Adam Lambert is arguably the last major star to come out of the "American Idol" franchise. Though the spectacle-prone singer finished second in 2009 behind the bland pop-rock softie Kris Allen, he attained a near-Kelly Clarkson level of renown thanks to his arresting presence on the show, and for coming out as a gay man weeks after the eighth-season finale.
Lambert will leave himself open again for public scrutiny in July when he fills in for one of his primary influences, the late Freddie Mercury,during five European concerts with Brian May and Roger Taylor of Queen. Lambert first joined the English group's remaining members on "Idol."
"It's a daunting task," he said over lunch last month at a Larchmont Boulevard vegan joint. "But I'm looking forward to it. And I feel total faith from them."
The singer admits that he's "started smelling a little bit of doubt" on the part of Queen fans skeptical about Mercury's being replaced. But he insists that's not the case.
"There will only be one Freddie Mercury. I'm not trying to imitate him. I'm not trying to outdo him. I'm just trying to sing great music that he wrote. It's not that deep." He laughs. "Although, yes, it is that deep, because it's Queen! It means a lot to me personally."
As with Mercury, Lambert's outré wardrobe, slinky stage moves and skyscraping vocals combined to create the image of a natural star. A-list hitmakers such as Dr. Luke and Linda Perry lined up to be part of his debut album, but 2009's "For Your Entertainment" only sold 838,000 copies according to Nielsen SoundScan â€" a relatively modest commercial success that seemed out of proportion with the huge following Lambert cultivated on TV.
So earlier this year, with a new record in the works, Lambert dedicated himself to an undertaking he didn't have time for in the wake of "Idol" â€" spending a month visiting radio stations across the United States in the hopes of selling program directors on his latest single.
"The challenge is satisfying the 'You were in America's living room' thing while still progressing," the 30-year-old mused between bites of shredded kale. "And I think this album does it."
He might be right: On "Trespassing," due out Tuesday from RCA Records, Lambert moves away from the guitar-heavy "For Your Entertainment" (which he called "my version of glam rock") toward a sleeker electro-disco sound in keeping with dance music's takeover of mainstream pop.
Some of those A-list hitmakers appear again, along with new collaborators such as Pharrell Williams and Chic's Nile Rodgers. But Lambert co-wrote nine of the dozen songs â€" including "Outlaws of Love," a moody ballad about the fight for gay marriage â€" and the result feel s more personal even as it zeros in on radio's sweet spot.
"If you cut these songs open, you get Adam," says Williams, whose credits on "Trespassing" include the hard-thumping title track, in which Lambert insists, "I don't need no GPS to show me where to go." "It's his personality, his story, his DNA."
"Adam had a hand in every word," adds Bonnie McKee, who co-wrote the uptempo party song "Cuckoo" and the more sensual "Chokehold." As one of Lambert's vocal producers, McKee also oversaw his singing in the studio.
"When you write a pop song there's a formula where by the end you're doing these crazy ad libs," she says. "But Adam was like, 'I don't wanna do that this time.' He wants to show a different side."
Lambert, who grew up in San Diego and performed in a touring production of "Wicked" before auditioning for "American Idol," attributes the album's lived-in vibe to the circumstances surrounding its creation.
"All I had on my plate was working on my music. It felt so good," he says. "The last album I made while I was on the road and I was just adjusting to all this." He remembers struggling to dial down the competitive mind set "Idol" requires and learning how to navigate the imposed intimacy of his interaction with fans.
"Now I'm renting a house and I'm in a relationship," he says. "I'm living somewhat of a normal life."
Or at least he was. With "Trespassing" in stores, Lambert's existence is again taking a turn for the extraordinary, as he launches a campaign RCA Vice President of marketing Nick Pirovano claims will stretch well into 2013. "We know this album has several singles," Pirovano says, adding, "We want a No. 1 album, and we feel good about the setup."
The first of those singles, an atmospheric ballad called "Better Than I Know Myself," stalled out at No. 76 on Billboard's Hot 100. But Lambert performed its higher-energy follow-up, "Never Close Our Eyes," Monday on"Good Morning Americ a"; he'll do the song again Thursday night on "Idol."
Asked whether the preparations for his forthcoming performances with Queen have meant more work on top of his "Trespassing" duties, Lambert nods vigorously. "There was definitely a moment of, like, 'Whoa, this is a lot,'" he says. "But these are the things that make us better artists. I think I'm gonna grow and learn a lot. I mean, being onstage with rock legends? It's pretty awesome."
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