Public relations (PR) is the practice of managing the flow of information between an organization and its publics.^[1] Public relations provides an organization or individual exposure to their audiences using topics of public interest and news items that do not require direct payment.^[2] The aim is often to persuade the public, investors, partners, employees and other stakeholders to maintain a certain point of view about the company, its leadership, products or of political decisions. Common activities include speaking at conferences, winning industry awards, working with the press, and employee communication.^[3]

The Public Relations Society of America (PRSA), founded by Richard Rotman, defined public relations in 1982 as, "Public relations helps an organization and its publics adapt mutually to each other."^[4][5] According to the PRSA, the essential functions of public relations include research, planning, communication, dialogue and evaluation.^[5] In 2011/2012 the Society developed a crowd sourced definition which PRSA considers more accurate and descriptive:

Public relations is a strategic communication process that builds mutually beneficial relationships between organizations and their publics.^[6]

It was announced on March 1, 2012 after a vote by public relations professionals.^[7] The defeated definitions were "Public relations is the management function of researching, engaging, communicating, and collaborating with stakeholders in an ethical manner to build mutually beneficial relationships and achieve results." and "Public relations is the engagement between organizations and individuals to achieve mutual understanding and realize strategic goals."^[8]

Edward Louis Bernays, who is considered the founding father of modern public relations along with Ivy Lee, in the early 1900s defined public relations as a management function which tabulates public attitudes, defines the policies, procedures and interests of an organization. . . followed by executing a program of action to earn public understanding and acceptance."

Building and managing relationships with those who influence an organization or individual’s important audiences has a central role in doing public relations.^[9]

An earlier definition of public relations, by The first World Assembly of Public Relations Associations, held in Mexico City, in August 1978, was "the art and social science of analyzing trends, predicting their consequences, counseling organizational leaders, and implementing planned programs of action, which will serve both the organization and the public interest."^[10]

Others define it simply as the practice of managing communication between an organization and its publics.^[11]

The European view of public relations notes that besides a relational form of interactivity there is also a reflective paradigm that is concerned with publics and the public sphere; not only with relational, which can in principle be private, but also with public consequences of organizational behavior ^[12][13] A much broader view of interactive communication using the Internet, as outlined by Phillips and Young in Online Public Relations Second Edition (2009), describes the form and nature of Internet-mediated public relations.

Specific public relations disciplines include:

• Financial public relations – providing information mainly to business reporters
• Consumer/lifestyle public relations – gaining publicity for a particular product or service, rather than using advertising
• Crisis public relations – responding to negative accusations or information
• Industry relations – providing information to trade bodies
• Government relations – engaging government departments to influence policymaking

Other public relations activities include:

Example of publicity Publicists, Public Relations professionals at a Hollywood Red carpet.

• Publicity events, pseudo-events, photo ops or publicity stunts
• Speeches to constituent groups and professional organizations; receptions; seminars, and other events; personal appearances
• Talk show circuit: a public relations spokesperson, or the client, "does the circuit" by being interviewed on television and radio talk shows with audiences that the client wishes to reach
• Books and other writings
• Collateral literature, both offline and online
• Direct communication (carrying messages directly to audiences, rather than via the mass media) with, for example, printed or email newsletters
• Blogs
• Social media and social networks

After a public relations practitioner has been working in the field for a while, he or she accumulates a list of contacts in the media and elsewhere in the public affairs sphere. This "Rolodex" becomes a prized asset, and job announcements sometimes even ask for candidates with an existing Rolodex, especially those in the media relations area of public relations.

Astroturfing is the act of public relations agencies placing blog and online forum messages for their clients, in the guise of a normal "grassroots" user or comment (an illegal practice across the larger practice areas such as the European Union)

History[link]

Edward Bernays was the self-appointed Father of Public Relations.

