The artwork for Adam Lambert’s new album For Your Entertainment has already kicked up one hell of a fuss.
Why? It’s simple. It looks like one of those awful transfer-print T-shirts that people who like wolves buy from tatty market stalls. It looks like something that the redneck wife of a professional wrestling fan would airbrush onto the back of her leather jacket. It looks like a poster that someone you hate would buy. It’s bizarre.
But it’s OK, because Adam Lambert says it’s all deliberate. Unfortunately it means that Kris Allen‘s new album artwork will now probably show him covered in glitter and bumming a unicorn, but we’ll deal with that when we have to.
Adam Lambert clearly hasn’t read the rulebook. You know, the rulebook which says that the debut album from all American Idol graduates should come with artwork where the performer looks approachable and friendly. The rulebook which very specifically says that the debut album from all American Idol graduates should most definitely not come with artwork that makes them look like a naked genderless sex alien who suffers from debilitating migraines.
And yet that’s what the artwork to Adam Lambert’s forthcoming album For Your Entertainment is. Look, here it is all close-up…
Admit it, when you first saw the artwork you thought it was a hoax. You thought it was a hoax knocked up by a 12-year-old girl with a second-hand VHS copy of the 1986 Grace Jones movie Vamp and a Blingee account, didn’t you? You thought that not even Adam Lambert – the man who used American Idol to sing Ring Of Fire in the style of a creepy Middle-Eastern snake charmer and part-time date-rapist – would think of becoming a topless, blue-haired version of the Sarah Jessica Parker character from Flight Of The Navigator on the sleeve of his first album.
But he has. And he’s done it on purpose, as he told his followers on Twitter yesterday:
“Thank you to those who appreciate and understand that the album cover is deliberately campy. It’s an omage to the past. It IS ridiculous… For those that don’t get it: oh well… Glad to have gotten your attention. androgyny. Rock n Roll… *homage. When’s Twitter adding spell check?”
That’s awfully nice of Adam Lambert, but we’re not really sure it counts as androgynous. Not unless the definition of androgyny has expanded to include men who look as if they’ve woken up in a ditch on the day of their wedding and realised that their stag night prank involved being stripped, dyed and eyebrow-waxed, while simultaneously having their hand glued to their own face.
But nice try anyway. And if the album cover has walked the line between amazing and terrible so easily, then God knows what Adam Lambert’s album itself will be like, right Adam?
“[There’s] a tune called “Music Again” written by Justin Hawkins of the Darkness!”
OK, we take that back, sorry. It’ll be terrible. As you were.
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Steve says
Not sure if you listen to David Bowie, but…. Ziggy Stardust? Hell, Iggy Pop from the Stooges went through a glam phase. Look at the album cover of the New York Dolls first album. Or would you call Richard Hell gay for his cover of Richard Hell and the Void-doids? Of course you would.
Now I’m not saying that everyman should like this, hell, you even posted Cowboys Farting just to prove how manly you are, but what did you expect from a kid that came out of the closet on the cover of Rolling Stone, hangs out with Lady Gaga, wore Eddie Murphy’s suit from Raw to an idol performance, and had heavy eyeliner on at every gig? Motley Crue? Well, I guess they wore makeup too, but that’s neither here nor there.
Point is kitsch is in. Those wolf shirts and “awful transfer print t-shirts” are in like Flynn right now. Get with the times homie. Oh that’s right, cowboys farting. Never mind.
JoeMomma says
Whoa there Thteve you’re not thuper gay either are you? Haloooo! Huzzah!
keke says
Anything 80’s has been slowing returning and building up steam for the last year, so why not give the people what they want? Adam delivers. He said he wanted to entertain us… hence the album title. It’s campy as hell, and that’s the way it was intended.
MM says
Adam RAWKS!!!! I love the cover. I’m gonna LOVE this album and can’t wait to hear every friggin’ song on there!!!
But you did have some funny stuff to say…
I loved the cover the second I saw it. All ya gotta do is: THINK BOWIE.
Kolleen says
Couldn’t have said it better myself…thanks for sparing me the effort. BRAVO
halo says
I am guessing he is hoping to have Bowie or Madonna on the next album. Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, Props to Lambert for keeping it glam, its what he has been since AI.
