Globe article: For an Adam fan, it has always been all about the music. Who didn’t go online and google everything you could find about him on the web( thus coming across loud and clear declarations about his sexuality) right after her performed “Satisfaction”? Really, I am tired of these media outlets and articles stating that Adam has “come out” yada yada yade. I am really hoping that this stuff will just go away now because is really isn’t that interesting. Hopefully Adam will continue to be the same incredible guy he was on Idol and sing his heart out and come out with an album that will blow all of us away. That is what it has always been about. Nothing more, nothing less.

David Bowie. Mick Jagger. Steven Tyler.

Weren’t they more straight with some bi thrown in? Openly gay, I think of Lance Bass, Elton John, George Michael, Boy George, who else? Elton didn’t publicly come out until late in his career, but these days that’s not an option.

ETA and of course Freddie Mercury

Congrats on making the front page of The Boston Sunday Globe! MJ representing!

Anyway…after reading Rolling Stone, watching 20/20, reading a gazillion articles about Adam, here’s what I say:

BRING ON THE MUSIC!!! I think it’s fine that Adam is out–he said what he wanted to say and maybe felt he needed to say, and PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE let’s move on!!!

Openly gay, I think of Lance Bass, Elton John, George Michael, Boy George, who else?

Clay Aiken? Heh

Adam didn’t come out last week, Adam got Rolling Stone to do a cover story about him last week, you can’t come out if you’ve never been in. Adam never hid who he was, being vague to stir a media frenzy does not count as being “in the closet” or truly hiding who you are.

My cynical self is starting to think it’s a shame he couldn’t delay his confirmation until his album comes out – would’ve been great promo. I have to wonder what new spin they’ll think of to get headlines then: “Adam admits he once had drunken sex with a woman”? “Adam now says he may be bi after all”? “Adam and Kris reveal: This is how we became more than friends”? (bonus – that would sell both albums, not just Adam’s).

Can it be even just a little bit about the music? Please?

Here’s an acoustic of Elliott performing his single released in Japan – You Say. The boy can sang!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EGOfMlCg1JM

Adam did it ‘his way’ on idol and he continues to do it ‘his way’…that’s what makes him special. I for one can’t wait for his next move, and his first album.

OMG, Adam Lambert is gay! What is wrong with this country! I can’t believe even enlightened people, because obviously MJ’s readers are smarter than average, are still discussing this. :flush_tb:

Congrats MJ! Are you reporting live from the auditions?

Sure makes up for a slow news day…

I have to wonder what new spin theyà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ll think of to get headlines then: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Adam admits he once had drunken sex with a womanà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ ? à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Adam now says he may be bi after allà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ ? à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Adam and Kris reveal: This is how we became more than friendsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ ?

I hear ya, LOL. I have to say I was surprised that 20/20 focused solely on his being gay. Really I can’t imagine the media treating straight people that way. Can you imagine them doing news segments on who someone is sleeping with, what kind of sex they like, and everything related to their sex lives? It’s stupid to treat gay people with such lack of respect by asking such intimate and personal questions and really, gay celebrities are damned if they do and damned if they don’t. I hated when they did it to Clay and I hate them doing it to anyone, whether they are closeted or out and proud, it’s still intrusive and disrespectful.

I think Adam is doing his best to deal with the situation. There’s really no way he could please everyone or stop the media fascination with his private life.

MJ congrats on making the Boston Globe, overall a pretty good article. And although I agree with your assessment that Adam will go pop-rock, as he and 19 have said, I believe it’s because it is a more viable commercial route vs. rock.

Adam didnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t come out last week, Adam got Rolling Stone to do a cover story about him last week, you canà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t come out if youà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ve never been in and this is ridiculous.

Seems like they missed part of his interviews!! Thankfully, most of the other major Sunday papers got this right today.

Adam did it à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹his wayà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ on idol and he continues to do it à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹his wayà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ ¦thatà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s what makes him special. I for one canà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t wait for his next move, and his first album.

I agree. That’s also why I have decided not to guess what he will do next, and just wait and see.

Well, I think it makes sense to discuss whether it is something that will hurt his career. The article correctly points out that we haven’t really had an example of a successful rock star who was openly gay from the start. It’s a legitimate cultural question.

David Bowie. Mick Jagger. Steven Tyler.

Werenà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t they more straight with some bi thrown in?

Yes, the article doesn’t say otherwise. It says that they were sexually ambiguous in their public image, not that they were gay.

Yes, the article doesnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t say otherwise. It says that they were sexually ambiguous in their public image, not that they were gay.

I know, I’m just not sure how “sexually ambiguous” Adam is.

But, she had a secret: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“It is our differences and blemishes that make us beautiful. It is OK to be yourself.à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ 

Oh Jordin, as a mother of two young girls, I LOVE you!

I know, Ià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢m just not sure how à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“sexually ambiguousà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬  Adam is.

I might be missing your point, but the whole point of the article was to contrast them, not say they were the same. Whereas Bowie, etc. were sexually ambiguous and hugely successful rock stars, Adam is openly gay, and it is untested whether someone who is known to be gay at the start of his career can be a successful rock star.

^^ Why should his gayness have anything to do with his ability to become a successful star? Those who make that tie are just as bad as the ones who write more and more stories involved solely around his sexuality. We’ve had gay celebrities before, he isn’t the first one, he won’t be the last, it’s a little absurd how the media is treating this as if this is some grand new social experiment. It’s the media that chooses to make his orientation the issue, rather than his talent, and it’ll be the media that chooses to present his success/failure as if it’s all about who he sleeps with, when in fact it’ll have a lot more to do with whether radio embraces him and whether his music is any good.

Below is a link to a TV commercial for NOW 30 (Now That’s What I Call Music! Volume 30). Archie’s got the pimp spot. LOL.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V7LEGPhnDPY

I guess my only question is why is Adam referred to as a rocker? Maybe I’m just confused on that issue…

I love Adam, but I’m not loving that picture of him in the Boston Globe. Beautiful smile, but I don’t like his hair like that. I’m ready to just put the gay talk aside and get on with his music, too.

Well, all is right with the world now that the Boston Globe has pscyhoanalyzed gay pop stars. Sheesh.

And many of today’s successful openly gay pop stars, who fit the Aiken/Elton John mold, carry themselves quite differently from blustery rock stars, Jarman-Ivens said.

I’m trying to think of what the heck she could possibly be talking about? The Aiken/Elton John mold? I can’t think of a single musical characteristic they share in common. She has no clue that Elton John burst onto the scene as a front man for a kick-ass rock ‘n roll band.

Oh, and blustery rock stars carry themselves like macho men? Poor thing, I guess she was too young to remember Mick Jagger in his prime, pracing and swishing his way through Street Fighting Man and Sympathy for the Devil.

BTW, I still think that every writer or TV interviewer who deals with this story should be asked to reveal their own sexual histories and preferences. It would put a quick end to a lot of this nonsense.

There was no way that Adam could remain ambiguous. The Gay Community were pressuring Adam to really talk about it. He’s said he is even surprised at the interest. Some in the Gay Community will say it’s because so many important things are going on within the community (with all the gay marraige stuff, and multiple gay pride events, and making it the civil rights issue of the day) that they needed Adam to speak loud and proud. Was it fair? NO. Do they let other gay people get away with it (Anderson Cooper) Yes. But, it is what it is. Adam was entering uncharted territory, and there’s no one right way to do it.

I agree he’ll go the pop rock route. Makes perfect sense. Theatrical pop/rock is very popular right now. He can do all the things performance wise he loves. It also will make for great radio hits – upbeat and great hooks. You can also dance to it, which he loves.

Many people think his career is over before it started because he had to come out publically. There has never been a pop star that made it who was so openly gay BEFORE his/her career started. So, we’ll see. I think it’s VERY smart to have all this talk and press now. Plus, it was smart to wait until now. People got to know Adam first and hopefully, they’ll see him as a person and not just a gay person. I’m seeing where a lot of people are saying they like him now after seeing the 20/20 piece. Hopefully people will give him a chance when his music comes out.

I think this might be the last week of stories focusing on his sexuality. The story has run its course. I do believe Adam has handled all of this perfectly. As he said in RS, he didn’t want to take the focus away from his singing so didn’t discuss his personal life while in the competition. After AI was over, he was able to take the time and discuss this.

As far as rock accepting him? Who knows. It seems like the old codgers are the ones making the beef about it. (Gene Simmons). I really believe Adam’s generation is changing the rules on all of this. I also don’t think it really matters what Adam is labeled as music wise as long as the music is good. I think if he makes the music he wants to make, and it sells, he will be happy.

I guess my only question is why is Adam referred to as a rocker? Maybe Ià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢m just confused on that issueà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ ¦

Some of his pre-idol stuff (his band Citizen Vein, Crawl Thru Fire-Zodiac show) I would consider rock. He also sang Led Zepplin on AI, so I do think he can rock, but it’s not the only thing he does so it wouldn’t be quite right to call him just a rocker. It’s a shortcut the writer is taking because how do you describe Adam in one word?

Why should his gayness have anything to do with his ability to become a successful star? Those who make that tie are just as bad as the ones who write more and more stories involved solely around his sexuality. Weà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ve had gay celebrities before, he isnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t the first one, he wonà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t be the last, ità ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s a little absurd how the media is treating this as if this is some grand new social experiment. Ità ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s the media that chooses to make his orientation the issue, rather than his talent, and ità ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ll be the media that chooses to present his success/failure as if ità ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s all about who he sleeps with, when in fact ità ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ll have a lot more to do with whether radio embraces him and whether his music is any good.

This is not some media-created obsession. There may be many people who agree with you and me that Adam’s sexuality should have nothing to do with whether he ultimately becomes a successful rock star, but the article correctly points out that there is NO precedent for this. There are still very, very few very successful moviestars, rock singers, pop singers, etc., who are openly gay, much less ones who were openly gay BEFORE they became hugely successful. In fact, off the top of my head, I don’t think I can think of one.

hmmmmà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ ¦it does raise a good questionà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ ¦is it better to be more mysterious with the sexuality, or completely à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“outà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ ? Androgyny may be a more powerful selling point.

Better? Better for whom? Certainly not Adam who clearly doesn’t want to live his life constantly looking over his shoulder and hiding his true self. Androgyny is what he had on the show and it was not working for him, with the constant baiting by the paps, the loaded questions from the mainstream media and the sneering ridicule by the gay nazis like Perez and Richard Lawson from Gawker. No, I don’t believe androgyny was ever a true option for Adam, not given the open life he’s already led and the kind of person he is. Plus, this is 2009, time for a change.

Adam is openly gay, and it is untested whether someone who is known to be gay at the start of his career can be a successful rock star.

This is the point of the article and I, for one, don’t mind the fact that it was written. Although the gay story seems old and overdone to those of us on this site because we’ve been anticipating it for so long (waiting for the other shoe to drop, so to speak) the RS article just came out. And the 20/20 piece just aired. These stories will continue to filter out for the next few weeks. What I like about this article is that it recognizes the courage it took for Adam to step forward and be so open about his sexuality at this early stage of his career. And this is precisely what I hate about the Richard Lawson’s of the world, who refuse to acknowledge that courage and focus instead on the fact that Adam wants to be a singer and not the leader of a civil rights movement, and somehow that’s not enough for them.

I think Adam appeared sexually ambiguous throughout his idol run. A casual viewer would probably note his voice and stage presence first and then only as the competition went along, begin to question his sexuality. Adam might have felt he had already arrived to a certain extent because he was viewed by such a huge television audience for a number of months, not to mention he’s an internet magnet, and wanted to get it out to those “inquiring minds” out there. Guess we’ll know before the end of the year if he made the right decision.

The article mentioned Rob Halford, so I thought I’d post a link to a Judas Priest tune. I think you’ll find that Adam does sound quite a bit like Halford. Check it out….
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iiRFotX-RY4&feature=related

There are still very, very few very successful moviestars, rock singers, pop singers, etc., who are openly gay, much less ones who were openly gay BEFORE they became hugely successful. In fact, off the top of my head, I donà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t think I can think of one.

Well, there has to be a first for everything, so Adam might as well be the first here. In the last 30 years we got our first woman on the Supreme Court, our first African American president, the first US woman in space, Barney Frank, (the second openly gay congress man who is considered to be one of the most powerful people in congress), etc.

I’m optimisitc that Adam’s talent will shine through and he will be a success.

Ozarka……….LOL to Archie’s got the pimp spot!!!

JustWatching……..I hate Adam’s haircut in that picture too, makes his lower face appear larger, not a good look for him.

I don’t think Adam is pop/rock. I know Randy would have made him be the next Panic! At the Disco or My Chemical Romance, but somehow I don’t see Adam going that route. My mental image of Adam’s album right now is a musical grab-bag of marketable singles.

From the Boston Globe article:

“He’ll be a rock star the way Pink is a rock star,” she said. “He’ll do pop songs with a rock edge.”

Nah… I see this statement fitting Allison to a T, not Adam.

About Cat’s Blog on EW:
I have to agree with many of the comments on EW. Boring. We all know what happened during the week. We want to know about what we didn’t get to see!

Also, I’m a little disappointed by her statement

I think they may be our most visually pleasing Top 20 yet!

What a slam to previous seasons’ contestants. Perhaps I’m in the minority here but I could care less what they look like. They better be able to dance.

I was at Jordin’s show at Universal last night. It was the first time I’ve seen her live since the AI tour, and I thought she sounded great. I didn’t buy her album (only “Tattoo” and “No Air”), so I didn’t know most of the songs, even though I’d heard a few of them before. But overall, it was a good show. We got there about an hour and a half early, so we got really good spots near the front. My phone doesn’t take very good pics even that close, but my friend who went with me got some good ones. The only bad thing about where we were standing it that it was right next to one of the big speakers, so sometimes the sound was sometimes really heavy on the bass. lol.

Anyway, it was a good show. Jordin’s stage presence and interaction with the crowd has really progressed since the season 6 tour. There was a good cross-section of fans there for sure, but definitely a lot of young girls, and like the Orlando Sentinel writer said, it was really cool to hear Jordin talk about her struggles with self-esteem, but to embrace ourselves and our differences with such young impressionable ears listening. I do think she’s a good role model for young girls for that alone, purity ring or no purity ring.

There are still very, very few very successful moviestars, rock singers, pop singers, etc., who are openly gay, much less ones who were openly gay BEFORE they became hugely successful. In fact, off the top of my head, I donà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t think I can think of one.

Did you ever think that Boy George might be straight?

Really I canà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t imagine the media treating straight people that way. Ità ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s stupid to treat gay people with such lack of respect by asking such intimate and personal questions and really, gay celebrities are damned if they do and damned if they donà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t. [...]I think Adam is doing his best to deal with the situation.

It’s not just the media that treats a gay celebrity in a different way. This is what the audience wants. The public thinks of them different. People here in this blog do it, even when they say they don’t. Just going by smaller things like Adam’s comment about Kris to RS. When he said he thought Kris was the cute and all that stuff… had it been a straight female contestant with a boyfriend saying that about other guy she’d be called a whore. Had it been straight male contestant with a girlfriend saying that about other girl he’d be called a douche. A gay male contestant with a boyfriend? OMG So cute and sooo funny. Adam gets the covers cause he’s gay, because people don’t care for the what music he’ll do in 5 months but they want to know about his sexuality, the media knows that.
In this case Adam just feeds it. He tells those stories because he wants to. It isn’t respectful? Don’t answer. There are two parts here, Adam is one of them and I don’t think we can blame just one side for the way things are being handled.

Our Top 20 for season 5 are truly amazing.

They are.

Now, hoping to enter the pantheon, comes Adam Lambert, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“American Idolà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬  runner-up, wannabe rock star, and – as of last week – openly gay man.

“As of last week”? Does the media bother to check facts anymore? The only interesting and truthful Adam stories are the ones where he is actually being interviewed — and which contain the whole interview, not snippets, and without added commentary by people reading their own personal biases into what he says and with the desire for sensationalized journalism.

Regardless, I still, for the life of me, can’t wrap my head around why any of this stuff matters. In the past few weeks, I’ve been nearly as disappointed with the media as I was with my home state (California) the day after the last election when Prop 8 passed. If this is the issue they focus on when Adam’s album is released…grrrr…

Hopefully Adam will blow everyone away on the AI tour and that will be the new headline. Fingers crossed.

The problem, as I see it, is that the media will always have a ready adjective when describing Adam. He will always be the gay Idol, the gay star, the gay rocker, the gay pop singer. The media likes to divide and define people and place them in their appropriate boxes. It also likes to build people up, just to tear them down, whether they be politicians, movie stars or performers. Adam has never been in, so he really never “came out”, and his revelation will free him up some, but the media never forgets, I’m afraid.

Why should his gayness have anything to do with his ability to become a successful star? Those who make that tie are just as bad as the ones who write more and more stories involved solely around his sexuality. Weà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ve had gay celebrities before, he isnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t the first one, he wonà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t be the last, ità ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s a little absurd how the media is treating this as if this is some grand new social experiment.

Well, sure there are “out” celebrities. I would hope that Adam’s not aiming to be a “celebrity”, but a musician.

As the article (which I thought was well written and makes some really good points) pointed out, many past musicians who are openly gay were ambiguous about their sexuality at the beginning of their careers and waited to come out until after they were already successful. Even recent artists – Lance Bass didn’t “confirm” until he was well past the height of his career (Clay Aiken too, to some extent, but he’s been around a shorter period of time than Lance has, but still – will he make any more music, or just become a “celebrity?” Who really knows?).

IMO, it’s a valid question to ask whether or not his being openly gay at the beginning of his music career will affect it, since there’s no example to go by at this point. Maybe he can pave the way, maybe not.

I agree with MJ in that I don’t think that Adam is going to be a “rocker,” so that’s the problem I have with the article being based around whether not he’s going to be able to succeed as a the first “out rock star.” I think his music will most likely be pop/rock, like MJ said, in the vein of Pink. Not that it won’t be influenced by artists like Bowie, Queen, and all the other 70′s and 80′s rockers he loves. It’s just that I don’t think that’s the kind of music he’s going to be releasing.

Why did we first notice Adam – was it his nail varnish, his snazzy leather jackets, his cute features? No – it was his amazing voice and stage presence – at least in this household it was.

I’m bored with the media’s handling of this. It’s old now. It never was new.
Can’t at least some of ‘em show a little sophistication – it’s feeling like a huge schoolyard!

Ah MJ you had the wisest analysis – one of the overriding premises of the article on Adam is that he is trying to chart new territory in rockstardom when in fact even he had said that rock is not his primary interest musically, though he said he would like to thrown in a rock edge in the mix. So I think both 19 and Adam are steering towards something different, maybe more like the male Lady GaGa or male Fergie with a streak of Pink.

Having read a few bios on George Michael, George did go through a period of sexual confusion and then when he figured it out for sure, people around him like his musical partner at the time, Andrew Ridgeley said it would be career suicide to reveal it so George, rather unhappily, kept it a secret as long as he could. However whilst George Michael [with and without Wham!] clearly appealed to a female fan base and likely a gay one already, I always thought the reason for Elton’s early huge success was because he was always appealed to a wider audience from the get go. Male, female, all ages.

Let’s face it, Elton did not look like Wham! or George Michael ever so he was never really pop idol material even if he did get that kind of attention in the early days. I never looked at him that way. Bernie was the babe. Then again I don’t understand the Claymates. Women attracted to Adam I can understand.

Adam gets the covers cause heà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s gay.

