F

or the last eight years,

Adam Lambert has

been stepping into

the late Freddie

Mercury’s shoes,

touring the world with

the legendary rock

band Queen. But the

singer-songwriter, 37,

says fans will soon see

a new side of him with his upcoming

album, Velvet. “My goal was to find a

sound that was authentic to me as an

artist, singer and music lover, and I

think I’ve found it,” says Adam, noting

that — unlike his earlier work — Velvet

is a true reflection of himself. “I’m not

trying to convince anybody of

anything. This is me.” As he

awaits the album’s release, the

season 8 American Idol

runner-up gets candid

about his life today.

Howdid you come up

with the name Velvet?

It reminds me of a bunch

of things. Velvet is like, it

feels a certain way, you

know? It’s soft, it’s tactile,

it’s nostalgic, it’s classy.

And I found some great

velvet suits that I’m

really into right now. I

always have a stage

outfit in mind — and footwear.

[Laughs.]

Velvet’slead single, “New Eyes,” was

released in May. When will the full

album be available?

We don’t have the release date

chosen yet. It’s an interesting time for

music — you don’t have to follow a

blueprint. But the next single is going

to be in September, “Superpower.”

Did Queen have any influence on

the album?

Definitely. I think not even consciously,

just sort of by osmosis! Being with

them on the road and realizing that

timeless songs have certain qualities

— they’re not chasing trends. That was

something I wanted to do. I wanted to

make an album that could stand the

test of time and that wasn’t going to

be out of date in a year.

Doyou have a favorite Queen song?

“Another One Bites the Dust” isn’t

necessarily my favorite song, but it’s

my favorite recording. It’s just so sexy

and, like, tight, and it’s minimal, and it’s

just such a cool record.

Were you approached to play

Freddie inBohemian Rhapsody?

No. [It’s taken] years to explain to

everybody that I’m not a Freddie

impersonator. I’m myself as an artist,

and I sing [Queen’s songs] as Adam.

So to go play Freddie in the movie

wouldn’t make any sense. I’m also not

an accomplished actor like Rami

[Malek]. Rami was amazing.

Seems like you’ve felt a bit

misunderstood.

Yeah, sometimes. I think that’s the

curse of being able to do a lot of

different things. But that’s what’s so

exciting about right now. I feel like I

have more clarity than I’ve ever had as

far as what I am and what I’m not.

You recently confirmed that you’re

dating model Javi Costa Polo. How

are things going?

I’m very happy. When you meet

somebody who makes you look at

things differently, it’s so special. That’s

one of the beautiful things about love.

What’s next for you? Do you plan to

still collaborate with Queen?

Yeah. There’s no end in sight as of

now. And who knows what’s next? I’m

going to keep making music. Acting is

something that’s definitely an interest

for me. I did an animated movie that’s

coming out [on Aug. 16], Playmobil:

The Movie. I had so much fun, so I’m

hoping that leads to more

opportunities!

1

Adam landed

his first

professional

singing gig at

19, performing

on a cruise

ship.

3

Adam was on Glee! He

played NYU student Elliot

Gilbert on season 5 of the hit

Fox show in 2013.

4

He’s got some serious

lungs. A trained

opera singer, Adam can

reportedly hold a note

for a whopping 22

seconds.

2

He’s known

for his dark

locks, but Adam

was born a

redhead!

d G F o r f

ss

n

rk

m

5

He’s been pals

with actress

Anna Kendrick for

years. “I’ve known

Adam since I was

18, actually,” Anna

once shared. “He’s

a good time — he’s

fun. He’s a really,

really fun dude.”

t

eallyfundude

OK!

5

Fa st

Facts

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