As Adam Lambert settles into The Voice’s swivelling red chair, ready to hit the buzzer on Australia’s best up-and-coming talent, his thoughts often turn to when he first stood in front of four judges as a contestant on American Idol in 2009.
“I feel when I came off Idol, the music industry was in a different place,” Adam, 42, tells TV WEEK. “We had legends like Elton John and George Michael, but as far as gay guy pop singers on the radio, there weren’t any.”
Adam wowed audiences and the show’s judges at the time – Simon Cowell, Paula Abdul, Randy Jackson and Kara DioGuardi – with his vocal range. However, it was his flamboyant style and, what Simon dubbed his “theatrics”, that shone out.
“I was always ‘out’ [of the closet], but I had to sort of edit things or dial back certain things, because I wanted the chance to have a long career,” he says. “It was a bit like the Wild West. But I did have a lot of allies in the business; people looking out for me.”
He adds that because there was no real “blueprint” for artists like him back then, “no-one really knew how to make it work or if it would work”.
“There was a lot of trepidation,” he says. “But it was exciting too, because it was like, ‘OK, I’m just going to go for it.’”
And go for it he did. In the past decade, Adam has put out four chart-topping albums, toured the world – and just this year celebrated 10 years of fronting seminal UK rock group Queen. It’s a gig he calls “a dream come true”.
“It’s thrill to (a) get to honour Freddie Mercury [the band’s iconic lead singer and songwriter, who died in 1991], because he’s one of my favourites, and (b) to be of service to [guitarist] Brian May and [drummer] Roger Taylor,” he says.
“Those audiences go through the roof every single night – they absolutely love it.”
Now, 15 years after Adam first stepped on stage on American Idol, Adam returns to reality TV on The Voice Australia – only this time, he’s the one doing the mentoring.
The star admits it’s been “amazing” to see a new wave of artists while staying true to who they are.
“The talent in Australia is immense,” Adam enthuses. “It’s so cool to see. And I’m proud to think that I might be part of a wave of people pushing open some of those doors.”
And watching new talent being authentically themselves on stage may even have inspired the music Adam is making currently, which he explains perfectly encapsulates where he is now: ready for a dance.
“I’ve been so honoured to be on the road with Queen for so long, and doing classic rock, but that doesn’t necessarily reflect [me] when I’m hanging out with friends,” he says.
“I wanted to make the kind of music I’d listen to when I’m out partying,” he says of his new electronic EP, titled AFTERS.
“And at a time where audiences can smell if something is real or fake, I’m excited to be putting out music where I can be exactly who I am. I don’t have to edit anymore and that feels really good.”
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