Really? I think EW and Rolling Stone had different reasons in mind…

EW cover story:

But once in a very long while, someone arrives who doesn’t just dominate American Idol, but challenges and even changes it … Then in walked this 27-year-old from San Diego, a chameleon of a singer who was unashamedly everything that the Fox reality show thought ”we” didn’t want. And he flattened the competition.

And maybe this is why Rolling Stone put him on the cover:
Green Day Issue (May 28):

American Idol is back on top, and it’s all one little black-leather clad demon prince’s fault. For the past few seasons, Idol seemed to be dying of boredom, but Adam Lambert, a goth studlet with mascara, black nail polish and a falsetto from deep in the larynx of lucifer has single-handedly rescued the franchise. … Where the hell did they find this guy? There’s a “boy who fell to Earth” quality about him, like David Bowie’s Lady Stardust come to life. It’s a little hard to believe that, until a few months ago, he was toiling away as an obscure understudy in the LA production of Wicked. … He’s not competing with the other singers – he’s just curious about how far he can push this, so instead of dialing it down a notch, he keeps getting freakier … Thanks to him, this mad world is getting a lot madder every week.

Lady Gaga issue (June 11):

As a leather-clad Adam Lambert strutted up to Queen’s Brian May and nailed the high notes of “We are the Champions” on the May 20th season finale of American Idol, one thing was clear: With apologies to Chris Daughtry and David Cook, the show has finally produced its first real rock star.

Now you may disagree with the quotes, but I don’t believe either magazine put him on their cover “because he was gay.” They put him on because he’s crazy talented, charismatic, was shaking things up on America’s most-watched television show, creating huge buzz and had an intriguing back story. Done and done.

Ià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢m optimisitc that Adamà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s talent will shine through and he will be a success.

I agree, undercooked. There has to be a first for everything and Adam does have the kind of mega-talent that will enable him to break down a lot of the barriers that have existed in the past. And, it’s true, the rules of rock music are changing. So what if Adam doesn’t fit the profile of the kind of rock god who existed 20 years ago?

I also like the way the author referred to the “culturally-safe” Ellen DeGeneres. When Ellen came out in 1997, 12 years ago, people thought she had committed career suicide, especially since her primary audience (Tonight show comedienne, primetime sitcom) was squarely middle America. Now she’s considered mainstream and her audience is still solidly middle America. Adam’s not even appealing to that same demographic.

ETA: Bravo, Lisa E.! Well said. Done, done AND done!

I don’t know if you can even say Adam does not appeal to some of Middle America because Middle America is the primary audience of Idol anyway you slice it. Just check the AI summer tour schedule if you need proof. He got to the finale – that wasn’t LA and NYC urbanites voting him into the finale.

Ellen’s initial appeal and her current appeal is that she is funny without being profane which was rare in comedy when she first came on the scene, in 1997, and even more so now.

I guess my only question is why is Adam referred to as a rocker? Maybe Ià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢m just confused on that issueà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ ¦

Because if Kara et al get their way, that’s what kind of cd he’ll put out. 70′s style screech rock a la Nazareth and early Aerosmith. That’s what they told him week after week.

I know I’m beating a dead horse here but the “over saturation of Adam and his sexuality” is largely a perspective that is held by those, like me, who search the internet day after day after day. I feel that those that feel that they have “heard enough” just need to take a step back and consider who these “different” articles are directed at, i.e. what audience is “now” getting the same information we have been exposed to for weeks and weeks.

Many internet junkies live in a bubble…and many, like me, tend to see media interest of an individual through a very distorted lens. And we think that since we’ve read it and heard it a thousand times, so has the rest of the world. But, in truth and with a strong dose of realism we have to step outside of the box we have created for ourselves and try to visualize what a “newbie” might be experiencing and the relativity of an article to them, a first time reader.

We need to remember that their really are people who come to the internet and just read “Boston Globe” articles and didn’t go to the site searching for “Adam Lambert”. For them, this stuff is new and interesting, whereas for us it is just a rehash of very overdone news diarrhea.

Just sayin’.

Can anyone really take this type of article seriously? A silly puff piece with shallow analysis backed with no research what so ever apart from the good old standby cliches and stereotypes. Elton/Aiken mold indeed. Yes that would be the gay man singing mold?!! Because all Black men sound alike except Obama who’s surprisingly articulate, and all Gay men sing alike except perhaps possibly if he’s very lucky Adam, who maybe different than other gay singers in his appeal or maybe not. It really has nothing to do with the music at all.
The laziness and idiocy of this editorial is really quite impressive.

had it been a straight female contestant with a boyfriend saying that about other guy sheà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢d be called a whore. Had it been straight male contestant with a girlfriend saying that about other girl heà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢d be called a douche.

I do beg to differ; Oh no they wouldn’t. She wouldn’t be called a whore and he would not be called a douche. And frankly I have no idea why you would think so. Since when was calling someone cute or being attracted to someone who is not a significant other whorish? If that’s the yardstick for whoredom, then I confess to being a whore.

I’m very happy with Adam. He is out and he admitted to being bi-curious. Wonderful. Let’s move on for goodness sake!

I thought last year’s Top 20 was more visually pleasing, actually. And Season 3 had some major eye candy (I still love you, Pasha!) as well. None of the guys really grab me this year lookswise (for dancing I like Pono, Phillip and Evan), but I think Ashley is unbelievably cute. Same with the blonde who did Samba and Phillip’s partner. I am terrible with names at the beginning of the show and sometimes I feel like they purposely cast dancers with names that will cause confusion for fodder purposes.

Anyway, I don’t see Adam as a rock star in the traditional sense either. He has a voice capable of rock, but I don’t see him in a band or going all “rawk” on everyone. The music pendulum is set at more electronic sounds at the moment, so I see him going in that direction. A lot of artists now–underground and big–aren’t that easy to set in a genre, so I don’t see that being a problem for Adam when it comes to being a pop star. I sound like a broken record, but Adam has so much potential for longevity and stardom, but he could also fall flat on his ass. Now that I predicted that, watch him being be one of the more middle-tier Idols career-wise. lol

Tess – point taken – but still the emphasis is always on Adam’s sexual orientation, whether it’s the first article a person has ever read, or the hundred and first.
This is what I feel is wrong, wrong, wrong. Front and center should be his voice and charisma.

“Hopefully Adam will blow everyone away on the AI tour and that will be the new headline.”

- I, too, believe that this will be the next PR move for him.

The Boston article came to me more on the positive note for Adam. As someone has mentioned here, there’s always a first. He has been setting the trend lately. They are not questioning his incredible talent (which I also liked in the 20/20 interview) but whether people will accept him. So far, there has been no negative effect after that 20/20 and the RS cover. And I like the way Adam or his PR staf is handling this. As he said in the past, he doesn’t want his album to focus one genre but a fusion of all genres. So it’s not all rock. For me, I’ll be buying his album because I like him as an artist and not so much of the music he’ll be making. He has proven during his Idol stint that he can make a song sound better than the original, doing his own twist. And this what’s make him so special and they will capitalize on this on the Idol tour.

Adam didnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t come out last week, Adam got Rolling Stone to do a cover story about him last week, you canà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t come out if youà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ve never been in. Adam never hid who he was, being vague to stir a media frenzy does not count as being à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“in the closetà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬  or truly hiding who you are.

I guess there’s being out as a private person, then there’s being out as a public person. They’re not the same.

“You can’t come out if you’ve never been in”: Yeah, in a way, that’s true, but this guy wasn’t famous before. So, you can live your life as an out gay person but that obviously doesn’t cover all bases. If you suddenly find you’re becoming famous, all the people who know of you, but don’t actually know you, aren’t in on how you live your life. So you have to come out to the media, basically.

In terms of openly gay artists that were successful, I think of the Village People, Jimmy Sommerville and the Bronsky Beat [one of my favourite groups from that era] and Holly Johnson of Frankie Goes to Hollywood was openly gay and in fact that band probably was more successful because of all the controversy they created – nothing like banning a record to move it saleswise. “Relax” – one of my favourite all time songs. Bwah.

I mean come on you can’t go to a wedding and not hear YMCA.

Boy George played the androgny and sexuality question angles for all it was worth because I doubt Culture Club would have been as successful, much as I enjoyed their music, if George just looked like his regular self. Again because video was so important in those days as well. He did the Adam tease for years I believe [I'm bi, I'm asexual] until he finally ‘fessed up, around the time his career was in decline no doubt to get attention.

Of course the musical genres tended to be dance/disco/pop where openly gay artists are expected to gravitate towards and I do suspect that being openly gay in Britain has always been less hindering than in North America.

So if Adam goes toward that trend as he has already indicated he will, in his pre Idol stuff and from his own words, he then has not really set a precedent. The precedent would be an openly gay rockstar from the get go because I can’t even think of an example of rockstar from the UK given even Freddie was coy.

I’m not bothered by the fact that the media is buzzing with the Adam is gay story right now. He was an attention getting performer on the show (imo, for all the right reasons), so it’s not surprising that RS wanted to cover him. Once the main outlets have all done their piece referencing that article, it’ll mostly die down, which is about right now. Celeb mags’ll continue to post pictures every time he hits starbucks or picks up his dry-cleaning, but they do that anyway with anyone they think is of interest. Look at the discussion that goes on even here whenever there’s some tmz video of him walking down the street.

Music discussion will begin when the music begins, but even then, it’ll be in the relatively few places that talk about music. Will there be sexuality references? Probably, but that’s inevitable given his performance style. Assuming he continues at least some of what we’ve seen on the show and prior, sensuality will be a part of his performance. His pan-sexual stage persona creates all the ‘mystery’ needed, his own personal, private life is, of course, irrelevant. The interesting thing to me, because it is part of the music, is that, among people who knew for dead certain that he was gay, some performances had men (gay and straight) and women(gay and straight) feeling sexual energy and attraction. That’s not unique, but it is interesting. His personal live is bound to still form part of the story, as it does for almost every musician that includes sensuality in their performance, regardless of their sexuality. Our press is just that way. But if people quit reading, watching, commenting on stories that are not about music, they’ll quit printing them.

They are not questioning his talent (which I also liked in the 20/20 interview) but whether people will accept him.

Exactly. The way a lot of the media has been treating this issue is that his voice and his uber-talent are being seen as a given. As an Adam fan, I recognize that for the compliment it is.

I guess thereà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s being out as a private person, then thereà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s being out as a public person. Theyà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢re not the same.

à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“You canà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t come out if youà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ve never been inà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ : Yeah, in a way, thatà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s true, but this guy wasnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t famous before. So, you can live your life as an out gay person but that obviously doesnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t cover all bases. If you suddenly find youà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢re becoming famous, all the people who know of you, but donà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t actually know you, arenà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t in on how you live your life. So you have to come out to the media, basically.

ITA. Which is why I don’t parse words in a lot of these stories coming out now.

As far as the rock star label goes, Adam himself made the comment in the 20/20 interview that … “now, I get to be a rock star” or words to that effect, so I think some of the confusion is perhaps that Adam’s definition (and some fans’, including mine) of a rawk stah is a little broader than the traditional, orthodox definition of a “Rock Star.”

The term “rocker” doesn’t mean what “rocker” did in the 70′s and 80′s. You can’t fit people so easily into that box. Who cares what people are called. It’s a personal feeling. Is Daughtry a rocker? He says he is, and says that Adam and Kris are rockers. Is Cook a rocker? He says he is, but I see him as an AC artist. But, who cares. I could see Adam and Allison do what the current so called “rockers” of today do. Rock stars CURRENTLY is a broad term. Kelly Clarkson says she is a rocker and likes to “rock” out. She can no more rock out than Adam and Allison to me, but I can see how they all are modern rockers. But it doesn’t mean they are the 70/80′s rockers.

Ack. Sneaking in something David Cook related. 5 Questions for David Cook from VH1. He’s cute.

As far as Adam and rock, this was one of the two bands Adam mentioned to RS in an interview right after a meeting with his record company.

Watch this live YouTube and tell me if this “rock”.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t0Uv3wBjHKc

I’ll grant you, there’s no wallet chain, but this band is burning the house down.

MJ regarding your comment in today’s Boston Globe:

… she predicts that 19 Recordings, which signed Lambert to a record deal with RCA, will steer him away from Bowie-style glam rock and toward a safer brand of pop. “He’ll be a rock star the way Pink is a rock star,” she said. “He’ll do pop songs with a rock edge.”

ON 70′s GLAM ROCK: Adam has said he doesn’t want to do 70′s glam rock but to incorporate elements of it into his music. From May 25:

When asked if he would go the late-’80s glam rock route, Adam said, “You know, maybe little bits of it. I don’t want to do one specific genre. I’m more about fusion. If anything, I’m more fond of the ’70s glam feel than the ’80s, even though I have that style of vocal. There are a lot of pop artists using the glam kind of vibe in their music. So I think I’m part of a wave, and there just happens to not be many guys doing it right now.”

ON ALBUM GENRE: Adam has consistently talked about producing an album that does not fit into a narrow genre box. But he has consistently included rock in his planned fusion genre album mix.

à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“My record will be kind of a rock-pop-electronic-dance thing,à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬  Adam said in a recent interview, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“I donà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t know how to describe it. I think ità ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s gonna take on a life of its own, as far as genre goes.à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ 

“I can see myself probably doing a little bit of everything,” he said in a video of his RS cover shoot. “A rock/pop sound with really strong hooks with, like, a glam edge to it and a lot of modern production à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬’  a dance-y electronic treatment on everything to make it sound current and futuristic. We kind of just started. We’re at the drawing board. We’re trying to figure out what kind of sound we want, what kind of producers we want to work with. Right now, it’s all just ideas, nothing’s really started yet. So it’s really exciting, because anything can happen.”

He also said he is an “entrepreneur” who wants to be commercially successful.

I don’t think that any of us can have any really idea what form the final album will take, because it appears to still be conceptual. I do believe that there are a few givens:

1. 19/RCA are very smart and they will not mangle Adam’s voice into electonic crap because that makes no commercial sense.

2. It will be multi-genre but consistently theatrical — that is a core part of Adam’s appeal, hot right now, and is the one thing that connects the stars that Adam admires – from Bowie to Madonna to Muse.

3. 19/RCA will market Adam globally.

Barry Weiss, Chairman & CEO of the RCA/JIVE Label Group added, “We are thrilled to be getting involved with Adam Lambert, as we all at RCA Records believe he is one of those rare, global stars.”

4. Adam will not play it safe with his music. He has already said that he will continue to take risks, and so far this strategy has paid off for him.

I have been following Adam for quite some time now. Personally, i don’t think he has a choice but to really to “come out”. Both the media and gay community have been pushing him to admit that he is gay. I’ve read several gay blogs weeks ago and they were really nasty. If you think they were supporting one of there own, think again. Some of them feels that Adam will never articulate the “I am gay” line. Based on what’s happening online and media, Adam doesn’t have a choice but to do what he did to be able to move on with his music. Articulating the “speculation” hopefully makes people stop talking about it.

What i don’t understand is why people need to hear the “I am gay” line before believing a person is gay. Adam has been out – first the kissing, dress-up photos and videos, his trading card has “Harvey Milk” for idol and handholding hands with “Drake”. These were blatant announcement that he is gay. When Rolling Stone came out, everybody changed their tune and started saying “It doesn’t matter if he is gay or not”. Even the staunchest critics, that includes the gay community were quiet. I am just sad that it has to reach this point.

Personally, I don’t care about his sexuality. it has always been the talent, style, charisma, intelligence, wit, confidence and go getter attitude that gravitated me towards him. Hopefully, this will soon die down (no more talking Gene, don’t know what motivated you to say the things you said) so we can all (Adam and all of us) moved on to music.

As for music, Adam did mention during AI’s CNN LKL interview that he is going into the pop/rock category, maybe with a touch of electronica and yes, maybe a touch of rock. Whatever he wants to do, i support him. Good luck to Adam. I hope and pray that he has long and fruitful career ahead of him.

Adam will be doing a 5-song set on each stop of the Idol tour. I believe with all my heart that Adam will not pull any punches, will not “tone himself down” (just for the sake of Kris), but will throw it “balls to the wall”. This tour will be a “proving ground” somewhat for Adam. To see how America accepts him, to see what type of success he will have in terms of an album. And yes, there will be magazines, newspapers, and other media there, just to see how the “gay” runner-up of AI will fare.
I just wonder how AI will handle which “spot” Adam will sing in: pimp spot (last) will be unfair to the winner (Kris Allen); and the “not so pimp spot”, before the winner will also be unfair. Adam is a very, very good singer, accomplished in presenting a visual along with a stratospheric voice, sexy strut, bedroom eyes, and fashion savvy; these concepts melded together is what takes our breath away. Adam will be a sight to see on the AI tour this summer. I have my ticket ready!

As far as the rock star label goes, Adam himself made the comment in the 20/20 interview that à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ ¦ à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“now, I get to be a rock starà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬  or words to that effect, so I think some of the confusion is perhaps that Adamà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s definition (and some fansà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢, including mine) of a rawk stah is a little broader than the traditional, orthodox definition of a à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Rock Star.

This is not really about genre but about the use of the term rock star:

I’ve seen a few different guys I myself would call rock stars (frontmen for successful young bands) correct interviewers who refer to them as rock stars. One really went after the interviewer, saying, “Did you ever hear me refer to myself as a rock star?’

I’m not sure why, but I think in the business this is something basic; you don’t ever refer to yourself as a rock star unless perhaps you’ve earned or warranted the title.

I think Adam should stay away from saying things like, “now I get to be a rock star,” or whatever he said. For his own good. I think he doesn’t mean it this way, but it can sound presumptuous. No matter your talent you have to pay your dues and earn your status/respect in the business, or they’re going to consider you an upstart.

Adam will be doing a 5-song set on each stop of the Idol tour. I believe with all my heart that Adam will not pull any punches, will not à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“tone himself downà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬  (just for the sake of Kris), but will throw it à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“balls to the wallà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ .

Adam does not have to tone himself down for the sake of Kris.

Sorry TKat but 19/RCA is no more immune to the over production of the artist’s vocals than anyone else in the industry.

That was the most disappointing thing to me when I heard the first real singles for David Cook and David Archuleta. And David Cook has probably had more creative input into his record than any Idol winner to date.

Why was 19 doing that overproduction thing with the voices on two guys that have stellar voices? Well it works very well for Nickelback. Time after time. Shoot listen to Daughtry’s newer stuff. Clearly Chris been conferring with Chad too much.

Is it because that is what radio wants and listen to radio, and that is who they are playing. Few songs out there where you get the purity of the artist’s voice allowed to shine through anymore. Just because you have the technology doesn’t mean you have to use it. I shudder to think what they would do to a Freddie Mercury now. The beauty of Queen was the purity of his voice and the pure harmonies with the rest of the band that was never lost even amongst the rocking guitars.

Another Canadian artist who I love has a stellar pure pitch perfect voice and her songs has that same thing but she gets massive radioplay here in Canada so why is she going to stop. You want the pure voice you have to go see her live.

If it sells then maybe they know what is best. I hate it, it is part of why so much music sounds the same these days, and that is what makes live shows even more compelling, finally I get to hear this without the extraneous crap unless you are going to see Britney who lip synchs to the radio track.

leome
Jun 14th, 2009 at 12:20 pm

they want to know about his sexuality, the media knows that.
In this case Adam just feeds it. He tells those stories because he wants to. It isnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t respectful? Donà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t answer. There are two parts here, Adam is one of them and I donà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t think we can blame just one side for the way things are being handled.”