See more at History of public relations

The history of public relations is mostly confined to the early half of the twentieth century; however there is evidence of the practice scattered through history. One notable practitioner was Georgiana Cavendish, Duchess of Devonshire whose efforts on behalf of Charles James Fox in the 18th century included press relations, lobbying and, with her friends, celebrity campaigning.^[14]

A number of American precursors to public relations are found in the form of publicists who specialized in promoting circuses, theatrical performances, and other public spectacles. In the United States, where public relations has its origins, many early public relations practices were developed in support of railroads. In fact, many scholars believe that the first appearance of the term "public relations" appeared in the 1897 Year Book of Railway Literature.^[15]

Salaries[link]

In the United States, public relations professionals earn an average annual salary of $49,800 which compares with £40,000 for a practitioner with a similar job in the UK^[when?] [1]. Top earners make around $89,220 annually, while entry-level public relations specialists earn around $28,080. Corporate, or in-house communications is generally more profitable, and communications executives can earn salaries in the mid six-figures, though this only applies to a fraction of the sector's workforce.^[16]

The role of public relations professionals is changing because of the shift from traditional to online media. Many PR professionals are finding it necessary to learn new skills and to examine how social media can impact a brand's reputation.^[17]in pakistan it is 10000 only

Methods, tools and tactics[link]

Traditional public relations tools include press releases and press kits which are distributed to the media to generate interest from the press. Other widely used tools include brochures, newsletters and annual reports. Increasingly, companies are utilizing interactive social media outlets, such as blogs, Microblogging and social media. Unlike the traditional tools which allowed for only one-way communication, social media outlets allow the organization to engage in two-way communication, and receive immediate feedback from various stakeholders. There are two types of Two-way communication, Two-way asymmetrical public relations and Two-way symmetrical public relations. An asymmetrical public relations model is unbalanced. In this model an organization gets feedback from the public and uses it as a basis for attempting to persuade the public to change. A symmetrical public relations model means that the organization takes the interests of the public into careful consideration and public relations practitioners seek a balance between the interest of their organization and the interest of the public.

Video and audio news releases (VNRs and ANRs) are often produced and distributed to TV outlets in hopes they will be used as regular program content, with or without acknowledgment of the source. One emerging theme is the application of psychological theories of impression management.^[18]

Advertising dollars in traditional media productions have declined and many traditional media outlets are seeing declining circulation in favor of online and social media news sources. One site even tracked the death of newspapers^[19] As readership in traditional media shifts to online media, so have the focus of many in public relations.^[20][21] Social media releases^[22], search engine optimization^[23][24], content publishing^[25], and the introduction of podcasts and video are other burgeoning trends.^[26]

The development of social media increased the speed of breaking news, so public relations professionals no longer have the luxury of time to construct a news statement after a daily news deadline. The viral effect of social networks require adequate training and real-time social media monitoring in order to detect the early signs of breaking news.^[27]

Targeting the public[link]

A fundamental technique used in public relations is to identify the target audience, and to tailor every message to appeal to that audience. It can be a general, nationwide or worldwide audience, but it is more often a segment of a population. A good elevator pitch can help tailor messaging to each target audience. Marketers often refer to socio-economically driven "demographics", such as "black males 18-49".

On the other hand stakeholders theory identifies people who have a stake in a given institution or issue. All audiences are stakeholders (or presumptive stakeholders), but not all stakeholders are audiences. For example, if a charity commissions a public relations agency to create an advertising campaign to raise money to find a cure for a disease, the charity and the people with the disease are stakeholders, but the audience is anyone who is likely to donate money.

Sometimes the interests of differing audiences and stakeholders common to a public relations effort necessitate the creation of several distinct but complementary messages. This is not always easy to do, and sometimes, especially in politics, a spokesperson or client says something to one audience that creates dissonance with another audience or group of stakeholders.

