Released: February 24
Proving himself one of the finest voices of his generation, Adam Lambert masterfully reimagines a selection of his favourite recordings from across the decades on his first covers collection.
Clocking in at 11 tracks, ‘High Drama’ launches with a storming rendition of Bonnie Tyler’s Jim Steinman penned-and-produced classic Holding Out For A Hero, with the glam rock makeover indicative of the sound that runs across the long-player.
“It’s a fun challenge to figure out a way of doing a 180 with a song,” he explains of the concept. “I’m bringing them into my world. Over the past decade I’ve explored a few different areas and sounds and energies, and I feel like part of this new chapter in my career is me being really clear on who I am, and what I am, and what I’m not. I think that’s all coming out in these tracks.”
On first glance, the song selection piques interest, segueing between straightforward pop (Sia’s Chandelier) and rock (Kings of Leon’s Sex on Fire), to psychedelic (Lana Del Rey’s West Coast) and reggae (Culture Club’s Do You Really Want To Hurt Me?) inspired tunes, it’s a far from safe offering that would challenge many. But whether it’s a stunning piano ballad adaptation of Duran Duran’s Ordinary World or the groovy bassline that underpins his take on Ann Peebles’ I Can’t Stand the Rain, his stamp on every track is undeniable.
Also commendable is his fearlessness not only in tackling lesser-known recordings, such as P!nk’s 2019 album track My Attic, but his resistance to changing the gender within the lyrics, adding a queer sensibility to songs sung by both men and women, straight and gay.
Notably, Mad About the Boy – the theme song to the forthcoming Noël Coward documentary of the same name – is transformed into an out and proud gay love song, while his rendition of I’m a Man by Jobriath – the first openly gay rock musician signed to a major label – continues to probe the idea of ‘masculinity’.
Recorded in London and Los Angeles with production from the likes of Tommy English, Andrew Wells, George Moore, Mark Crew, and Adam himself, ‘High Drama’ cuts to the essence of the musician as a vocalist and performer and, ironically, is in many ways as his most authentic body of work to date.
Not only a full-circle moment from his cover-heavy ‘American Idol’ origins, it’s also a testament to how far he’s come over the course of the past decade. “I would never turn down success but that can’t be the driving force as a creative,” insists Adam. “I make it because I like it and I want other people to like it. Simple as that.”
‘High Drama’ is available now.