Adam can’t win in this situation. If he were to ignore the media’s questions about his sexuality, we’ve already seen what happens. Certain members of the influential media call him a cowardly douchebag and insult him and imply he’s ashamed of his sexuality. If he does answer, he’s an attention-seeking douchebag who’s trying to capitalize on his sexuality. It would be nice if his private life could be private, and I think he’d welcome that. Those days are over. In the past, celebrities could choose to remain private. In these days of the Perez Hiltons, TMZ and the National Enquirer, those times are gone. Now, any lowlife from your past can crawl out from under a rock and sell you out and there are tons of buyers for the trash. I admire Adam for getting out there and telling HIS story in HIS words and from HIS view. I’m much more interested in that, than speculation and innuendo.

If the idea is that he shouldn’t reveal his personal life if he chooses to, there I disagree. Adam’s experiences, including his sexuality, have influenced who he is, his musical tastes and his talent. If, because he is gay, he should hide all of that for the comfort of the public psyche, then this is what I want from some of the idols:

Kris – No more talk of his wife, his marriage, his family. I don’t want to know that they met in elementary school (from Kris himself) or how cute a couple they are.

Lil – I don’t want to hear about the tornado, or her husband or her kids or how she sang in church.

Danny – I don’t want to hear about his wife, his church or his glasses.

Allison – I don’t want to hear about her age or that she’s still in high school.

Do I really want that? No, I don’t like to listen to music created by mindless robots. I like to listen to music created by human beings who have lives and experiences and likes and dislikes and whose music is influenced by those things. I don’t want to know intimate details about their lives, but I would like to know how they feel their lives have shaped their music and what I hear. That’s what I feel I got from ADAM’S words in the Rolling Stone story. I don’t feel it was salacious or breached the line of decorum at all. The article touched upon ALOT of his influences and experiences outside of his sexuality that have shaped his music, and as a fan I appreciate that.

Good points Ross.

Adam’s being a risk taker is what makes him exciting and that’s why the media can’t get enough of him. Only a few has his guts and can handle it very well.

I’m glad that other sites are picking up the good comments about Adam on Boston Globe article:

http://www.upi.com/Entertainment_News/2009/06/14/Expert-Lambert-breaking-new-ground/UPI-64881245001274/

From an Adam fan here, he doesn’t have to tone himself down for Kris. Kris is a very strong singer and performer, I don’t think he’ll have any problem holding his own. I bet both of them will have the most screams on the tour, and that won’t be surprising, they’re Top 2. It’s not a competition any longer.

I’m curious about the format if Adam says he has a 5-song set.

MJ, do you have any more tour info in general (please delete if in the wrong thread).

Rock Star is the most generic term in the book….I’ve heard so many singers claim to be rock, and in truth they are because no one can describe what “rock” really is. Personally, I am sick and tired of a bunch of gripey old men who think they were the only Rock Stars this world has ever seen thinking that no one can ever use that term again. And, yup, they sold records and lived lives of debauchery and most of them are walking around with half of their brains burned up by all the crap they used and for one brief shining moment they were the definition of rock, but sorry their time is up.

“Rock Star” is nothing more than a descriptive term that says someone is an entertainer in a very broad genre’ that has a nice fan base…nothing more or nothing less. Didn’t someone just have a nice little TOP 40 diddy that poked a lot of fun at this particular subject.

I just wonder how AI will handle which à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“spotà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬  Adam will sing in: pimp spot (last) will be unfair to the winner (Kris Allen); and the à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“not so pimp spotà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ , before the winner will also be unfair. Adam is a very, very good singer, accomplished in presenting a visual along with a stratospheric voice, sexy strut, bedroom eyes, and fashion savvy; these concepts melded together is what takes our breath away.

Why would going before Kris be unfair? Adam is the second place, like it or not. Adam is a very, very good singer. And Kris is a very, very good musician. Adam isn’t the only reason why people will be buying tour tickets. I know I am not going because I want my breath being taken away from Adam. Maybe that will happen when I’m there though. Who knows?

I am thinking (i.e. hoping) that between the sets, they put in a duet or some sort of small group number that sort of acts towards a bridge between ~*~*~*~*Glambert*~*~*~ and White Guy with Guitar (and Piano). But we’ll see.

Also don’t they do a group number as the final act?

Tess- Are you talking about Pink or that group that came out with “Party Like a Rockstar” (I forget who atm)?

Kris goes last. Period. That’s the way it works. They could bridge by having him duet with Adam, which would be cool. He’s a great musician and will hold his own. They’re all just singing covers anyway.

Didnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t someone just have a nice little TOP 40 diddy that poked a lot of fun at this particular subject.

If you’re talking about the song I think you are, that, actually, would be Nickelback themselves.

Good points Ross.

Thanks lavender1960. Since you’re from Canada, you’ll know who I was referring to. It was actually Jacob Hoggard who was so adamant with the interviewer about not wanting to be referred to as a rock star. (Jacob is frontman of a very successful Canadian band, Hedley, and was also 3rd place runner up on Canadian Idol). I’ve also heard Kalan Porter (winner, the same season of CI) react negatively to the term. As well as a few American artists. I think that, within the business, referring to yourself as a rock star when you’re a puppy, even a successful one, is sort of a no-no.

lavender1960 I agree about overproduction! Totally. Your whole post.

Someone talking about Nickelback, the corporate rock-stars with their song “Rock Star” Which is actually my favourite Nickelback song.

I think what Ross was alluding to was the fact you shouldn’t go around saying you are a rockstar or a superstar until you have proven it in the real world. Even if the people from Rolling Stone are saying it, rather prematurely. Even then you can’t dismiss that all the Idol finalists get an advantage that is unquantifiable though it can also be a negative depending on which field of music you pursue. But most artists would love for that level of exposure for free even if they wouldn’t be caught dead on AI.

And most artists who are considered bona fide superstars or rockstars by the media and general public do not refer to THEMSELVES as rockstars or superstars, except as in gest like Nickelback. It is considered rather arrogant even when the title is earned. Now some divas refer to themselves as divas but then part of being a diva is being arrogant.

Yes they do a group number in the end. Wonder what they will come up with this year? Will there be Kradam antics to look forward to like Mavid last year?

Thanks to the person upthread ( still learning to navigate this site) who posted the Goldfrapp video. I have been planning on checking them out. Now THIS makes sense of the direction he wants to go in. Adam has mentioned Goldfrapp/David Bowie/Muse/Velvet Goldmine/Marc Bolan ( TRex) and Lady Gaga. If you youtube all these things you will start to get a clearer picture. It’s rock, but with a lot of funk/electro to it. If they can get the collaborators from the movie Velvet Goldmine- they are going to get exactly what Adam is going for.

On the Rock star term; The Beatles are Rock stars, The Grateful Dead are Rock Stars, Led Zeppelin are Rock Stars, Metallica are Rock Stars, so Are Nirvana, The Sex Pistols and The Doors.
What do these groups have in common apart from the term “Rock Stars”?

It’s such a generic term, covering a wide spectrum of musical styles. I think there is a distinct difference between the term Rock Star and Rock Group Or Rocker. The former is generic while the latter terms are specific.

Personally I’m to going to sweat it. In the end it’s about the music not the labels.

I think a lot of artists don’t like to be boxed in by labels even rockstar and I thought Adam was anti- label.

Come to think of it Ross, Hedley is probably one band where the brilliance of Mr. Hoggard’s vocals actually do come through on the ballads especially. James Morrison and Nelly Furtado’s duet is another example of hearing great vocals which has been successful, Matt Nathanson’s current single, even Jason Mraz’s singles are pretty straightforward suggesting there is a segment of the music buying public that wants to hear the “less is more” approach and I hope Mr. Allen pays heed to that, if they let him. Given that is the trend in that area of music and he works with people in that area of music, hopefully it will happen that way.

Now if Adam is going for a glam rock dance fusion, the “more is more” approach is actually expected.

Adam is a very, very good singer, accomplished in presenting a visual along with a stratospheric voice, sexy strut, bedroom eyes, and fashion savvy; these concepts melded together is what takes our breath away.

Wow, whoever wrote this, I think Adam is looking for a press agent. lol Very well written, actually.

Come to think of it Ross, Hedley is probably one band where the brilliance of Mr. Hoggardà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s vocals actually do come through on the ballads especially. James Morrison and Nelly Furtadoà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s duet is another example of hearing great vocals which has been successful, Matt Nathansonà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s current single, even Jason Mrazà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s singles are pretty straightforward suggesting there is a segment of the music buying public that wants to hear the à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“less is moreà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬  approach and I hope Mr. Allen pays heed to that, if they let him.

Yes, there’s a certain amount of production on some of Hedley’s songs but Jacob is definitely allowed to sound “unfiltered” and real and I like that (because I love Jacob’s voice). Matt Nathanson and Jason Mraz are actually played on our Top 40 station here in Boston, Kiss 108, along with all those very over produced songs you refer to. I don’t see why Kris can’t be like them and have a “pure” sound, it would be a shame if that didn’t happen.

Adam seems to be headed toward “electronic” stuff, so I have no idea what that will sound like. I do think it will probably be lucrative.

4. Adam will not play it safe with his music. He has already said that he will continue to take risks, and so far this strategy has paid off for him.

It really wasn’t necessary to quote a zillion paragraphs from articles about Adam that I’ve already read. I know exactly what Adam has said to reporters.

And what an Idol says to reporters (remember Blake Lewis’s claim that he’d invent a new genre? Or Taylor Hicks’ Modern Womp? We know what happened to those guys) often bears little resemblance to the album they release come fall.

This is Adam’s first post-Idol album, no matter the crazy hype, or that some of his fans think he’s the second coming, or whatever Adam thinks or says, here’s what’s probably going to go down. And I base MY prediction on what’s gone down with every single Idol album since Kelly Clarkson in 2002.

I’ve been watching this shiz go down for too long to predict anything else:

1. Adam will be given songs to sing, and he’ll sing them. Adam will get some input into the process, but he will not get the final say. It appears he’s getting some co-writes on some of the songs. He’s lucky. Hopefully, a few of those songs will make the final cut for the album. Those decisions will not be in his hands.

2. Adam won’t be making a rock record. TPTB can’t sell David Cook to rock radio, they sure won’t be selling Adam to it. I stand by my prediction that Adam will make a pop record with some rock flourishes. Something that fits neatly on to today’s CHR.

3. I’ll eat my hat if Adam makes the multi-genre record he wants to make. I believe that Adam doesn’t want to play it safe. But again, it’s not up to him. Newly minted Idols are pure commerce to 19. They want to sell LOTS of records. And selling LOTS of records doesn’t allow for risk-taking. Adam has 6 months to make this record–and he’s got to perform on a grueling tour in the meantime. These first albums are always put together quickly, with the finished product being somewhat cookie-cutter to fit into a particular genre. I don’t see that formula changing with Adam.

Adam is a very, very good singer. And Kris is a very, very good musician.

Okay, as a musician I have one comment here. It’s not really a gripe as much as it is a misconception. Adam and Kris are BOTH very, very good musicians. Adam is an incredible singer, and his primary instrument is his voice. Kris is a very good singer who plays other instruments including his voice.

I am as much a musician as anyone who plays any number of instruments — however, my primary instrument is my voice. And it IS an instrument that needs to be trained, tuned and taken care of. Brian May of Queen said this when he commented that Adam’s voice was “one amazing instrument.”

I think there is often a misconception among many people who aren’t musicians that somehow playing instruments (other than vocals) is more impressive than just being able to sing. This isn’t true, and serious vocalists spend a lot of time and energy on training and fine-tuning the abilities they may possess naturally. I know that Adam had years of vocal training, and you can hear it when he sings — the phrasing he uses, breath control, dynamics (being able to sing softly to loudly without yelling), diction and emotion are all parts of what goes into being a good vocalist. The fact that when he moved into the mansion the first thing Adam wanted was his humidifer really pointed out to me how seriously he takes his singing (you have to keep your vocal chords moist).

On the other hand, while Danny is a good singer (although not really my type of vocalist), he doesn’t have good technique. He isn’t able to sing softly with much control and his phrasing and breath control need a lot of work. Having good raw talent is a great gift — knowing how to use it well makes it only better.

Having great vocal and other instrumental ability that has been trained is something that both Adam and Kris have — and it showed in their performances. They also knew what worked for their voices and how to show it off to it’s best advantage — and that’s one reason why they were the top two. I look forward to both their albums — and Allison’s, too! She is an example of great raw talent.

Great points, lizardino.

ScharffisHere: Worked on that track for Adam Lambert yesterday. sounds killller. Has a great shot. Just gotta track vocals w/ @ohferras and put it to bed

lavender1960 In terms of openly gay artists that were successful, I think of the Village People, Jimmy Sommerville and the Bronsky Beat [one of my favourite groups from that era] and Holly Johnson of Frankie Goes to Hollywood was openly gay and in fact that band probably was more successful because of all the controversy they created – nothing like banning a record to move it saleswise. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Relaxà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬  – one of my favourite all time songs. Bwah.

I think that there is no way to classify the Village People as Rock, that was campy late 70′s disco. But it does prove that sterotypes can get you into trouble. The lead singer of Village People is not gay. The Village People album was created by Jacques Morali, who was a gay French musical composer, but the studio recording featured Victor Willis, who is straight (he played the cop and navy officer parts later on). The performance band that included gay artists was created only after the album and singles were hits, and there was demand for live appearances. Only then did Morali and his business partner, Henri Belolo, build a group around Willis to perform in clubs and on Dick Clark’s American Bandstand.

Jimmy Sommerville and Bronky Beat was possibly the first pubically gay band to achieve recording success — their songs often contained political commentary on gay related issues in the 80′s. But they never made it in the US – their biggest single, “Smalltown Boy” reached #48 in the US, #1 on the US Dance Chart.

Holly Johnson was with Big in Japan and had released singles before he joined Frankie Goes to Hollywood in 1984. Someone please correct me if I am wrong, but I don’t think that Holly Johnson was public about being gay until he announced he had AIDS in 1991. And, of course, he’s British not American.

And you’re right, Boy George avoided questions about his sexuality for years. In 1985 he told Barbara Walters in an interview he was bisexual.

The debate can go on for a long time, but because of a unique set of circumstances, Adam is in new turf. Being on AI makes some singers celebrities before they are successful recording artists. And Adam is only the second AI Top 10 finisher to announce he is gay before recording an album.*

* David Hernandez came in #12. Clay “came out” years later. The only possible exception is James Verraros AI1 who was publically gay before AI, but who the producers made remove all online references to his sexual orientation before the show aired, and the press associated with the hit after he was off the show. Also Verraros was knocked out in the first week; there were only 9 finalists in the first season. Verraros released his first album in 2004. If I missed anyone, sorry.

MJ,

I couldn’t agree more with you. I don’t read anything into what Idols say in interviews about their future albums except that they had to give a soundbyte answer to a soundbyte question. To interpret any of that as some definitive statement is folly, IMO.

I see four possibilities for any Idol:

a) Be clueless and accept the record company’s push for hit singles
b) Be clueless and reject the record company’s pressure.
c) Be aware of the market and embrace the record company pressure.
d) Be aware of the market and reject the record company pressure.

I expect Adam to be in category C). Because of his distinctiveness (and frankly, “rock star” charisma), I expect him to have a good relationship with the label for now and for them to be pretty much on the same page. I think there’s a decent chance that he ends up recording some big time dance/pop/techno hits. That is not a foreign genre to him, as evidenced by his strong pre-Idol demo, Kiss and Tell.

3. Ià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ll eat my hat if Adam makes the multi-genre record he wants to make. I believe that Adam doesnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t want to play it safe. But again, ità ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s not up to him. Newly minted Idols are pure commerce to 19. They want to sell LOTS of records. And selling LOTS of records doesnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t allow for risk-taking. Adam has 6 months to make this recordà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬’and heà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s got to perform on a grueling tour in the meantime. These first albums are always put together quickly, with the finished product being somewhat cookie-cutter to fit into a particular genre. I donà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t see that formula changing with Adam.

Oh jeez mj. If what you say is true, and I’m sure you know what your talking about, I’m really not looking forward to Adam’s album anymore. There hasn’t been a single Idol album so far that I have liked. The odd single here and there but never the whole sound of an album. Even the singles were a bit of fun no more, Daughtry’s Home being the exception.
I was always a bit pessimistic about it, seeing the rush in which it’s being made, and the crappy writers we’ve heard are working on it, but now I’m really depressed. Chocolate anyone?

Funny I never think of the Beatles as rock stars.

I guess you would call their earlier music rock and roll but now it seems so pop in retrospect until they got into a heavier style of music. At some point the roll got dumped and we just referred to the music as rock. I wonder why? Where did roll go? Bwah.

I saw one documentary that suggested that The Who were the first “rock” band as opposed to rock and roll band because of a very specific way they played and others then followed suit. I am sure many will disagree, like the Rolling Stones and the Kinks and the Animals, to name just three bands, and it was the first time I heard “rock” being credited to the Who, specifically to their song, My Generation. Huh? Though they were certainly one of the pioneers of what we think of as classic rock. Rock that has stood the test of time, I guess. Now the rationale about The Who may have been the rebellious subject matter of the lyrics along with a specific musical style, this whole rock is the music of teenage or youthful rebellion. As was rock and roll but in a more innocuous way. At least in comparison.

ScharffisHere: Worked on that track for Adam Lambert yesterday. sounds killller. Has a great shot. Just gotta track vocals w/ @ohferras and put it to bed

So that means Adam himself hasn’t recorded vocals for the song, right? Ferras is going to sing it, and then they’ll pitch it to tptb?

The Goldfrapp song is very interesting. It is pure Canned Heat boogie woogie done electronica style. It doesn’t get any more rock n’ roll than a boogie woogie song, even if it is sung by a singer with “rhinestones glued on her eyelids”.

The other group Adam mention is Thievery Corporation, an eletronica duo out of Washington DC. Their stuff is very interesting, mixing Jamaican, Latin, and Indian/Bollywood flavors into techno ballads and dance music. Very creative stuff.

What’s interesting is that there is a pop side to this music, but with groups like Thievery Corp, also a strong “indie”, world music cult following.

In regards to Adam, I always think of the Scissor Sisters. They are a group with an openly gay lead singer, they do a variety of music from rock to pop to dance, and they are much more popular in the UK and in Europe than they are in the US.

I hope that Adam is able to break through to the US audience in a bigger way than the Scissor Sisters have — he does have exceptional ability and charisma, plus he was able to use AI as a platform to become known by a greater range of people. I do believe that Adam really does have great international appeal and will be huge in many parts of the world — even if he isn’t as popular as some of us would like in the US. I hope he will be the breakthrough artist of a new generation, though.

Honestly, I’m not expecting much from Adam’s debut album. His voice is the one thing that I enjoy, couldn’t care less about the genre (totally opposite to what happens with Kris from me, I love his genre, but I’m no into his voice). They always play it safe with idol debut albums and Adam will be no exception, I just hope they take the right decisions this first time, it will all come down to that.

So that means Adam himself hasnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t recorded vocals for song, right? Ferras is going to sing it, and then theyà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ll pitch it to tptb?

Correct. All these people are busy producing “demos” for consideration by Adam and/or his producers. It’s the same way the Elvis recorded all his albums.

A “tracking vocal” is sung on the demo with the intention of being replaced. Even someone who writes all their own music will essentially record their own “demos” with tracking vocals (these days, often at a computer in their bedroom) and then go into the studio. The band has the tracking vocal to work around, then final vocals are recorded.