Lobby groups[link]

Lobby groups are established to influence government policy, corporate policy, or public opinion. Such groups claim to represent a particular interest and in fact are dedicated to doing so. When a lobby group hides its true purpose and support base, it is known as a front group. Moreover, governments may also lobby public relations firms in order to sway public opinion. A well illustrated example of this is the way civil war in Yugoslavia was portrayed. Governments of the newly seceded republics of Croatia and Bosnia, as well as Serbia invested heavily with UK and American public relations firms, so that they would give them a positive image in the USA.^[28]

Spin[link]

In public relations, spin is sometimes a pejorative term signifying a heavily biased portrayal in specific favor of an event or situation. While traditional public relations may also rely on creative presentation of the facts, spin often, though not always, implies disingenuous, deceptive and/or highly manipulative tactics. Politicians are often accused of spin by commentators and political opponents when they produce a counterargument or position.

The techniques of spin include selectively presenting facts and quotes that support ideal positions (cherry picking), the so-called "non-denial denial", phrasing that in a way presumes unproven truths, euphemisms for drawing attention away from items considered distasteful, and ambiguity in public statements. Another spin technique involves careful choice of timing in the release of certain news so it can take advantage of prominent events in the news. A famous reference to this practice occurred when British Government press officer Jo Moore used the phrase "It's now a very good day to get out anything we want to bury", (widely paraphrased or misquoted as "It's a good day to bury bad news"), in an email sent on the day of the September 11 attacks in 2001. The furor caused when this email was reported in the press eventually caused her to resign.

Skilled practitioners of spin are sometimes called "spin doctors", despite the negative connotation associated with the term. Perhaps the best-known person in the UK often described as a "spin doctor" is Alastair Campbell, who was involved with Tony Blair's public relations between 1994 and 2003, and also played a controversial role as press relations officer to the British and Irish Lions rugby union side during their 2005 tour of New Zealand.^{[citation needed]}

State-run media in many countries also engage in spin by selectively allowing news stories that are favorable to the government while censoring anything that could be considered critical. They may also use propaganda to indoctrinate or actively influence citizens' opinions. Privately run media may also use the same techniques of "issue" versus "non-issue" to spin its particular political viewpoints

Negative PR[link]

Negative public relations, also called dark public relations (DPR), is a process of destroying the target's reputation and/or corporate identity. In other words, instead of concentrating efforts in the maintenance and the creation of a positive reputation or image of your clients, the objective is to discredit someone else, usually a business rival. Unlike the regular services in public relations, those in DPR rely on the development of industries such as IT security, industrial espionage, social engineering and competitive intelligence. A common technique is finding all of the dirty secrets of their target and turning them against their very own holder.

The building of a dark PR campaign, also known as a dirty tricks or a smear campaign is a long and a complex operation. Traditionally it starts with an extensive information gathering and follows the other needs of a precise competitive research. The gathered information is being used after that as a part of a greater strategical planning, aiming to destroy the relationship between the company, its shareholders and its customers.^[29]

Politics and civil society[link]

In the USA, but not in the larger public relations markets, the tactic known as "defining one's opponent" is used in political campaigns. Opponents can be candidates, organizations and other groups of people.

In the 2004 US presidential campaign, Howard Dean defined John Kerry as a "flip-flopper," which was widely reported and repeated by the media, particularly the conservative media. Similarly, George H.W. Bush characterized Michael Dukakis as weak on crime (the Willie Horton ad) and hopelessly liberal ("a card-carrying member of the ACLU"). In 1996, President Bill Clinton seized upon opponent Bob Dole's promise to take America back to a simpler time, promising in contrast to "build a bridge to the 21st century." This painted Dole as a person who was somehow opposed to progress.

In the debate over abortion, self-titled pro-choice groups, by virtue of their name, defined their opponents as "anti-choice", while self-titled pro-life groups refer to their opponents as "pro-abortion" or "anti-life".