If Hawkins wrote a tune for the album, I will withhold judgement…love the Darkness, just them.. not the lame Eurovision entries.
Not sure how well that is going to go over with his main demo = screaming teenage girls. He should have included a unicorn that might have mollified a few. Girls love unicorns
2nd Grade Journalist on the Horizon says
@joemamma–Learn how to speak proper English.
@Stuart–Well, my name above describes what I think of you. Who gave a job to a music critic who know nothing about the history of music. And you’re so classy, too. Cowboys farting? Really?
Adam is much classier than you’ll ever be.
maryann says
Stuart, your article sucks!
Steve says
Somebody’s insecure with their sexuality…. were you just stopping by to admire Lambert’s eyes Joe? It would seem to me that somebody making that joke would avoid this column like the plague?
Blondiegrrl says
I agree with Steve. As for the shirt reference, “Three Wolf Moon” is/was the top-selling T-shirt on Amazon for quite a long time. I think that says a lot, heh. Adam knows what he’s doing. He’s borrowing a bit from the glam/disco era, but he’s also adding his own modern spin to it.
Blondiegrrl says
Well that was completely unnecessary.
Blondiegrrl says
* “Unnecessary” comment was directed at JoeMomma
mike says
you know it is going to be hard for me to buy any of adams music because of what he tries to force on people. the public does not have to accept him for the way he wants to be. I can think of one other performer that thought he could do the same. He can not sell any of his music anymore either because nobody will buy it. His name was BOY GEORGE, and I’AM equally appreciative that I no longer have to look at him or listen to him any longer also. It is not okay to be like Adam in this age. The gay thing just is disgusting and that is all that there is to that subject.Another one hit wonder if he is lucky to even do that.What a sick boy. He needs help.It does not matter how many celebrities have acnowledged or lent him anything,he still and will always suck.
Carol says
I think he’s extremely smart. Conflict and sex (0f any kind) sell and gees the hype You can buy this kind of advertising. In expensive cover and look at all he is gaining from it. And he really can and does sing (entertains he but off). Go Adam – laugh all the way to the bank.
Girl4Jesus says
Wow, looks like @d@m L@mbert’s s@t@nic fans are hear again! Hey why not go and be more constructive like organizing a campaign against his music? Stuart your piece was hilarious and to all the L@mbert fans: John, 10:14!!
Peace, love and go Redbirds (yay!),
G4J
jessa says
who the hell is this fagooooootttgay? anyone can tell me who the hell is this gay?
magnetite says
Aww, give the lad his Mainman years. I mean it. Seriously.
They almost killed Bowie.
Sunny says
gLambert’s make-up is so pretty. Love the blue-do. MUST get one of those chain half gloves.
I loved how he worked “The Ring of Fire” on that reality show, it was so ‘creepy Middle-Eastern snake charmer and part-time date-rapist’. My kinda guy. IF I were a guy…
Steve says
John, 10:14, “And Jesus spoke, ‘all gays are bad ok. We love everyone, even lepers, but homosexuality is a an abomination on…. well I don’t know, but it’s bad.’ and the prophets listened and spread the hate!”
Word up sister. Spread the love.
annie says
THIS “GAY” AS YOU CALL HIM HAS ONE OF THE MOST BEAUTIFUL VOICES AND WILL BE ICONIC! YOU’RE JUST JEALOUS CAUSE HE’S FAR MORE BEAUTIFUL THAN YOU, INSIDE AND OUT!!!
Jacki says
Just stumbled on this article while on my sudden journey of discovery of this incredibly talented man. I am only surprised it’s taken me this long to notice him! I thought some of your article was funny but you do miss the point a lot LMAO. I hope you’ve caught up and understood what he’s doing now. And I am giggling at some of the comments in here especially the “one hit wonder” stuff – er…… ooops! Is your face red now? Hahahaha. But mostly I’m saddened by the homophobic comments made worse by people trying to link them to the words of Jesus. That is not what Jesus intended – quite the opposite. You don’t have to like his lifestyle to respect the man, his amazing voice and his music.