“His voice is the one thing that I enjoy, couldnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t care less about the genre”

- I’m one with you on this. I am going to buy Adam’s album irregardless of the genre he puts out because he got me hooked on his great vocals and style above everything else.

Just all the stuff I read about Frankie Goes To Hollywood says he was openly gay along with another member of the band. I had always assumed that as a fan of the music at the time. I assumed that was always part of the controversy over their raunchy music.

In fact I just found an interview where he said this about coming out with the fact he was diagnosed as HIV positive, he was asked about being constantly asked about his health and AIDS status:

“It’s like the gay issue. I always felt that the media marginalised me because I was openly gay. Now it feels like a further narrowing of the pigeonhole people try to slot me into.”

I guess the Bronsky Beat has a bigger impact in Canada, we tended to embrace UK and Aussie imports more readily than the US in that period of music.

In regards to Adam, I always think of the Scissor Sisters.

I love that comparison! I always wanted to hear Adam sing some Scissor Sisters on the show.

Everything in the media is fodder for the culture war these days–late show comedians, shooters of museum guards, American Idols. Adam is more of the same. The media doesn’t take his talent for granted at all–it’s indifferent to it. The important thing is that he’s gay.

alxsavage:

I don’t have any expectation either way. I haven’t totally ruled out the possibility that Adam records a monster first album. I also haven’t ruled out the possibility that I will hate every song on it!

I will say this. I’ve been exploring the groups he’s pointing to as influences (because it’s a great way to check out new music styles). I am very impressed with some of the stuff he’s pimping in interviews at the time of him having recording meetings. He also has connections with some serious folk in the industry — the Zodiac show has some real veterans, fronting a band with Madonna’s guitarist and drummer is no joke, this British techno producer who has been using Adam on his Digital Glitter mixes is a serious player, etc. He has the abiilty to put together a real top-shelf effort and I think he’ll attract top-shelf people because he’s hot in the media and he has a pretty rare vocal talent.

The Globe article made me feel both excited and scared. Excited because Adam is breaking new ground by coming out at the start of his career and scared because……Adam is breaking new ground by coming out at the start of his career.

I guess he’s kind of a test case. For the record I personally don’t care about someone’s sexual orientation. Like a lot of the preceding posters have said, I just like his voice and he’s exciting to watch.

Demos are fun things to listen to – hearing Andrew Farriss sing lead on some INXS demos is very amusing, though the most interesting demo is Michael singing an early version of Mystify that was just so boring compared to the final end product. They didn’t change one word of the song but thank goodness they totally changed the phrasing and timing that made the difference. The anatomy of a song is fascinating.

Honestly, Ià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢m not expecting much from Adamà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s debut album. His voice is the one thing that I enjoy, couldnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t care less about the genre (totally opposite to what happens with Kris from me, I love his genre, but Ià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢m no into his voice). They always play it safe with idol debut albums and Adam will be no exception, I just hope they take the right decisions this first time, it will all come down to that.

I’m trying not to “expect” anything, I think it’s a mistake to assume that Adam’s album will be the most mind-blowing, exceptional thing we’ve ever heard (that’s a pretty steep order for any artist) but also a mistake to totally lose heart already and assume the worst. I’ve liked so much of what he did with even songs I wasn’t that fond of on AI that I think he can do some great things even if it isn’t exactly what we may expect. I’m going to hold off on judging it until I actually hear it for myself.

Interesting takes on the use of the term “Rock star” from lots of people, I guess when I’ve heard it from Adam I’ve always heard it as him saying it more with the wonder and awe of a little kid (all in quotes) that excitement of growing up dreaming about being a “rock star” and now getting a chance to sing and put on a show for people as an actual career. I’ve never really taken it as him putting himself into an actual pantheon of Rock Gods, he has said himself that he knows he is the new kid on the block. Just my opinion.

lizardno- I know, I’m a singer too and I write down voice along with piano when asked what instrument I play. I was just being a little lazy when describing the two because Kris can sing and play while Adam as far as I know can only sing.

I hate to be contrarian here (not really, but it sounds like the right thing to say, lolz), but these “Adam Lambert is gay,” “he never wasn’t gay,” “Adam comes out,” “he was always out,” “it’s big news,” “it’s really old news” stories are kinda gettin’ a bit played out in the media, no? Me thinks so, but apparently not you crazy lot, lmao! :=) Interest in the subject remains high judging from audience reaction here. I mean, these stories continue to attract 200 /- comments like clockwork, while Kris’ one or two weekly enties in the Bigblog sweepstakes are lucky to draw half as many. Who won this thing again? Heh, heh. :=)

I really like the Scissor Sisters too – I thought originally they were British but they are American and there are no sisters, bwah.

Ack. Sneaking in something David Cook related. 5 Questions for David Cook from VH1. Heà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s cute

Thanks EmmaK. I love the fact that Cook never takes himself too seriously. His “formula” for picking a porn name was hilarious.

When I said genre-mixing, I didn’t mean Adam is going to make some crazy record that is all over the place oh-so-brilliant, I meant more along the lines of Lady Gaga and Black Eyed Peas/Fergie where it’s pop, but it just has other elements in it. That’s not groundbreaking, but being savvy to current trends. I guess it could be Scissor Sisters-like if the record company felt that could catch on in the US, but I am not so sure.

I think it would be silly to even try and appeal to modern rock stations now as most of them aren’t breaking new artists and tend to play already established artists/older music.

Anyway, I already have an artist whom I love that is the I feel is a successor to Bowie — it’s just he rather obscure and out-there. lol

I guess the Bronsky Beat has a bigger impact in Canada, we tended to embrace UK and Aussie imports more readily than the US in that period of music.

lavender1960, every now and then, it would be nice if The States could be a bit more like Canada — only warmer!!

Interesting takes on the use of the term à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Rock starà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬  from lots of people, I guess when Ià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ve heard it from Adam Ià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ve always heard it as him saying it more with the wonder and awe of a little kid (all in quotes) that excitement of growing up dreaming about being a à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“rock starà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬  and now getting a chance to sing and put on a show for people as an actual career. Ià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ve never really taken it as him putting himself into an actual pantheon of Rock Gods, he has said himself that he knows he is the new kid on the block. Just my opinion.

Totally agree with Brin! Adam has been dreaming of being a rock star for a long time! However one defines “rock star” Adam just wants to make music that both he and the public will enjoy. And I share his dream!

Honestly, Ià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢m not expecting much from Adamà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s debut album. His voice is the one thing that I enjoy, couldnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t care less about the genre (totally opposite to what happens with Kris from me, I love his genre, but Ià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢m no into his voice). They always play it safe with idol debut albums and Adam will be no exception, I just hope they take the right decisions this first time, it will all come down to that.

Why can’t Adam be the “exception”. I think that maybe Adam can be the one that breaks the mold.

Why canà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t Adam be the à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“exceptionà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ . I think that maybe Adam can be the one that breaks the mold.

He already broke it to some extent with the RS piece. Lol.

As for music, from the way they generally conduct business I’m not getting my expectations too high. OTOH, anything Adam does feels like an experience unto itself to some degree, ya know?

Interesting takes on the use of the term à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Rock starà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬  from lots of people, I guess when Ià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ve heard it from Adam Ià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ve always heard it as him saying it more with the wonder and awe of a little kid (all in quotes) that excitement of growing up dreaming about being a à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“rock starà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬  and now getting a chance to sing and put on a show for people as an actual career. Ià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ve never really taken it as him putting himself into an actual pantheon of Rock Gods, he has said himself that he knows he is the new kid on the block.

As all of us who write on these sites are acutely aware, the meaning of our words can change depending upon the context. Thank you, brin, for putting the term “rock star” in its appropriate context, because I agree with you – I think this is exactly how Adam views it.

Well said brin and LaurelG.

And I can’t count how often in the past few weeks I’ve seen small parts of Adam’s and Kris’ interviews turned into a whole article — and often twisted around. The whole “Adam has a crush on Kris” thing, for example.

I like the Boston Globe article.

Just noticed that Kris and Adam are both listed as artists on their label’s sites. Alison is not there yet.

Jimmy Sommerville and Bronky Beat was possibly the first pubically gay band to achieve recording success

If you are talking about British singers/bands, then no. Tom Robinson was openly gay (but actually later turned out to be bi when he met and married a woman), and had a minor hit song with Glad To Be Gay in the mid-70s – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zHG2LJGfEdw
and later a bigger hit with 2-4-6-8 Motorway –
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1tXm7B2bpN8

As for Frankie Goes To Hollywood, they were just assumed to be gay given the gay S&M imagery they use in their Relax video and the sexual lyrics (got banned by the BBC which is the best thing that could have happened to them since controversy sells).

Being gay hasn’t been a problem in British rock and pop for a long time now (that’s more than a quarter of a century), and I don’t think it is a problem in the US now unless you want to be a country singer. Linda Perry of 4 Non-Blondes had a big hit despite being openly lesbian, and Rufus Wainwright is doing perfectly fine as a recording artist despite being openly gay from the very beginning (if he isn’t a hugely successful one it’s only because his voice is, to put it kindly, an acquired taste). The fact is that most young rock and pop singers aren’t shy of admitting to being gay nowadays, it’s no big deal unless you are Clay Aiken. Adam is unusual in that there is so much publicity about him before he even recorded an album, but whether he will be successful or a failure will have nothing to do with him being gay and will have everything to do with his music.

3. Ià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ll eat my hat if Adam makes the multi-genre record he wants to make. I believe that Adam doesnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t want to play it safe. But again, ità ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s not up to him. Newly minted Idols are pure commerce to 19. They want to sell LOTS of records. And selling LOTS of records doesnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t allow for risk-taking. Adam has 6 months to make this recordà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬’and heà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s got to perform on a grueling tour in the meantime. These first albums are always put together quickly, with the finished product being somewhat cookie-cutter to fit into a particular genre. I donà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t see that formula changing with Adam.

And that, right there, is why I’m most cautious about Adam’s album. What Idol traditionally does – from the process to the types of songs that get picked – are anti everything Adam says he wants to do. How is this guy going to make a mass market album that is appropriate for the wholesome-leaning idol audience while still maintaining the edge he pretty much oozes? The type of stuff he wants to do does not play it safe lyrically or stylistically. They let him do that RS interview, so maybe they are planning on loosening the reigns a bit this time. But I ain’t counting on it. Unless they put a bunch of double-entendres in everything meant to sail above the heads of younger listeners. Hmmm….

I for one am not counting too much on liking Adams album, electronic stuff is just not my thing, But I am trying really hard to hold on to hope. I anticipate I will likely just be buying singles off of Itunes rather than the entire album. But who knows, maybe I will change my mind when it comes out.

My dream album for Adam would be just a piano, guitar, drums and Adam’s voice as the star. Although I know that will never happen. I love, love, love his Upright Cabaret performances and play that as often as the AI music.

What I am looking forward to is any video’s he might put out. As we all know so much of his attraction is getting to watch him perform, I do play his AI stuff all the time, and while I bought many of the recordings, I bought all the videos and play them the most, due to the style of singing and the visuals which I love.

I have not been much of an AI watcher since the first two seasons and even then never followed any of the artists post idol, they just didn’t do it for me, which is why until this year I only watched a sporadic episode or two over the years.

So I do not know if putting out videos is a standard thing for first idol albums? Anyone?

^ Yep, same here. Whenever I hear Adam mention Dance/electronic/funk, Blake Lewis’ face pops up and then I remember what a failure that was and get discouraged.

Ià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ll eat my hat if Adam makes the multi-genre record he wants to make. I believe that Adam doesnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t want to play it safe. But again, ità ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s not up to him. Newly minted Idols are pure commerce to 19. They want to sell LOTS of records. And selling LOTS of records doesnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t allow for risk-taking. Adam has 6 months to make this recordà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬’and heà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s got to perform on a grueling tour in the meantime. These first albums are always put together quickly, with the finished product being somewhat cookie-cutter to fit into a particular genre. I donà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t see that formula changing with Adam.

Ok, I see what you are saying, but doesn’t these people (19) ever stop and think? Has it been succesful so far? Or do they settle for good enough? I don’t want to sound to naive (which I guess I am!) but you can push the genre borders a bit and still be played on pop station, no? I agree that the history of idol albums give a dark picture of what is ahead, but maybe a few things will help.

First, I think Adam is very vocal and can speak for himself in a very convincing manner. Might not be enough, I agree. Money talks.

If they want to market him internationally, there is no way an overproduced pop album will do the trick. He is no Britney, it just isn’t his forte. They have to emphasize something that makes him stand out. Dance music might be a way to go, or his very special vocals.

Landing really good producers would make things easier, people that are not into overproduction. Also maybe some collaborations would help to avoid overproduction. Maybe his appeal out to Missy Elliot was an attemt in that direction?

I guess one can always hope right?

Okay, as a musician I have one comment here. Ità ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s not really a gripe as much as it is a misconception. Adam and Kris are BOTH very, very good musicians. Adam is an incredible singer, and his primary instrument is his voice. Kris is a very good singer who plays other instruments including his voice.

I think there is often a misconception among many people who arenà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t musicians that somehow playing instruments (other than vocals) is more impressive than just being able to sing. This isnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t true, and serious vocalists spend a lot of time and energy on training and fine-tuning the abilities they may possess naturally. I know that Adam had years of vocal training, and you can hear it when he sings à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬’  the phrasing he uses, breath control, dynamics (being able to sing softly to loudly without yelling), diction and emotion are all parts of what goes into being a good vocalist. The fact that when he moved into the mansion the first thing Adam wanted was his humidifer really pointed out to me how seriously he takes his singing (you have to keep your vocal chords moist).

Well said, lizardino.

Kris’ guitar skills (and to a lesser extent, his keyboard skills), his vocals and his phrasing are all parts of his musical identity. The inclusion of instruments in AI was why he felt he could actually make a good showing. His performances were particularly well-received when you could actually discern his instrumentals and not have them be drowned out by bandzilla. Due in part to his use of instruments, his live performances had more oomph, as I would assume he did not play guitar or keys on the AI studio recordings.

I was annoyed when the judges kept telling him early on that he should lose the guitar, before they finally realized the guitar (or sometimes the keyboards) was necessary to bring out the full extent of his ability. It would be like asking Adam to not use his full vocal range, that 60% ought to be sufficient. If that were the case, the resulting performance would sound very different.

I for one am not counting too much on liking Adams album, electronic stuff is just not my thing, But I am trying really hard to hold on to hope.

Do you like Adam’s AI studio recordings? If you do, then you might be pleasantly surprised at his album, because his studio recordings all used an electronic touch. Rickey from the band was interviewed soon after the finale and said that was one of the biggest difference between Adam and Kris’s studio versions of No Boundaries. Adam’s was more electronically influenced with a longer introduction. Its subtle but its still there. Its also the same with A Change is Gonna come, which was also electronically influenced.

I think there’s a misconception that when Adam says “electronic” he means some type of way out space ship electronic guitar or something. lol

Whenever I hear Adam mention Dance/electronic/funk, Blake Lewisà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ face pops up and then I remember what a failure that was and get discouraged.

When I think of Blake I think of beat boxing and not singing. lol I know people like to compare Adam to Blake, but again I just don’t see the comparison in voice type, performance style, vocal strength/range, etc. Especially since we don’t have an album to compare it to… lol

I really think we’re going to get a pop rock album from Album; however, he likes to use different sounds from instruments, etc.

When I think of Blake I think of beat boxing and not singing. lol I know people like to compare Adam to Blake, but again I just donà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t see the comparison in voice type, performance style, vocal strength/range, etc. Especially since we donà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t have an album to compare it toà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ ¦ lol

Yeah, I don’t think Blake and Adam have a lot in common. Blake came from the underground dance/hiphop/experimental scene. He’s way more of a producer type. What he did was an attempt to pop-ify an underground sound. Adam seems to be aiming for pop, just pop incorporating sounds that are “in” right now.

Also, while i think Adam is going for a male Lady Gaga thing, that doesn’t mean literally sounding like Gaga or Katy Perry as sung by a man, IMO. I expect his stuff to be a bit – harder sounding? I don’t know how to describe it. Maybe a rockier edge, more urgent maybe? Because I don’t think that sound Gaga and Perry have going will work on a man’s voice.

But we’ll see if I know what I’m talking about in a few months either way!

Since Kris is the WINNER of American Idol Season 8 and Adam is the looser won’t Kris be the one who is wholly marketed as representing American Idol. And if that is the case it is his album that will be the most controlled and will have to abide by the “apparent” AI family standards.

That leaves Adam and Allison a bit more lee-way to move out of the AI confined box. And this is how I’m personally reading the PR that is now taking place. Kris is staying the wholesome kid who America loves for being so mainstream, and Adam is now the edgier more hard-core individual that is easier to sell to the non-AI watching album enthusiasts.

We will only know the truth of my “reads” come fall, but this is how I feel the whole thing is being handled.

EXTRA did a segment discussing how much some of the Idols have earned in the past year. My favorite part is when after they say how much Archie made, they cut to a clip of him crying out, “GOSH!!!” It’s funny.

Also, Gene Simmons called Adam a powerful and attractive man and gave him an open-ended offer to go on tour with them.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dbBvvvbA1Z0

http://lfpress.ca/newsstand/Today/Music/2009/06/11/9766861.html

according to this canadian article advertising the AMERICAN IDOL TOUR, they are using ADAM to advertise the tour, not Kris

‘Idol’ runner-up Lambert to play Hamilton

By THE CANADIAN PRESS

à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“American Idolà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬  runner-up Adam Lambert is bringing his soaring vocal range to Canada this summer.

The glam rocker and the rest of the Top 10 contestants à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬’  including winner Kris Allen à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬’  will hit Vancouver July 8 and Hamilton on Aug. 14 as part of the à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“American Idols Liveà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬  tour.

Vancouver is just the third stop on the 50-city tour that kicks off July 5 in Portland, Ore.

Lambert has also announced heà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s just been signed to 19 Recordings and licensed to RCA Records.

He says he plans to record his debut album while on the tour for a fall release.

That leaves Adam and Allison a bit more lee-way to move out of the AI confined box. And this is how Ià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢m personally reading the PR that is now taking place. Kris is staying the wholesome kid who America loves for being so mainstream, and Adam is now the edgier more hard-core individual that is easier to sell to the non-AI watching album enthusiasts.

I agree, that is exactly how I saw the whole RS article and even the author of that article talked about Adam using it to “re-brand” himself and distance himself from the AI mainstream. Now, we’ll have to wait and see how that actually plays out in terms of the album and how it is marketed but I think it is interesting that they signed Adam/Allison and Kris because I think they each appeal potentially to different core audiences and while there will undoubtedly be overlap it seems like this gives 19E a broader marketing base.

Adam IS breaking new ground and not just because he’s openly announced he’s gay at the beginning of his career. I have never been wildly sexually attracted to any of the other gay artists mentioned in any article or comment I’ve read – either before or after they “came out”. In fact, I’ve NEVER been as attracted to ANY performer as I am to Adam. For me, a middle-aged woman, in spite of knowing that Adam was kissing men, dressing occasionally in drag, and, now openly gay, he is also HOT. Men and women of all ages and sexual persuasions are attracted to him. His sexual charisma appears to cross all boundaries and reason.

I think it will be very interesting to see what kind of music he ends up recording. But if his performances on Idol are any indication of his future performances, I can only say that he will remain HOT – no matter who he’s having sex with in his personal life. His charisma simply oozes out of him – he lights up whatever room he’s in. You can tell when he’s being interviewed, whether by a man or a woman, that he’s charmed them. There’s a LIKABLE quality about him that makes you feel like he’s approachable. The only performer I can think of who has had the similar combination of sexual raw energy and boy-next-door charm is Elvis.

I’m excited about music for the first time in decades because of Adam. I think he brings a whole new level of fresh raw energy to the table. I just hope he’ll be able to maintain it and it won’t be swallowed up in the music industry’s huge machine. So far, he has shown himself to be savvy, wise, strong, courageous and bold. These are qualities that will serve him well in the future as he attempts to forge out, combining new sounds, and creating stunning exciting visuals. I’m sure I won’t like every single song he does. But I think I WILL like all of his performances – even if I’m not crazy about an individual song, because the boy DOES know how to work it.

There are so many rumors about the winner’s contract, but consistently people have claimed there are “moral” clauses in them. One of the other major reasons Adam was not going to win. The winner’s contract is a very standard one. One benefit of not winning, and one that many runner-up’s claim, is that some losers end up with better contracts. People close to Archie, Daughtry and Clay claim that to be true. One of Adam’s friend’s twittered that it was good that Adam didn’t have to sign the winner’s contract.

Therefore, I think the last thing on Adam, Allison, RCA or Jive’s mind is catering to the Idol audience. What they hope for is a transition from Idol to their target audience. Clive Davis has spoken on this numerous times. They have Kris for the traditional winner. Nice, sweet southern guy who will sing vanilla music (nothing wrong with that at all) that will not ruffle any Idol viewers feathers and will be very family friendly.

They like Allison and Adam because they are edgy. I think the market is saturated with sweet Idol music. I’m not expecting much, but I think Adam and Allison will be edgier than other Idols. Hopefully. Allison has quite a mouth on her too! And she did sing Slow Ride with no problem. What MAY help Adam (and Allison if Adam helps her) is Adam’s many contacts in LA. If he’s able to get some people to step up, work quickly, then maybe he can get some different stuff on there.

“That leaves Adam and Allison a bit more lee-way to move out of the AI confined box. ”

- I am also getting the same vibe about the song selections in his album. Adam shook up AI and AI will never be the same again. He also shook up the media with him stating about his sexuality even before his career has started. He is a groundbreaker of some sort. AI is aware of the noise he is making and I believe that they are willing to bend some rules to make their talents successful.

I haven’t got a clue what RCA or 19R will think about Adam trying to put together a mix of sounds and styles for his first album. From a marketing standpoint, for a new artist, I think that’s a tough row to hoe. It’s why sound-alike-every-single-time people like Nickelback do well, because if the consumer hears one song and likes it, they can depend on later singles and the whole cd sounding exactly the same. And I do think once you’re established, you can try out new things and different styles (Paul Simon, David Byrne) because you have fans who will go where you lead them into Brazilian music or Lady Blacksmith Mombassa or whatever. But for the first album… I think you really have to establish an identity before you start mixing in other completely different sounds. The weird thing is that’s that kind of the opposite of what you need to do on American Idol, the show, where you get all these different theme weeks tossed at you, and when you show you can do post-grunge emo rock pop one week and then “The Music of the Night” the next, people love you for your versatility. (Unless you’re me, who hates “The Music of the Night” whoever does it. But that’s just me.) Adam had two very distinct modes on AI, and my 75-year-old mother-in-law, for example, absolutely adored his “Mad World,” “Tracks of My Tears,” and especially “Feeling Good.” But she didn’t care for any of the rockier stuff at all. He would need a whole album like “Feeling Good” for her to like it. (She ain’t buying his cd, either way. I mean, the last time she bought an album it was really an album and it was probably Montevani or something. I asked, just to verify, and my husband says she probably never bought an album ever. It was his dad buying the Montevani.)

So, anyway, I just think there are people like that that love the show, but never intend to buy the music. They just want to enjoy the show. Then there are the people who will buy whatever their favorite offers, no matter how far away from their normal taste it is. And the vast majority of music-buyers, I think, falls into the area where they will buy it if they hear something they like and feel the need to own, but otherwise don’t really care about the Idol brand.

I’m not sure even a focus on singles will help if there are a bunch of different styles represented on one album. Because you can’t follow up a successful single with another one and then another one that sounds the same (see: Daughtry or Jordin) and makes people recognize the brand or want to buy into an artist as a brand.

For those who aren’t sure they’ll like his music in the future – go to YouTube and listen to his “Kiss and Tell” and “Pop Goes the Camera” that were on his MySpace account (not the Fonzerelli Radio Edit ones). They really are quite good. I’ve found that the more I listen to them, the more I like them.

MJ nailed it. I seriously doubt that Adam or Allison are going to be getting any more leeway than Kris. Neither Adam or Allison are going to be able to break away from the “Idol mainstream” that easily-coming in 2nd or 4th won’t change that. Idol fans always think the story is going to be different for their favorite but it rarely works out that way.

“Ià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ve found that the more I listen to them, the more I like them.”

- This is very true. On his AI performances, I won’t get it at first (maybe bacause I’m too focused on what the judges will say) but playing it for the second time made me appreciate him more. As I’ve said, he made me like songs I don’t even think will work for me.

If you would notice in AI’s press releases on their recording contract, both Simon Fuller and RCA are upbeat about Adam’s future career as a global star. I don’t think they are going after the Idol audience but the non-Idol audience as well….and this is where (on my observation) Adam’s management is gearing to.

Idol fans always think the story is going to be different for their favorite but it rarely works out that way

I think there may be a bit more wiggle room for some edgier stuff on Adam’s album, well, because Adam’s story is already so different than your average AI finalist. I do think we are in unknown territory here. I mean, who would have thought that AI would pimp a guy who had the internet controversy surrounding him like Adam did? TPTB’s have already acted unexpectantly in regards to Adam. So maybe, just maybe, we might be in for a treat. (I will add, however, that I am mentally prepared for the traditional MUZAK AI album).

If Adam wants to be a rock star in the vein of Mick Jagger, Steve Tyler, or David Bowie, then, yeah….his gayness may be a factor. Let’s be real…who goes to rock concerts? Screaming girls (and guys who may or may not like the music, but are there for the girls). Those girls need to have a little hope that just maybe, they could catch Adam’s eye. So he was smart to leave that possibility on the table in the 20/20 interview, in case that is the path he takes. We will just have to watch and see.

AI is aware of the noise he is making and I believe that they are willing to bend some rules to make their talents successful.

There are no rules that AI is not willing to change for the sake of the bottom line. In the past, burying a gay contestant’s sexuality (see season 1′s Jim Verraros) was about avoiding controversy to preserve their so-called family-friendly ratings. These days, with the shift in public opinion, AI is more that happy to take full advantage of Adam’s sexuality exposà © for the greater good – padding the AI back account.

Since Kris is the WINNER of American Idol Season 8 and Adam is the loser wonà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t Kris be the one who is wholly marketed as representing American Idol.

Being on American Idol saddles a person with the designation forever. I just recently saw an article about Daughtry that described him as the American Idol reject, Chris Daughtry. Even if each of them manages to ‘show and prove’ post show, the will forever be associated with that cheezy pop kareoke contest that is Idol. It’s the price they pay for leap-frogging to the front of the queue.

If I were to suggest a song for Adam, I would recommend W. H. Auden’s poem “If I could Tell You” put to music. That poem is so beautiful and would make a beautiful love ballad. And Adam enunciates so beautifully while singing, he really needs beautiful words to sing, what ever the style may be.

unique28v
Jun 14th, 2009 at 6:13 pm
I for one am not counting too much on liking Adams album, electronic stuff is just not my thing, But I am trying really hard to hold on to hope.

Do you like Adamà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s AI studio recordings?

I like a lot of his recordings but not all, such as Play That Funky Music White Boy, love the AI performance, hate the recording. A lot of the recordings were pretty good and I realize they had to use pre-recorded tracks of the orginal songs so they didn’t have a lot of control over them, so I don’t know how well we can judge from those.

Certainly I think Adams voice comes across really well recorded, but I hate it when the electronic elements fight with his voice, also I think adding an electronic element sometimes takes away from the highs and lows of a performance and really add a monotone sound. Already the vocals are generally toned down from a live performance, then add the electronics to it, and they just don’t move me emotionally.

Sure they have a nice beat, and probably are really good to dance to, but I dont buy dance records, on the extremely rare occasion I buy anything it is for the emotional connection and the voice. My absolute favorite and the only singer songwriter I have bought in recent years is Amos Lee, fabulous voice! Has some similarities to Adams voice in it clear tonal quality.

Anyhow, like I said, I am still holding out hope.
I am looking forward to the visuals the most.

Can anyone tell me if it is standard for idols to make and release video’s with their first album?

Since Kris is the WINNER of American Idol Season 8 and Adam is the looser wonà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t Kris be the one who is wholly marketed as representing American Idol. And if that is the case it is his album that will be the most controlled and will have to abide by the à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“apparentà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬  AI family standards.

But it has never worked that way. No initial idol album has ever referenced sex, or drugs, or contained cursing, anything remotely controversial. It is all relationship angst and sunny optimism. Whatever genre they record, they record on the poppiest end of it. Winners, runners up, whoever they sign. Maybe you could make the case for Fantasia because her album had the Baby Mama song on it, but that’s about it.

That leaves Adam and Allison a bit more lee-way to move out of the AI confined box. And this is how Ià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢m personally reading the PR that is now taking place.

Maybe for Adam, but NOT for Allison. They will not let a child be but so edgy. The only thing that might happen is she gets some edgier stuff musically, but never lyrically.

Adam IS breaking new ground and not just because heà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s openly announced heà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s gay at the beginning of his career.

Whatver that he may be doing to you, he isn’t breaking new ground by announcing he is gay at the beginning of his career. He is reaping of reward of others who did it at a time when it was far more difficult to do such thing and when such action could be very costly. He is the natural product of changing times brought about by earlier pioneers. He isn’t doing anything special.

Being on American Idol saddles a person with the designation forever. I just recently saw an article about Daughtry that described him as the American Idol reject, Chris Daughtry. Even if each of them manages to à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢show and proveà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ post show, the will forever be associated with that cheezy pop kareoke contest that is Idol. Ità ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s the price they pay for leap-frogging to the front of the queue.

Yes, fame and success really can be a slippery slope. I think the AI contestants who are older, Cook, Adam, who have been slugging away in the music and entertainment biz for 10 years or more may feel like AI is not a short cut, but just another tactic. There was no guarantee that either would even make it to Hollywood week so they may not necessarily feel like they jumped the queue.

The question for people like Cook, Adam and Daughtrey is this; is it important to keep one’s street cred even it if means the only way you will sell your CDs , (indie produced) is to set up a card table next to the club bathrooms after a performing in front of 42 people?

OR do you sell your soul to the AI devil and have tens of thousands of people download your music via Itunes.

Yes, AI is an albatross around the artist’s neck, but if it goes well, there is plenty of money to pay for that physical therapist to work out that crick.

For those who arenà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t sure theyà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ll like his music in the future – go to YouTube and listen to his à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Kiss and Tellà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬  and à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Pop Goes the Cameraà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ 

I have listened to both, and they are fine songs, I wouldn’t change the channel if they came on, but neither would I purposely seek them out to purchase them. For me, they are very middle of the road, and again no emotional connection.

One of the problems is though, neither of them are emotional songs to begin with, they are light songs about being famous and telling about your exploits? (cant really define Kiss and Tell because its been a long time since I listened to it). But pop goes the camera is definitely about being famous. Then you add the electronics to it, and I feel nothing. I am sure they make great dance songs, but that is not the type of record I would buy.

Whatver that he may be doing to you, he isnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t breaking new ground by announcing he is gay at the beginning of his career. He is reaping of reward of others who did it at a time when it was far more difficult to do such thing and when such action could be very costly. He is the natural product of changing times brought about by earlier pioneers. He isnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t doing anything special.

The media as a whole and people like Ellen and the head of GLAAD seem to disagree with you but obviously you are entitled to your opinion.

Can anyone tell me if it is standard for idols to make and release videoà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s with their first album?

I’m curious about that too, I think Adam could make some fantastic music videos, his videos from AI are still selling very well on iTunes and he is a very engaging visual performer in addition to the stellar vocals.

Ià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢m curious about that too, I think Adam could make some fantastic music videos, his videos from AI are still selling very well on iTunes and he is a very engaging visual performer in addition to the stellar vocals.

Yes, both Archie and Cook have done music videos. Check out Itunes for a peek.

Whatver that he may be doing to you, he isnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t breaking new ground by announcing he is gay at the beginning of his career. He is reaping of reward of others who did it at a time when it was far more difficult to do such thing and when such action could be very costly. He is the natural product of changing times brought about by earlier pioneers. He isnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t doing anything special.

I disagree. What he is doing is special. Who else has announced to Middle America that he’s gay while at the start of trying to build a mainstream music career? Does that discount the trials and tribulations, efforts and accomplishments, blood, sweat & tears of all those who went before him and paved the way? Certainly not. But he most definitely is taking a calculated risk with this approach.

What next? Is the media going to ask straight celebrities if they like anal sex or oral sex, if they like foreplay, if they are ever impotent, if they use viagra, if they ever commit adultry, if they and their wives ever swing? Will they then define these people by their sexual preferences?

This whole labeling and putting people in boxes is ridiculous. I do think Adam has handled it well (except for being a bit too explicit in RS). There is no easy way to handle this kind of obsession coming at you from the media.

But I do understand that being gay can impact a career when a lot of fans are sexually attracted to rock/pop stars and that could be a turnoff to some of them. Heck even John Lennon had to keep it a secret that he was married when the Beatles got going big. Got to keep those fans hoping.

I’m not sure that Adam chose to do it this way. He really had no choice. It shouldn’t even be a big deal but of course it is.

Three of my favorite pre-Idol songs are:

“The Circle”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aWXI5F13xe8

“Rough Trade/Turning On”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I-bYOl33DnQ

“Quiet Desperation”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rxhBYQPBVAI&feature=related

Letà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s be realà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ ¦who goes to rock concerts? Screaming girls (and guys who may or may not like the music, but are there for the girls).

The last time I went to a Bowie concert it was not full of screaming girls and guys there for the girls. There were as many screaming men there as women. Men love Bowie as much as women. Same with Aerowsmith. Same with the Stones.

I disagree. What he is doing is special. Who else has announced to Middle America that heà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s gay while at the start of trying to build a mainstream music career? Does that discount the trials and tribulations, efforts and accomplishments, blood, sweat & tears of all those who went before him and paved the way? Certainly not. But he most definitely is taking a calculated risk with this approach.

There is no risk. He is obviously gay, not announcing the fact would be worse and alienate far more people. The people who don’t like him wouldn’t have voted for him or buy his albums, that has always been true for ALL idols, gay or not gay. The battle for general acceptance in the rock and pop world has already been won ages ago by other people, if it isn’t him that did it, it will be someone else. It’s an easy decision for him, why do think it is so?

What next? Is the media going to ask straight celebrities if they like anal sex or oral sex, if they like foreplay, if they are ever impotent, if they use viagra, if they ever commit adultry, if they and their wives ever swing?

Yup. They are starting to ask those questions already. Its just that being a swinger and/or cheating is becoming more accepted in our society depending on who you are, so it doesn’t quite have the same “impact”.

For those who arenà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t sure theyà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ll like his music in the future – go to YouTube and listen to his à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Kiss and Tellà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬  and à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Pop Goes the Cameraà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ 

Nah. These aren’t good indicators. Adam already said he is going into a pop rock avenue versus glam rock. Its the same with Kris. Kris said his earlier stuff isn’t what he will be doing now too.

There are so many rumors about the winnerà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s contract, but consistently people have claimed there are à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“moralà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬  clauses in them.

What do you mean by “moral” clauses?

The last time I went to a Bowie concert it was not full of screaming girls and guys there for the girls. There were as many screaming men there as women. Men love Bowie as much as women. Same with Aerowsmith. Same with the Stones.

I think most people go to concerts because they like the music. I have never based my decision to attend a concert on whether the singer or band members were “available” to me. I think I am probably the norm.

For SYTYCD fans who are on twitter, so is Mary.

http://twitter.com/HOTtamaleTRAIN

LOL.

Who else has announced to Middle America that heà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s gay while at the start of trying to build a mainstream music career?

I would love the term “Middle America” to disappear from the sexuality discussion. I find it very limiting to cast aspersions based on geographical location. The shops in downtown Des Moines may be closed on Sunday (trust me, I went there on a business trip several years ago), but gay people can marry. Hopefully, that will be the case in more and more states eventually.

Danny has revealed one of the songs he’ll sing on tour —

My Wish by Rascall Flatts

He tweeted a link to a fan video that uses the song, then says he’s singing it on tour.

http://twitter.com/dannygokey

Aw pj, Mary’s tweets are kind of adorable.

Yup. They are starting to ask those questions already. Its just that being a swinger and/or cheating is becoming more accepted in our society depending on who you are, so it doesnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t quite have the same à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“impactà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ .

Not in my world. Just because it’s talked about more, or asked about more, doesn’t mean it’s more acceptable.

I think Adam may get a little more leeway, but not much. And Allison will get none, because of her age.

ETA: Just wanted to clarify that I was speaking only of “swinging” and “cheating” and not trying to extend it beyond that.

Danny has revealed one of the songs heà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ll sing on tour à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬’ 

My Wish by Rascall Flatts

He tweeted a link to a fan video that uses the song, then says heà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s singing it on tour.

http://twitter.com/dannygokey

Damn. I loved following Danny. But this is the one I’m following:

http://twitter.com/Danny__Gokey

ETA: Just wanted to clarify that I was speaking only of à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“swingingà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬  and à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“cheatingà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬  and not trying to extend it beyond that.

I knew what you meant. And, swinging and cheating aren’t acceptable in my world either.

I just think AI and 19 and Sony invest way too much money in these kids to leave the decision making up to them. They’re novices in the recording business. And the guys who write the checks are just not going to rely on their opinions. While they’ll get some artisitic input here and there, the big decisions will be made by the suits.

ETA:

Damn. I loved following Danny. But this is the one Ià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢m following:

http://twitter.com/Danny__Gokey

Oh, me too pj. That one is hilarious.

I have listened to both, and they are fine songs, I wouldnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t change the channel if they came on, but neither would I purposely seek them out to purchase them. For me, they are very middle of the road, and again no emotional connection.

One of the problems is though, neither of them are emotional songs to begin with, they are light songs about being famous and telling about your exploits? (cant really define Kiss and Tell because its been a long time since I listened to it). But pop goes the camera is definitely about being famous. Then you add the electronics to it, and I feel nothing. I am sure they make great dance songs, but that is not the type of record I would buy.

He said that he thinks many of his early attempts at song writing weren’t that good and he has learned a lot since then, I like both songs, they are fun, but I agree somewhat about the emotional connection or type of song, I guess I just don’t use these as any indication or pre-judgement of what Adam can/will do in the future, I’m going to wait to see what he gives us now.

There is no risk. He is obviously gay, not announcing the fact would be worse and alienate far more people. The people who donà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t like him wouldnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t have voted for him or buy his albums, that has always been true for ALL idols, gay or not gay.

He’s obviously gay to many of us because he’s been quite open from when those photos of him kissing his ex-bf first surfaced! That’s the whole point. Even so, the media demanded he say it on the record… twice, before he was deemed officially “out”.

The battle for general acceptance in the rock and pop world has already been won ages ago by other people,

You never answered my question. Who exactly did this at the start of their budding pop career in America?

if it isnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t him that did it, it will be someone else.

What does this mean? Adam is the first to do this. If it were this hypothetical “someone else” then we’d be having this same debate over that person instead.

Ità ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s an easy decision for him, why do think it is so?

It was an easy decision only because he had no intention of going back in the closet, even for a singing career. But that doesn’t mean there weren’t risks. At his audition, he still didn’t want to totally shock the AI producers so he wore minimal makeup and no nail polish. He had planned on removing those kissing pics from the social networking site he frequented but forgot to do so. When the pictures surfaced, he stated he had nothing to hide but did not otherwise address the issue till after the competition was over.

I would love the term à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Middle Americaà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬  to disappear from the sexuality discussion. I find it very limiting to cast aspersions based on geographical location. The shops in downtown Des Moines may be closed on Sunday (trust me, I went there on a business trip several years ago), but gay people can marry. Hopefully, that will be the case in more and more states eventually.

pj, I see your point but the term is typically meant to refer to the large segment of the population that is considered more socially conservative and not as a geographic location. However, marriage equality advocates ARE using the term in a geographic sense to advance their cause to the rest of the nation.

Yesterday Kelly performed at B96 SummerBash (radio concert)

Heres an interview backstage, Kelly gets asked about Adam but she gets a little confused

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p37KdgzgTHw

Kris, Adam and Allison (and Jason) will end up making pop dreck CDs, just like their predecessors, Jordin, Taylor, Kat, David Archuleta and Clay. Daughtry and Cook ended up making pseudo-rock Nickelback dreck CDs because that’s what 19 wanted to push for and because both had fronted a band prior to being on the show. Of those three Allison has the best chance at success, not because she’s the most talented or because she has the best voice but simply because of the industry. As far as rock and pop are concerned, you have basically two flavors: women and bands. And of course, you will find Jason Mraz and John Mayer, but for each of them, you’ll have five bands (Seether, Green Day, Dave Matthews, Black Eyed Peas, Kings of Leon, Linkin Park, etc). That’s probably why Daughtry and Cook have seen the success they have, especially Daughtry. The genres where men (without a clear association with a band) rule are hip/hop and country.

Heà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s obviously gay to many of us because heà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s been quite open from when those photos of him kissing his ex-bf first surfaced!

He is obviously gay unless he can find some inventive reasons as to why he finds another guy’s mouth fascinating for exploration with his tongue. I really have no idea if you are arguing for my point or against it – if he was effectively out already, making a public announcement is really largely a formality, yet you are trying to make it sound daring. Those who don’t like him already “knew” he is gay (and may dislike him because of it), it makes not the slightest bit of difference to them if he publicly announced it or not, but those who like him may feel let down by him being weasly about his obvious homosexuality. He has therefore everything to gain and nothing to lose. What’s the risk?

You never answered my question. Who exactly did this at the start of their budding pop career in America?

If you don’t think Rufus Wainwright is a pop singer (and why not? and I take it that you also think the more rock Linda Perry doesn’t count), then as I said, it doesn’t matter, if it’s not him, it would be someone else, there is no longer anything special about singers declaring their sexuality publicly.

Why would you think that those who fear homosexuality would even think of buying his album anyway since it is obvious he is gay? Did Madonna worry about offending the Bible thumping God-fearing crowd when she was cavorting like a virgin? Of course not, she was appealing to a different market from those people, and Adam WILL be doing the same. He will never appeal to those gay-fearing crowd because of those pictures, public announcement or no public announcement. And it also makes your point about “middle America” (whatever that you are trying to mean) moot because it is obvious who he is unless you think those of “middle America” are too dumb to understand what pictures of guys sticking their tongues down each other’s throat means.

Yesterday Kelly performed at B96 SummerBash (radio concert)

Heres an interview backstage, Kelly gets asked about Adam but she gets a little confused

Not in reference to only the Adam winner comment, but good Lord, she does not interview well at all – what a ditz.

I kind of agree. I’m not sure about the quality of the albums but if you look at the CHR charts and album charts, woman and bands rule. And the only place where men make it on Top 40 is hip/hop. There are maybe one or two rare exceptions with singer/songwriters types. But there isn’t one male on the current Top 40 chart who does pop written by others who isn’t hip hop. And I have never heard of a male artist who has achieved success in dance/electronic music who isn’t also a hip/hop artist like Justin Timberlake. It’s a genre completely dominated by females.

Allison (objectively) has the biggest chance of radio success. Kris could do it with the right song ala John Mayer. However, his chance of success would go up 1,000% if he put out country flavored stuff. Adam will have the biggest challenge making it as a pop/rock/dance artist. Although they may try for the older female audience of AC/HAC where Cook has had some success

And I have never heard of a male artist who has achieved success in dance/electronic music who isnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t also a hip/hop artist like Justin Timberlake. Ità ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s a genre completely dominated by females.

While I agree that it’s hard out there for male solo acts, I don’t think Justin Timberlake is a hip/hop artist. He’s had hip/hop artists guest on his CDs. He’s pop/r&b.

However, marriage equality advocates ARE using the term in a geographic sense to advance their cause to the rest of the nation.

Bad strategy, if that’s the case. I would appeal to the basic human rights issue. Not “middle america” vs the east and west coasts. Especially since Iowa and some NE states are doing a lot more than, say, CA.

Justin is one of the only white males that gets played on rhythmic stations so while he may be pop his association w/hip hop artist has paid off for him.
It’s hard for me to imagine Kris or Adam getting played on Top 40 radio these days. And very easy for me to imagine Allison getting alot of play. But they’ll probably do well on HAC/AC where Cook does well. It’s pretty impossible for anyone from Idol to get played on rock radio.

There’s a rumor from twitter that kris is at a fray concert on the east-coast with katy.

I probably said I couldn’t hear Archie or Jordin getting played on top 40 until I heard their records. I guess I’ll choose to wait and listen before I make bold predictions.

That said, I have always thought Allison was marketable, and I voted for her as well.

I also never thought we had a male rocker on show this year. That term is used very loosely.

And I have never heard of a male artist who has achieved success in dance/electronic music who isnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t also a hip/hop artist like Justin Timberlake.

Errrm, Moby?

Well, Archie and Jordin are teens. And teens do really well these days on the radio. Another reason Allison should do well. Obviously, my predictions are pretty worthless. I’m really just commenting on what is popular today. In 6 months times, things could be different. Plus Kris and Adam could have great songs. Anything is possible.

Errrm, Moby?

One example of many. But I think we’re defining “success” in terms of Top 40 radio play, which to me is pretty bizarre.

Has Moby sold 1 million albums lately? Because that’s what is expected of an Idol winner. And the runner up needs some solid numbers too. I just think Top 40 is important in creating that Superstar that some people think Adam will become. But obviously you can sell tons of albums without it. Although I don’t see how you become a Pop Superstar without, you know, big pop hits.

Has Moby sold 1 million albums lately?

Not lately, but his album Play sold double platinum (and 10 million worldwide, Wiki is a wonderful thing). He didn’t get much radio play? If that is true I would be curious how he managed to sell that given that people here keep harping on about how radio play sells album.

ETA, I think Kris would do very well if he manages to beat Taylor Hicks in sales, let alone getting anywhere near 1 million. Adam may very well get 1-2 million sales.

Moby last hit big numbers with his 1999 and 2002 albums.

And I have never heard of a male artist who has achieved success in dance/electronic music who isnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t also a hip/hop artist like Justin Timberlake.

The successful dance/electro stars have been pop cross-over artists — Justin Timberlake, BEP, Lady Gaga, Madonna., etc.

Justin does mainly pop, dance-pop and R&B with hip hop influenced production thanks mostly to The Neptunes and Timberland. And he’s collaborated with a lot of people including BEP and Madonna.

Somehow my guess is that Adam is heading in the Justin Timberlake direction, but with a different fusion mix of rock-pop-dance electronica — and some theatrics alla Muse, Twilight and neo-Bowie/Madonna. Just my guess.

Damn. I loved following Danny. But this is the one Ià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢m following:

http://twitter.com/Danny__Gokey

LOL That’s hilarious.

As for radio play, I think all of them will need the exposure, but in many ways I find it to be a dying format when it comes to breaking new artists. At least in the places I’ve lived. Most people I know use Pandora and last.fm to check out new artists (or the internet in general), but radio is for the car (sometimes) — and except for the Top 40 station it tends to not play new music. Most stations seem to be going off the air and being replaced by Spanish music stations. I think they will need catchy tunes for the radio, but in this market that is not the only way to get people to listen.

I might be barking up the wrong tree completely, but I see Adam, after maybe a couple of successful-ish cds, being snapped up for movies – probably movies with musical themes. He’s made for that! And a far larger audience would be tapped then – and internationally.

When you don’t see him part of his magic is lost. I love his voice, but I think what makes him so unusual is the combination of voice, looks and acting ability.

Not lately, but his album Play sold double platinum (and 10 million worldwide, Wiki is a wonderful thing). He didnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t get much radio play? If that is true I would be curious how he managed to sell that given that people here keep harping on about hoe radio play sells album.

Moby sold a ton of albums without having a pop single the charted except “South Side”, his duet with Gwen Stefani which hit #14. That’s it. And I think his radio play was light considering his sales #.

There are a number of bands that have top performing albums and no hit singles, and who drive there sales by touring and online vs. traditional radio. Two examples:

Dave Mathews Band hit #1 Album US/#2 Can with their new release and there’s no hit single and little airplay to support it.

And the Greatful Dead sold a “few” albums almost completely based on tour promotion because they spanned so many genres and their long-format songs were not “radio friendly”. Their first and only BB Mainstream Rock hit was in 1987, “Touch of Grey”.

Regarding potential music album sales for Adam and rest :

Sorry to be technical but below is part of the findings from the research made by CRIA (Canadian Recording Ind. Association). This is part of the North America study . This is also reflective of buying trends in Europe and in the more developed cities in Asia .

As you can see , the 13-17 age group is the biggest buying block for music and this seems to be the current target which 19E has for Adam . This is the block that American Idol had been hoping to get on board as part of its TV Audience but somehow current information show that American Idol still did not increase their TV Audience in the 13-17 age bracket.

The 13-17 years old buying block is followed closely by the 18-24 group. This is the block that also do not seem to care about all this gay issue. You can see that from the MTV random street interviews regarding their reaction to Adam’s “coming out”.

It would be interesting to check who buys more in this age block- the young teen age male or the female. I would tend to think the male. The teen age female spread their budget to vanity items like fashion , the males mostly are in the music, video games, gadgets .

If you check ITunes now à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬’ Adamà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s KISS Music Video has gone up in ranking since the Rolling Stone issue and all this media hoopla . All rest of his Music Video are going steady and the ballads are lower in ranking. Adamà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s Album sales went up also . Though , Mad World single went down.

Well time will tell who makes it. So far Adam seems to have a good chance, Because of the dance music direction mentioned in the press releases for his new album plus his music videos are still consistently selling. As you will note price is an important reason for reduction in volume of buying music. With the Music video priced close to the singles, it is coming out to be of great value . With iPhones . ipods and other gadgets that one can store and view music videos. It will not be a surprise that music video download sales will surpass the single song download pretty soon.

We will know before this year ends who will emerge as the true popular idol.

FROM CRIA :

* The 13 to 17 year old demographic also happens to be the largest purchasing group of music, buying an average of 11.6 music CDs or DVDs in the past six months. Close behind are the 18 to 24 age group at 10.9 music CDs or DVDs. By comparison, the older demographics may not download much music but they don’t buy much either. The 55 – 64 age group bought 4.2 music CDs or DVDs, while the 65 and up age group bought 2.8 music CDs or DVDs (page 92).
* As for music buying trends, the study also asked whether purchasing patterns had increased or decreased over the previous year. The data was inconclusive with 28% buying more, 35% buying less, and 37% saying they didn’t know (page 93).

* More interestingly, the survey also asked why people bought less. Only 10% of respondents cited the availability of music downloads. Instead, people cited a long list of alternatives that have nothing to do with downloading including price (16%), nothing of interest (14%), lack of time (13%), collection is big enough (9%), don’t buy (7%), listen to radio (7%), change in tastes (6%), no CD player (3%), have an MP3 player (2%), lack of opportunity to buy (2%), watch more tv (2%), age (1%), only buy what I like (1%). Simply put, P2P simply is not a major factor behind decisions to buy less music (page 95).

I don’t think there is any way to accurately predict what any of these idols will sell. To say that anyone will sell 1 or 2 million cds before even hearing a note is based on what? I think that “buzz” does not equal album sales. If it did, Paris Hilton would be a much bigger singing sensation than she is. That’s not to say that it can’t happen for Adam, Kris, Allison or any of these guys. It’s just too early to speculate, IMO.

Moby sold a ton of albums without having a pop single the charted except à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“South Sideà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ , his duet with Gwen Stefani which hit #14. Thatà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s it. And I think his radio play was light considering his sales #.

Moby got a lot of play on my local adult alternative station. However, I believe he kind of invented a new business model in which he sold his songs to various companies for advertising on tv/radio. This made his songs familiar and then people bought the album. Pretty successful strategy. I don’t think he really cares if he has a “Top 40″ hit. He’s pretty much set for life.

ETA:

Play was the first album ever to have all of its tracks licensed for use in movies, television shows, or commercials.[1] One of the more notable commercials featured golfer Tiger Woods playing a round of golf around New York City to the tune of “Find My Baby”, but countless other uses of the album’s songs are documented. Moby did not individually approve each commercial use, but it is unknown what sort of financial arrangement, if any, was reached. According to Wired magazine, the songs on Play “have been sold hundreds of times… a licensing venture so staggeringly lucrative that the album was a financial success months before it reached its multi-platinum sales total.”

At the time the album came out, Moby explained that he licensed the songs because it was the only way he could get the music heard.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Play_(Moby_album)

There is no risk. He is obviously gay, not announcing the fact would be worse and alienate far more people. The people who donà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t like him wouldnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t have voted for him or buy his albums, that has always been true for ALL idols, gay or not gay.

Of course there was career risk for Adam in being so open about his sexuality. Most artists have chosen to deny they’re gay for years or at least declined to discuss the subject.

And, no, Adam’s position is not the same as other past Idol contendors. What kind of hate did David Cook, David A., Kris, Taylor, Jordan, Blake, etc. face? For the past 30 days, 3% of the twitter comments about Adam are about how people hate him because he’s gay. Take a look at the comments on any TMZ Adam article, and you’ll find people spewing hate. It may be a small minority, but “hate” is different than not liking someone’s music and deciding not to buy his albums.

Sorry, but I don’t buy that this was an easy decision. I am pleased Adam had the courage to be open and that it has been very well received, but I am not so naive to believe this is an easy path.

Bad strategy, if thatà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s the case. I would appeal to the basic human rights issue. Not à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“middle americaà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬  vs the east and west coasts. Especially since Iowa and some NE states are doing a lot more than, say, CA.

Oh come on now PJ…you know that both of us drive around with Rush stickers on our cars while living here in “Middle America”

I’m half-way through the posts and I just have to comment on the “rockstar” comment. I don’t think Adam sees himself as some major undiscovered rocker. Adam likes to entertain. He likes to play a part. He gets to dress up and act like a “rocker”. He could have said “pop star” and he would have meant the same thing. It’s all fun for him. I can see where some people might take him literally, but he knows this is just the beginning of his public career. He gets to wear costumes and have fun! That’s all I got from it.

AOL weighs in on Danny’s career and third place finishers on Idol overall.
It’s not a pretty picture.

http://www.popeater.com/music/article/danny-gokey-no-record-deal/525242?icid=main|hp-laptop|dl2|link3|http://www.popeater.com/music/article/danny-gokey-no-record-deal/525242

That’s interesting about Moby but makes his success rather unique. Current successes like Gaga and Katy Perry are making it off huge Top 40 hits.

“Interesting takes on the use of the term à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Rock starà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬  from lots of people, I guess when Ià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ve heard it from Adam Ià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ve always heard it as him saying it more with the wonder and awe of a little kid (all in quotes) that excitement of growing up dreaming about being a à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“rock starà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬  and now getting a chance to sing and put on a show for people as an actual career. Ià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ve never really taken it as him putting himself into an actual pantheon of Rock Gods, he has said himself that he knows he is the new kid on the block. Just my opinion.”

Well I got half way down the posts but I should have kept reading before my post. I 1000% agree with you…….

Of course there was career risk for Adam in being so open about his sexuality. Most artists have chosen to deny theyà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢re gay for years or at least declined to discuss the subject.

The pictures are out there, he can either
1) Deny and explain away why he was kissing another guy – won’t work, it’ll just make him look dishonest.
2) Ignore and hope it will go away – won’t work, the pictures will follow him everywhere.
3) Admit it – the only way option left for him.

It may be a small minority, but à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“hateà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬  is different than not liking someoneà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s music and deciding not to buy his albums.

I don’t see the distinction. Only sales (i.e. those who like you enough to buy your music) count.

And yes, hatred for other idols are still out there (you will still find hateful comments about David Cook on various websites for instance). It’s no different for Adam, him being gay is just another excuse by those who don’t like him to pile on the hate.

adam’s album on itunes went up from #33 overall yesterday to #31 today….go PR!

Oh come on now PJà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ ¦you know that both of us drive around with Rush stickers on our cars while living here in à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Middle Americaà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ 

Umm… I was afraid to tell you. I love that drug-addicted hypocritical asshole. Will you still be my friend?

As for Adam, I agree he had to “admit” it. There was no other option given the circumstances. I also think he had no problem revealing it (perhaps a better word?). I think what matters now is the music, and that could go either way. I am hopeful that it’s kick ass.

He is obviously gay unless he can find some inventive reasons as to why he finds another guyà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s mouth fascinating for exploration with his tongue. I really have no idea if you are arguing for my point or against it – if he was effectively out already, making a public announcement is really largely a formality, yet you are trying to make it sound daring.

I think you miss my point (or my point was poorly made… whatever). The public announcement was largely a non-event, imo, yet necessary to get the media off his back, so to speak about the issue. As for the pics and being out already, there’s a difference between openly gay as a no-name chorus boy in Wicked vs being the openly gay AI runner up trying to jumpstart a Top 40 music career. Anderson Cooper is widely known to be gay yet the mainstream media all tiptoe around the issue and will not address it because HE has not.

If you donà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t think Rufus Wainwright is a pop singer (and why not? and I take it that you also think the more rock Linda Perry doesnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t count), then as I said, it doesnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t matter, if ità ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s not him, it would be someone else, there is no longer anything special about singers declaring their sexuality publicly.

Rufus Wainwright is certainly pop while Linda Perry is probably pop-rock (rock-pop?). If both came out at the start of their careers, then you’re right that Adam isn’t the first. Though I’m not sure either could be consider mainstream Top 40 radio pop, which I understand is Adam’s goal.

Adam himself probably agrees with you that there’s nothing special about his declaration of being gay. I kind of hope that you and he are right, however reality doesn’t necessarily follow logic.

Why would you think that those who fear homosexuality would even think of buying his album anyway since it is obvious he is gay?

Oh agreed, I don’t think the homophobes would buy his album. The real challenge may in getting to as wide an audience as possible. A band like Scissor Sisters is a huge success in the UK and Europe but outside of the dance charts, can’t get much airplay in the U.S. Wal-Mart refused to stock their debut CD, apparently because of “coarse language” (don’t know if things changed with their 2nd CD).

Did Madonna worry about offending the Bible thumping God-fearing crowd when she was cavorting like a virgin? Of course not, she was appealing to a different market from those people, and Adam WILL be doing the same.

Madonna took risks during her early career and they paid off. I’m just saying Adam’s current situation, even with the changing social attitudes, is not completely risk-free. Ultimately, it depends on whether his music is any good.

I’d love to know the percentage of hate filled comments on Gokey’s videos,web sites, twitter. I bet it’s way more than 3%. Or even 30%.

Yes many groups have sold albums without radio play. I just have never known a single artist off Idol to sell multi platinum albums without getting significant radio exposure. But I guess someone from the show can try to sell albums without it. Good luck.

Ià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢d love to know the percentage of hate filled comments on Gokeyà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s videos, twitter sites. I bet ità ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s way more than 3%. Or even 30%. He even has a phoney but funny twitter site that mocks him

Yes, I love that twitter and posted a link above. I’m not above a little snark, but I don’t think I’ve ever quite “hated” on him. I even have defended him on occasion. LOL. That doesn’t make the twitter any less funny. I’d read a fake Adam or Allison twitter if it were that funny. Instead, most of the other fake twitters try to be believable.

Besides, didn’t Danny kind of bring it on himself with the pimping of the dead wife? Yes, some find that distasteful.

“And yes, hatred for other idols are still out there (you will still find hateful comments about David Cook on various websites for instance).”

Who the heck hates DC? That’s a rhetorical question. I don’t really want to know the answer. LOL. I don’t get “hate” as an adjective in reference to a person someone doesn’t personally know. That’s crazy making….

Anderson Cooper is gay??? Why isn’t he being harrassed by questions????

Seriously, I don’t want Anderson to be harrassed by questions. And I don’t want Adam to be harrassed. I like Anderson for his reporting style and bravery. So please, media, give Adam a break. His fans love his voice and charisma.

I love the fake Danny Gokey twitter thing too. It’s hilarious. I just think that at least on the Internet, Danny’s had his fair share of people hating on him — justified or not.

Anderson Cooper is gay??? Why isnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t he being harrassed by questions????

I donà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t want him to be(I mean I donà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t want Anderson to be harrassed). But please, media, give Adam a break. His fans love his voice and charisma.

Just like I like Anderson for his reporting style and bravery.

Anderson is a great reporter and doesn’t take any BS. I’m sure if the “media” tried to confront him on this, he would turn the tables on them.

I do think the stories on Adam’s sexuality have run their course. Now it will be about the tour. I am very excited to read the reviews. I believe we get actual music critics and not TV critics writing about the concert? YES?

I am so hoping they don’t have a crappy budget for stage settings, etc. This will be my first AI concert, so I have nothing to compare it to.

I just have never known a single artist off Idol to sell multi platinum albums without getting significant radio exposure.

Clay Aiken?

Yesterday Kelly performed at B96 SummerBash (radio concert)

Heres an interview backstage, Kelly gets asked about Adam but she gets a little confused

It’s hard to realize Kelly and Adam are the same age because it seems she has been doing this for such a long time. I love her voice and singing, but I can just take so much of her talking. She is bubbly, but not particularly articulate like Adam.

I love the fake Danny Gokey twitter thing too. Ità ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s hilarious. I just think that at least on the Internet, Dannyà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s had his fair share of people hating on him à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬’  justified or not.

Yup. He has.

I just have never known a single artist off Idol to sell multi platinum albums without getting significant radio exposure.

Clay Aiken?

Lots of hype and curiosity perhaps? Oh, and lack of pervasive illegal downloads at that time? It’s more difficult now. The novelty has worn off AI and music is easy to get for free.

If it turns out Adam is hurt by publically coming out, he will still be hugely successful around the rest of the world. That means I would have to travel great distances to see him perform. I seriously would work my vacations around that.

Ià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢d love to know the percentage of hate filled comments on Gokeyà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s videos,web sites, twitter. I bet ità ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s way more than 3%. Or even 30%.

I just looked for the first time expecting to find negative comments about Danny — and I was pleasantly surprised. The volume of Gokey comments on twitter is relatively low, but negative comments are almost non-existant. And the handful of negative comments that exist are mostly about not liking his voice, dancing, clothes — but not about hating him.

Since March, Gokey total comments (all sources including twitter) are 16% of the Adam volume. For the last 30 days there has been 16.5 Adam Lambert related Google Searches for every 1 Danny search. There’s just not a lot of noise related to Danny.

Ià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢d love to know the percentage of hate filled comments on Gokeyà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s videos,web sites, twitter. I bet ità ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s way more than 3%. Or even 30%.

Yeah, Gokey was definitely a punching bag. Still, that twitter is pretty darn funny.

Yes many groups have sold albums without radio play. I just have never known a single artist off Idol to sell multi platinum albums without getting significant radio exposure. But I guess someone from the show can try to sell albums without it. Good luck.

It’s hard for most artists to go multi-platinum anyway, let alone Idol artists. I know that Kris, Adam and Allison are going to need radio-friendly singles to sell well, but I still find it to be a dying format since there are only a few stations in my area that play new music. It does tend to be the same few songs, so good for whoever that is (Lady Gaga, mainly).

ETA:

Oh, and lack of pervasive illegal downloads at that time?

That’s definitely a major factor. Not even just illegal downloads, but easily sharing music with friends (in forms sturdier than mix tapes). I am an avid music buyer, yet I still get copies of things off my friends. A lot of people I know don’t see anything wrong with illegally downloading music either.

Anderson Cooper is gay??? Why isnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t he being harrassed by questions????

He’s been asked the question a lot. Independent news media and Out Magazine have said Anderson Cooper is gay, but he has consistently refused to answer the question:

When asked about his sexuality he stated “I understand why people might be interested. But I just donà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t talk about my personal life. Ità ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s a decision I made a long time ago, before I ever even knew anyone would be interested in my personal life. The whole thing about being a reporter is that you’re supposed to be an observer and to be able to adapt with any group youà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢re in, and I donà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t want to do anything that threatens that.”

When are they cracking down on eBay items? It’s a shame Adam isn’t getting a piece of the action. He has 1285, Kris 276 and Danny 57 postings.

OK, I just checked again, and the two Davids still have stuff on there. They are both equal at 338 each (interesting).

Many Rolling Stone magazines being auctioned.

Hazehel

if he was effectively out already, making a public announcement is really largely a formality, yet you are trying to make it sound daring. … He has therefore everything to gain and nothing to lose. Whatà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s the risk?

He was personally out, yet not publicly out, and there is a difference. He could have ignored the pictures, and yes, there would have been digs in the mainstream media (remember, “maybe gay” from the LA Times) and outright accusations from the gay police and the tabloids, but as RemusL pointed out, the mainstream press would have continued to tip toe around the issue (See excellent example: Anderson Cooper). He could have continued to play the androgyny card, which has been discussed ad naseum on this site and that certainly has been done before by successful artists. But to have an artist who has just signed with a major label publicly state before his career has even started that he is gay? No, I don’t think there is precedent in terms of someone who later achieved mainstream success, and no, I don’t think Rufus Wainwright (cult favorite, critical acclaim, no real commercial success is the US) or Linda Perry fit the bill. So yes, I think Adam has plenty to lose and I agree with so many others here (and respectfully disagree with you) that he is quite courageous and incredibly special.

And yes, hatred for other idols are still out there (you will still find hateful comments about David Cook on various websites for instance). Ità ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s no different for Adam, him being gay is just another excuse by those who donà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t like him to pile on the hate.

Nobody hates David Cook. There aren’t even many negative comments about David Cook online or on Twitter. And based on monitored consumer-generated content from approximately 70 million blogs over the past 12 months, David Cook comments have been strongly positive.

As a baby boomer, who grew up in the 60′s, I have felt very disheartened about music for the past 2-3 decades. Since the 80′s, it has seemed to me to be more about making money than making beautiful, memorable songs. Much of the melody has been lost in the search of a “beat” to dance to.

I am very much hoping that Adam will take note of his successes on Idol and do songs that are a mixture of the old style rock and roll that has great melodies, ballads that leave you in tears because your heart is touched, and dance songs that make you get up and move. If he is (1) able and (2) willing to do this, I think he will be a fantastic success.

There are many others like me that have, frankly, been bored with much that’s been released lately. Save for some few true renegades, such as Amy Winehouse, Jason Mraz, and John Mayer – the music has frequently sounded over-produced and vanilla. I miss the old hard beats of rock and roll – like “Light my Fire”, “White Rabbit”, “Break Another Little Piece of My Heart” – songs that moved you emotionally and physically. When he stripped down “If I Can’t Have You” and “Tracks of my Tears” – they were truly amazing, mind-boggling performances that left me craving more. But I adored “Whole Lotta Love” and “Born to Be Wild” too – for their high octane level of energy.

We all know Adam has a fantastic voice, stage presence, incredible dance moves (check out “Crazy” at Art4Life on YouTube), and sexual energy oozing out of every pore. As far as his future success goes — I think it will mostly depend on the quality of songs that Adam records. I’m hoping that he’ll stick to his guns and not produce boring, non-memorable, milquetoast songs. In one of his interviews he talked about this – that it’s ultimately the song that is or isn’t remembered. Having been a huge fan of the Beatles – and their numerous beautiful songs that can still move me to tears – I’m hoping he’ll have that quality of writing for his first album. If so, then I predict it will a HUGE success.

When asked about his sexuality he stated à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“I understand why people might be interested. But I just donà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t talk about my personal life. Ità ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s a decision I made a long time ago, before I ever even knew anyone would be interested in my personal life. The whole thing about being a reporter is that youà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢re supposed to be an observer and to be able to adapt with any group youà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢re in, and I donà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t want to do anything that threatens that.à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ 

See, that’s the thing. Anybody should be able to make the choice about what they will and will not share about themselves to the world. Anderson lives his life how he wants to, and doesn’t talk about his relationships in the media. There are a lot of famous people who won’t answer relationship questions. That should be an acceptable path too.

Also – it’s no small thing that Anderson is a fucking Vanderbilt. Those old money peeps don’t talk about that kind of stuff. They probably don’t even admit to having sex, let alone who they’re having it with.

http://integrallife.com/member/rebecca-bailin/blog/tetra-hot-integral-hermeneutics-adam-lambert

Save for some few true renegades, such as Amy Winehouse, Jason Mraz, and John Mayer –

Gen X here, and now I know that is effing old. None of them are really renegades to me. I will also argue that there’s plenty of quality music out there today, and most of it doesn’t hit the Top 40. It’s there if you care to look for it. I randomly turned on the radio today and The Raconteurs came on with “Salute Your Solution.” I heart Jack White. Totally awesome rock song.

Was disturbed by my nephew who turned on the Seether/Nickleback/Hinder XM station, though. LOL.

When asked about his sexuality he stated à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“I understand why people might be interested. But I just donà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t talk about my personal life. Ità ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s a decision I made a long time ago, before I ever even knew anyone would be interested in my personal life. The whole thing about being a reporter is that youà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢re supposed to be an observer and to be able to adapt with any group youà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢re in, and I donà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t want to do anything that threatens that.à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ 

However, in his memoir “Dispatches From The Edge”, AC did delve into his personal life extensively (including his brother’s suicide) except anything to do with his romantic life. When he substitutes for Regis, he and Kelly Ripa do banter back and forth about things happening in their lives outside of work (he has a fascination for reality shows, especially the Real Housewives series and My Super Sweet 16). So when he says he doesn’t talk about his personal life, he’s being disingenuous at best, if not outright hypocritical.

When he substitutes for Regis, he and Kelly Ripa do banter back and forth about things happening in their lives outside of work (he has a fascination for reality shows, especially the Real Housewives series and My Super Sweet 16). So when he says he doesnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t talk about his personal life, heà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s being disingenuous at best, if not outright hypocritical.

How is it hypocritical for him not to want to talk about his own personal life? If he’s commenting on others who put there personal lives out there, isn’t that fair game? If there was a reality show featuring him, I would see your point.

Well I never, ever heard the Anderson Cooper gay rumors. Guess what? I still like the guy. If I didn’t love him for his reporting I’d be interested in his baby face and premature gray hair??!! Ha Ha! Seriously, I love the guy as a reporter. The whole Vanderbilt backstory, interesting, but I love Anderson, at least the guy I see on t.v.

But Anderson isn’t oozing sex as he reports the news. Adam when he is singing is another story. So maybe that is why the question is asked. Still Adam is sexy and talented and that’s all I care about. Really!!!!

pj
Jun 15th, 2009 at 12:30 am
Save for some few true renegades, such as Amy Winehouse, Jason Mraz, and John Mayer -

Gen X here, and now I know that is effing old. None of them are really renegades to me. I will also argue that thereà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s plenty of quality music out there today, and most of it doesnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t hit the Top 40. Ità ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s there if you care to look for it. I randomly turned on the radio today and The Raconteurs came on with à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Salute Your Solution.à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬  I heart Jack White. Totally awesome rock song.

Was disturbed by my nephew who turned on the Seether/Nickleback/Hinder XM station, though. LOL.

PJ, as a fellow generation Xer may I recommend that you check out Kasabian’s latest album “West Ryder Pauper Lunatic Asylum” I think you might like it.

Gen X here, and now I know that is effing old. None of them are really renegades to me. I will also argue that thereà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s plenty of quality music out there today, and most of it doesnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t hit the Top 40. Ità ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s there if you care to look for it. I randomly turned on the radio today and The Raconteurs came on with à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Salute Your Solution.à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬  I heart Jack White. Totally awesome rock song.

Was disturbed by my nephew who turned on the Seether/Nickleback/Hinder XM station, though. LOL.

Ià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢m apparently at the tail end of Gen X (for the longest time they considered my birth year part of the gap between X and Y, so I was generationless!) and I have to agree. It’s really hard to find anything interesting on the radio, in my opinion. A lot of music is niche or hard to stick in one genre, so it gets little play. It’s out there though. Some of my favorite acts I discovered opening for another band/artist.

Seether/Nickleback/Hinder makes me shudder though. I meet your disturbed feelings!

Thatà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s definitely a major factor. Not even just illegal downloads, but easily sharing music with friends (in forms sturdier than mix tapes). I am an avid music buyer, yet I still get copies of things off my friends. A lot of people I know donà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t see anything wrong with illegally downloading music either.

MJ…pardon me for jumping on my soapbox for a moment….

When you ILLEGALLY download music or copy someone else’s cd’s, you are STEALING. You are a thief. No if and’s or buts about it. I work in the music business and I see what the direct impact this has on songwriters. Regardless if you tell yourself that it’s only 1 song or only 1 album. Multiply that by 100′s if not 1000′s of people and it adds up real quick. How would you like to work for something, spend hours and money to create something only to have someone take it without compensating you for your work??? Bet you’d be pretty fucking pissed off. Welcome to the life of a songwriter and/or perfomer.

Pay for your music peeps. The artist will thank you.

PJ, as a fellow generation Xer may I recommend that you check out Kasabianà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s latest album à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“West Ryder Pauper Lunatic Asylumà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬  I think you might like it.

I love suggestions, and I will check it out. Thanks, Sunn!

Ià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢m apparently at the tail end of Gen X (for the longest time they considered my birth year part of the gap between X and Y, so I was generationless!) and I have to agree.

Calliope, you cannot be defined. You kick ass. I enjoy your posts, btw.

ETA: Bax, I agree. I always buy my music. But I think the industry has to come up with a new model to support the artists. It’s not working as it stands.

How is it hypocritical for him not to want to talk about his own personal life? If heà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s commenting on others who put there personal lives out there, isnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t that fair game? If there was a reality show featuring him, I would see your point.

Personally, I think it’s his own business. However, he did write that memoir which is full of details on his personal life except in that one area. That’s what I meant by hypocritical. He himself gave the public the opening to ask so he cannot very well invoke the “objective reporter” argument. He should have stuck to “I like to keep that area of my life private but I appreciate your interest all the same”.

I was annoyed when the judges kept telling him early on that he should lose the guitar, before they finally realized the guitar (or sometimes the keyboards) was necessary to bring out the full extent of his ability. It would be like asking Adam to not use his full vocal range, that 60% ought to be sufficient. If that were the case, the resulting performance would sound very different.

Hmmm, that’s interesting because I personally loved Kris’s vocal on both “Falling Slowly” and “To Make Me Feel Your Love” which iirc, were done w/o instruments. Granted using the instruments make Kris a standout, but his voice to me is ‘standout’ whether he used the instruments or not. This is where his beautiful clear, pure tone came into play for me. LOL, in fact, since I love his voice so much, when he went into the studio and didn’t always have the Kris ‘twist’ to the recordings, I still was able to appreciate his artistry and voice a great deal. (Moreso than I expected.) I guess, as a fan, I could go on and on about how I think his voice will stand out on the radio, but I’ll stop.

ETA: “Ià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢m apparently at the tail end of Gen X (for the longest time they considered my birth year part of the gap between X and Y, so I was generationless!) and I have to agree.”

This made me smile because I was born in ’64 the last yr. in a generation (old, baby boomer, lol), but would consider myself baby boomer in my musical preference for sure. (Perhaps some may not think that ’64 is so solidly a part of that generation.) So I would say, claim the generation where you think you would fit the best.

ETAA: Oh and if you want to claim both, that’s great!

ETA: Bax, I agree. I always buy my music. But I think the industry has to come up with a new model to support the artists. Ità ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s not working as it stands.

Oh PJ how I agree with you. THey do need to fix the system. How I have no idea, but something needs to be done. Unfortunately, until that time arrives, this is the only system we have and I wish people would understand what happens when they steal music. And thanks bunches for paying for your music.

linda2u I agree completely. And I have some hope that we get a decent first Adam album. I think that Adam understands that he’s got one big shot at this. And I think he will do what it takes to get a quality product.

On the plus side:
Adam has already broken some new AI ground. I’ve watched AI for years, and Adam was the first one to really stage his performances. He knows how to collaborate with professionals — Miles Siggins (stylist), production crew, Michael Orland (accompanist, arranger), Ricky & the band, etc. all said that it was a pleasure to work with Adam. Things do change at 19 – I read many “expert” opinions that said that 19 was calling the PR shots regarding Adam not responding to the questions about his sexuality — and it turned out that they left the choice up to Adam. Adam had the guts to make the rhinestone yarmulke comment to Barry Weiss, Chairman and CEO of the BMG Label Group, so I think he has enough guts to push back against some producers. Finally, since Barry Weiss has replaced Clie Davis, maybe they’ll give the Idols some more creative freedom.

On the negative side:
Adam does seem to like to make TPTB happy. For example, he said he was dueting with a really cool band and then it turned out to be Kiss, a band he admittes later that he never really liked. (Another plus, he has good taste.) He was intimidated by Madonna, so clearly he isn’t fearless. Most Idols first albums are disappointing and “manufactured”. There are probably more negatives but I don’t like to be negative!

My conclusion: I like and own most of Adam’s AI recordings — love most. The handful I don’t love have sound mix issues (Crying Live) or Adam just when a bit too OTT for me (One Live). I also like most of his pre-Idol recordings. “Come to Me, Bend to Me” from ” Brigadoon is a recording of a live stage performance, and it’s amazing. So, I will maintain my optimism that we’ll get a good album; and I’ll probably love it if he sings the phone book — as long as it’s not autotuned.

Also – ità ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s no small thing that Anderson is a fucking Vanderbilt. Those old money peeps donà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t talk about that kind of stuff. They probably donà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t even admit to having sex, let alone who theyà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢re having it with.

Except, of course, for his mother!! The original tabloid queen!

Calliope, you cannot be defined. You kick ass. I enjoy your posts, btw.

Why thank you, PJ! I enjoy yours as well (lovefest going on).

(Randomly, sometimes I am considered Gen Y, but I’d rather be associated with 90′s alt-rock than 90′s boybands lol).

And baxter, I agree with you about supporting the artists. I buy tons of music, but if a friend burns me a copy of something I might like I am not going to say no to that.

However, I do think illegally downloading music is not the right thing to do, but I don’t discount that as being a huge part in why sales are down. I’m not saying it is right, but a lot of people I know don’t see anything wrong with getting music illegally which hurts the artists. It’s why I think they are trying new ways to figure out popularity (youtube hits, media, etc. — with Lady GaGa’s press you would think she has sold more than she truly has) and why live shows are a major part of an artist now (you have to pay if you want to see that).

Personally, I think ità ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s his own business. However, he did write that memoir which is full of details on his personal life except in that one area. Thatà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s what I meant by hypocritical.

I think you might be arguing semantics here. It’s hard to just take a couple of quotes and sum up a person’s thinking on a subject. It’s possible that what he meant when he said “personal life” was his relationships. Not necessarily “I will never speak of anything outside of my reporting”.

Lots of people in the public eye will talk about all kinds of tidbits from their life, but won’t comment on who they’re dating. Plus, being on the cover of magazines with someone he’s dating would be a distraction to his career as a journalist.

I think he was probably using the term “personal life” in the context of “relationships” like many people do. Not necessarily inclusive of all aspects of his life. Many people will share stories of their lives with their friends, yet won’t tell them the intimate details of their sex lives. We should all get to set our own boundaries.

I haven’t listened to Top 40 radio since I was 14. And with XM/Sirus, Pandora, Lala, etc. I don’t think I’ve listened to Terrestrial (land based) radio for a couple of years. But, I live in a rural area where the airwave are filled with country and religious stations, so there isn’t much reason for me to listen.

And, although there is a lot of great music, there is even more mediocre stuff out there. Last year over 430,000 different albums sold at least one copy online. That a lot of music choice. On top of that, many of the top sellers have autotuned, electronicly manipulated vocals. I’d love it if they labeled natural vs. synthetic vocals — like fabric.

Hmmm, thatà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s interesting because I personally loved Krisà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s vocal on both à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Falling Slowlyà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬  and à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“To Make Me Feel Your Loveà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬  which iirc, were done w/o instruments.

My two favorite Kris performances, too. But I also really like him with the guitar. Piano, not as much.

Well, one of my all time faves Ani DiFranco bucked the system years ago. She’s made money, has her own label, and is active with important charities. If there’s ever a conference about how to restructure the industry to support artists, I hope they invite her.

twitter.com/kenbakernow (i think he works at E!) has some interesting tidbits on adam’s cd

Yes, Adam album due by end of year..RT @Jennao5 @kenbakernow yayyy!! I can’t wait to Buy that album. It will be out this Fall 09 right?
39 minutes ago from mobile web

Adam is in the recording studio now in fact!
about 1 hour ago from mobile web

wow, A LOT of people care about Adam. im hearing a lotta his songs are “Queen inspired”
about 1 hour ago from mobile web

do you guys care to know more about adam lambert? what do you want to know??
about 1 hour ago from mobile web

Interesting article posted by GeminiDolly.

Yes Adam seem to disengage himself from the performing persona after the music stops. He gives off a laugh and seem to show the – OMG ,what did I just do – look . In spite of all that sneering and sexy stares, he still comes across as that kid you would enjoy having dinner with your family. Nothing sinister about him.

The seeming brazen candor on the Rolling Stone article and the vulnerable, almost shy Adam in the 20/20 TV interview seem to represent what we saw on the actual stage à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬’ the performing rock star persona à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬’ and then the down to earth back to the world almost timid yet fun loving kid ,once the performance is done.

Interesting à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬’ this continue to hook and haunt a lot of people. And as you can see from the continuing and increasing iTunes sales , I think this media blitz may be catching those who did not see the TV run .

This just shows that Adam and 19E are full speed into launching his career.

It also looks like its just Adam and Kris who have additional guest appearances in shows for the next few months.

As for the other finalists à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬’ it will probably be the concert tour that will be their forum.

So guys , those who are going to the Live concert- do let us know who you think will best benefit from the Live concert tour. Who will hook people further into looking forward to buying their album and following their music careers . And who will disappoint. The first concert date is coming up soon.

“Ià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢m apparently at the tail end of Gen X (for the longest time they considered my birth year part of the gap between X and Y, so I was generationless!) ”

Welcome to 1964 (as a birth year). Boomers without benefits. (I should copyright that– very catchy. LOL). Anyway, we did what everyone told us to do, but it didn’t necessarily work out the way our parents told us. 1964 seems to be a weird birth year to me. Or I’m just weird. True….

And could someone tell me how to make the big quotation marks when quoting someone????

There is a new article up at Broadway.com about some of the people who worked with Adam in various shows and their opinions of him. It’s really interesting to read what some current Broadway performers think of him and his abilities.

http://www.broadway.com/buzz/news_feature_detail.aspx?id=5023163&p=1

Well, one of my all time faves Ani DiFranco bucked the system years ago. Sheà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s made money, has her own label, and is active with important charities. If thereà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s ever a conference about how to restructure the industry to support artists, I hope they invite her.

Patrick Wolf, one of my current favorite artists, sent emails regarding something called “band stock” where you buy them for that artist as an investment, it cuts down costs for production and you can eventually turn a profit once the album starts getting a profit. You also get the album for free. It was rather interesting (I didn’t participate — I just bought the album), but it seemed rather complicated, yet something new. Granted, Patrick Wolf plays all the instruments on his album, writes his own stuff and produces his music as well, so his costs probably aren’t as crazy as some artists. And I HIGHLY recommend him — he mixes all sorts of genres, rather theatrical/Bowie-like in performance style and wears lots of glitter.

Then you got Radiohead who are big enough to bypass record labels and did a name-your-price download. That was quite the experiment, yet totally only something a band like Radiohead could do.

Ità ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s hard to realize Kelly and Adam are the same age because it seems she has been doing this for such a long time. I love her voice and singing, but I can just take so much of her talking. She is bubbly, but not particularly articulate like Adam.

Yes Kelly is bubbly but she is also very articulate, that interview is backstage at a radio concert, no important questions were asked.

Here’s a short video bite of Kris on EW.com’s Must List Live (he appears about 3:15 in). Have to say, his choice of reading material is very interesting…not exactly light reading!

http://popwatch.ew.com/popwatch/2009/06/must-list-live-true-blood-kris-allentogether-at-last.html

I think you might be arguing semantics here. Ità ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s hard to just take a couple of quotes and sum up a personà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s thinking on a subject. Ità ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s possible that what he meant when he said à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“personal lifeà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬  was his relationships. Not necessarily à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“I will never speak of anything outside of my reportingà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ .

Well, AC definitely talked about the importance of being an observer and not being part of the story in the context of not delving into anything personal. But then he broke that rule with his memoirs which revealed a lot about his family members and his relationships with them. I don’t have a problem with that and the mainstream media doesn’t seem to care one way or the other but I think a segment of the gay community feels he IS being hypocritical.

Anyway, to get things back on topic, I understand AC is a fan of AI, especially the early trainwreck-filled audition episodes. :cool1_tb:

TKat and others talking about Adam’s first album. He said he wants to mix it up. Something to dance to, something to make you feel sexy, something with a lttle edge… Fortunately, Adam can do that, because he can sing anything. I was never so surprised to hear him sing R&B with all those riffs. He also said he wanted to record something that would appeal to people in other parts of the world.

Just saw Adam again on TV. His eyes are just so gorgeous. Can’t remember when I’ve seen eyes like that.

Elephant1212, we want to hear all about Adam. BTW, can they release a single before their album comes out, cuz I can’t wait to the end of the year.

Usually the first single is released well before the actual album drops…time varies, but it seems to be anywhere from a week before to more than a month before

I wonder how they decide which single to release first? I imagine Kris’ single has to come out first.

I do know that the management company said they are spending an equal amount of money and promotion on Adam and Kris. Is that common practice for them?

There is a new article up at Broadway.com about some of the people who worked with Adam in various shows and their opinions of him. Ità ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s really interesting to read what some current Broadway performers think of him and his abilities.

That’s a recycled article, from March or April. I used it as research for my first NYP article on Adam.

Hmmm, thatà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s interesting because I personally loved Krisà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s vocal on both à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Falling Slowlyà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬  and à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“To Make Me Feel Your Loveà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬  which iirc, were done w/o instruments. Granted using the instruments make Kris a standout, but his voice to me is à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢standoutà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ whether he used the instruments or not.

Actually, I do love the vocals on those too. Top 11 week (Grand Ole Opry) was when I really started to appreicate Kris’ voice on that Bob Dylan song, though it wasn’t till Top 9 week (“Ain’t No Sunshine”) that I felt he was a real dark horse contender. “Falling Slowly” had to grow on me a bit but now I find the studio version quite exquisite.

I guess what I’m trying to say is that for Kris, I feel that when he uses his acoustic guitar or the keyboard, the instrument acts like an extension of his vocal repertoire. Depending on the arrangement, he doesn’t necessarily need to use an instrument himself, as long the the background accompaniment isn’t so overbearing (like bandzilla can be at times) that it drowns out the nuances in his voice.

Yesterday Kelly performed at B96 SummerBash (radio concert)

Heres an interview backstage, Kelly gets asked about Adam but she gets a little confused

LOL Looks like she wasn’t in the US during the finale, and when she arrived she probably saw all the talk about Adam, Adam in the covers and thought he was the winner. Ups!

If it turns out Adam is hurt by publically coming out, he will still be hugely successful around the rest of the world.

You seem sure about it. But it’s really difficult for an american who doesn’t have success in America to go and be hugely successful around the rest of the world…

But ità ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s really difficult for an american who doesnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t have success in America to go and be hugely successful around the rest of the worldà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ ¦

Actually, I think it happens more than we might think. Scissor Sisters are superstars in the UK and Europe, yet don’t get much play in the U.S. other than the dance charts. Kings of Leon have been way more popular in the UK as well. The Killers do well in the U.S. but they do even better in the the rest of the world. Even the Backstreet Boys had to go to Europe and Canada first to gain success before coming back home.

just because noone will probably see it.. but I had a big LOL this morning…

DA:

Oh my heck, there are cats outside fighting and they’re really loud! Hush cats! People are trying to sleep! You shouldn’t fight anyway.

girlygirl: per EW, that is NOT exactly light reading! Not surprising, since Kris has been a world traveler. Always revealing when someone says ‘this book changed my life’.

I think there is often a misconception among many people who arenà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t musicians that somehow playing instruments (other than vocals) is more impressive than just being able to sing.

Yes, it is, and no revisionist fan apologetics are going to change that fact. Singing is one skill, whether or not the voice is viewed as an “instrument”. Being able to sing while playing an instrument is being able to perform two skills at once.

In other words, being able to sing and play an instrument puts you twice as far down the road to what Kara refers to ad nauseam as a “package artist”. Or if you want to go back to your classification as the voice as an instrument, it’s like being able to play two instruments at once instead of just one.

Rufus Wainwright is certainly pop while Linda Perry is probably pop-rock (rock-pop?). If both came out at the start of their careers, then youà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢re right that Adam isnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t the first. Though Ià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢m not sure either could be consider mainstream Top 40 radio pop, which I understand is Adamà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s goal.

I think you would need to put in so many qualifiers into your statement about this first publicly self-identified gay singers/bands that it would cease to become meaningful. You would need to say that they must be -

1) Full-blooded Americans – As indicated before, plenty of British rock and pop singers/bands are/were known to be gay (or assumed to be gay, they might actually be bi) when they first started out. Singers/groups/bands like Erasure, Jimmy Sommerville, Kajagoogoo, Frankie Goes To Hollywood, Will Young, Boy George, Marilyn, Dead Or Alive, Marc Almond, it’s a long list and those were just off the top of my head. Special mention here must go to Tom Robinson because although he isn’t known internationally, his “out-and-proud” stance certainly made it easier for later generations of gay British singers to be out, and arguably he is far more important than his more famous comtemporary singers in that respect.

2) Must be purely pop, that should eliminate Linda Perry’s hit “What’s Up”. I suppose we must ignore that Adam wants to do a bit of rock here for this argument to stick. And Rufus Wainwright cult-ish pop doesn’t count by this argument because his pop isn’t hugely popular (besides, he is half-Canadian, you know what those Canadians are like, he’s so tainted).

3) And this is where your argument might get a bit strange – they must also be successful, and the success must only be in the US chart. Scissors Sisters have never hidden who they are, but I would assume you think they don’t count because they are not successful in the States. If Adam turns out to be unsuccessful then he doesn’t count? (Actually the reason Scissor Sisters are more successful in the UK has probably a lot to do with they way they adopted much of the UK rock and pop tradition, they are more of a British band in that sense).

4) They must appeal to “middle America” – this is kinda weird argument because we have no idea if that is who Adam plans to appeal to, but one thing we can know for sure is that Adam certainly isn’t planning to appeal to the homophobes given the pictures that are out already. So who are these “middle America” people you are talking about?

5) They must out themselves before they released an album (officially of course, the AI special album issue doesn’t count) – this is even weirder because no one is interested in the sexuality of singers before they become famous with hit single or album (are you interested to know that Billie Joe Armstrong of Green Day is bi before they had the hit album Dookie?). They must therefore have achieved already fame before starting out on a pop career, which must limit the choice of people down to what, low hundreds at a stretch?

6) They must be expected to succeed – Jim Verraros of AI Season 1 was out before he started his pop career, but he probably won’t count to you because he wasn’t expected to achieve great things. That means you probably only count those who reached Top 3 or 4 in AI, so now there are only at best a few dozens of people who may be candidate as the one who dares to be the first out-and-proud gay AI star before he became a recording star.

Put in enough of these qualifiers I will then agree with you the Adam did something very special and brave (while the eyes rolled to the back of my head).

As for Anderson Cooper, if there are pictures of him kissing another guy à   la Adam floating around and he doesn’t say anything about them, I’d giggling all the way through all his broadcasts.

Is Cook a rocker? He says he is, but I see him as an AC artist.

That’s a bit of an overstatement. He’s pop-rock, not rock, but he’s not Air Supply or Barry Manilow either.

Letà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s be realà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ ¦who goes to rock concerts? Screaming girls (and guys who may or may not like the music, but are there for the girls).

What decade do you think we are living in? Rock, other than the slick, commercialized version, is HEAVILY-dominated by a male fanbase. Why do you think Daughtry and Cook can’t get away with anything except pop rock? (With Cook, I think that’s where he wants to be, anyway; with Chris, I’m not so sure– I think he might prefer to be screaming).

But, anyway, the only “rock music” in which females are well-represented among the fanbase is the “flyover” kind– the space occupied by Nickelback, Hinder etc. Sometimes it’s derogatorily referred to as “Mom Rock”– “for moms who want to rock, but not too hard”, as it has been described….

But, anyway, I think most would agree Adam is not going to produce an album that sounds like Daughtry or David Cook. I could see him fitting into the Killers niche, but the problem is this isn’t 2004 anymore, and the Killers really only chart on ALT, Active, and AAA anymore. And those formats don’t sell a lot of records.

I am impressed you could understand what Kris said. I listened a couple times and gave up. I must need my ears checked or better speakers, lol What book did he refer to?

Tara:

The book Kris recommended is called “A Long Way Gone”, which is non-fiction. It is about a child soldier in Sierra Leone.

New article on Adam’s album

http://www.eonline.com/uberblog/b129209_adam_lambert_goes_gaga_debut_album.html?sid=twitterfeed_topstories&utm_source=eonline&utm_medium=twitterfeed&utm_campaign=twitterfeed_topstories

One example of many. But I think weà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢re defining à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“successà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬  in terms of Top 40 radio play, which to me is pretty bizarre.

It’s bizarre in an absolute sense, but it’s not in the least bizarre in the “this is what everyone expects from top Idol finalists” sense.

That’s unfortunate, I’ll definitely give you that! But if you look at the press and much of the fan commentary, plus AI’s reaction to show alums who haven’t gotten a lot of pop radio play (or at least a lot of country-radio play), then this *is* the criterion. This, and being a multi-platinum seller — which you really only get these days from having big pop and/or country radio hits.

When’s the last time you heard anyone say, Wow, it’s great that Fantasia took New York by storm and got the Tony broadcast to break the rules to let her sing! Wow, it’s great that Kelly C’s My December album has this really cool artistic song. Wow, it’s great that so-and-so is getting a lot of AC play or Urban radio play. Wow, it’s great that Elliott got a gold album and a bunch of radio play in Japan. …. Never, is when. AI, the press, and the world in general don’t even seem to consider those things achievements. The only people who are impressed are people who were fan of the particular Idol involved from the beginning.

If you’re an x-idol, you’re held to one standard and one standard only, I suppose because you come off a mainstream-popular tv show, so it’s just assumed that the only way you can really be a success is by selling big at mainstream-pop.

A lot of people I know donà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t see anything wrong with illegally downloading music either.

Yeah, I guess they’re unable to put themselves in the shoes of someone whose calling and talent is music and would like to be able to make a living creating it.

Music is kind of going the way of the newspaper. The internet makes us think that everything that isn’t made out of brick, steel, mortar, or hard plastic should and must be free of charge.

Won’t be easy times for fledgling musicians in the years coming up, I’d guess.

Somebody upthread was wondering what the tour sets will be like. Who knows? But I’ve gone to the show two years and one time the sets appeared to be decorated with aluminum foil (… that’s not even a tiny exaggeration, by the way) and the other year they looked to be draped with a bit of cheesecloth.

Hey, they’re trying to earn money here, people!

Never, is when. AI, the press, and the world in general donà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t even seem to consider those things achievements. The only people who are impressed are people who were fan of the particular Idol involved from the beginning.

If youà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢re an x-idol, youà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢re held to one standard and one standard only, I suppose because you come off a mainstream-popular tv show, so ità ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s just assumed that the only way you can really be a success is by selling big at mainstream-pop.

Of course not! AI’s stated reason-for-being is to produce star recording artists. It’s a great side-effect that so many who don’t make it in mainstream music find other career opportunities as a result of their Idol exposure, but I refuse to put the in the same category of success as those who are actually making it big in the music business.

So, I don’t care if Constantine would have won that Tony. He still wouldn’t belong in the same sentence with Daughtry or David Cook. And I don’t care if Kimberly Caldwell wins an Emmy for a TV show hosting category. Her hypothetical award would not compare to one of Carrie’s actual “music awards.” And I don’t care if Kat becomes the biggest movie star in the
world. She still shouldn’t be put in the same category as Kelly. You get the idea, I think….

Ack. Sneaking in something David Cook related. 5 Questions for David Cook from VH1. Heà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s cute.

Alas, it’s a sad day indeed when David Cook’s porn name is not headline news. Cookie Sunnyside, meet Tally Ho Broadway. :grin1_ee: “It’s a good thing I don’t have an extra pinky, because this would be awkward.”

Another tail end of Gen X-er here, and my music taste is so eclectic….there were so many musical influences.. NIN/alt stuff, there was hip hop, grunge, Green Day just came out with Dookie my senior year of high school…good times. Maybe that’s why I’m so loathe to put a label on music. I dunno.