Managing language[link]

If, in the USA, a politician or organization can use an apt phrase in relation to an issue in interviews or news releases, the news media will often repeat it verbatim, without questioning its aptness. This perpetuates both the message and whatever preconceptions might underlie it. Often, something that sounds innocuous can stand in for something greater; a "culture of life" sounds like general goodwill to most people, but will evoke opposition to abortion for many pro-life advocates. The phrase "States' rights" was used as a code for anti-civil rights legislation in the United States in the 1960s, and allegedly in the 1970s and 1980s.

Conveying the message[link]

The means by which a message is communicated can be as important as the message itself. Direct mail, robocalling, advertising and public speaking are commonly used depending upon the intended audience and the message that is conveyed. Press releases are also used, but since many newspapers are folding in the USA, they have become a less reliable way of communicating for American practitioners, and other methods have become more popular.

In the USA and India, news organizations have begun to rely more on their own websites and have developed a variety of unique approaches to publicity and public relations, on and off the web.^[30]

Israel has employed a series of Web 2.0 initiatives which are indicative of how a small nation can use internet mediated communication. Israel's initiative in 2008 included a blog,^[31] MySpace page,^[32] YouTube channel,^[33] Facebook page^[34] and a political blog to reach different audiences.^[35] The Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs started the country's video blog as well as its political blog.^[35] The Foreign Ministry held the first microblogging press conference via Twitter about its war with Hamas, with Consul David Saranga answering live questions from a worldwide public in common text-messaging abbreviations.^[36] The questions and answers were later posted on IsraelPolitik, the country's official political blog.^[37]

Front groups[link]

One of the most controversial practices in public relations is the use of front groups, organizations that purport to serve a public cause while actually serving the interests of a client whose sponsorship may be obscured or concealed. Critics of the public relations industry, such as PR Watch, contend that some public relations firms involve a "multi-billion dollar propaganda-for-hire industry" that "concocts and spins the news, organizes phony grassroots front groups, spies on citizens, and conspires with lobbyists and politicians to thwart democracy." ^[38]

Instances with the use of front groups as a public relations technique have been documented in many industries. Coal mining corporations have created "environmental groups" that contend that increased carbon dioxide emissions and global warming will contribute to plant growth and will be beneficial, trade groups for bars have created and funded citizens' groups to attack anti-alcohol groups, tobacco companies have created and funded citizens' groups to advocate for tort reform and to attack personal injury lawyers, while trial lawyers have created "consumer advocacy" front groups to oppose tort reform.^{[citation needed]}

See also[link]

References[link]

Further reading[link]

• Sharon Beder (2002) 'Global Spin: the corporate assault on environmentalism', Totnes, Green Books.
• Edward Bernays. (1928) "Propaganda".
• Boorstin, Daniel J. (1972) The Image: A Guide to Pseudo-Events in America. New York: Atheneum.
• Ewen, Stuart. (1996) PR! A Social History of Spin. New York: BasicBooks.
• Hall, Phil. (2007) The New PR. Mount Kisco, N.Y.: Larstan Publishing.
• LA Yellow Shuttle.
• Seib, Patrick and Fitzpatrick, Kathy. (1995) Public Relations Ethics. Fort Worth: Harcourt Brace and Company.
• Friedman, Marsha. (2009) Celebritize Yourself: The Three Step Method to Increase Your Visibility and Explode Your Business. North Carolina: Warren Publishing, Inc. "Celebritize Yourself".

External links[link]

• Global Alliance for Public Relations and Communication Management
• Stockholm Accords for Public Relations
• Russia (independent) Alliance for Public Relations
• A History of Public Relations, from The Institute for Public Relations

v t e Propaganda techniques Ad hominem · Bandwagon effect · Big Lie · Blood libel · Buzzword · Card stacking · Censorship · Code word · Dog-whistle politics · Doublespeak · Euphemism · Framing · Glittering generality · Historical revisionism · Ideograph · Indoctrination · Lawfare · Lesser of two evils principle · Limited hangout · Loaded language · Loosely associated statements · Newspeak · Obscurantism · Plain folks · Public relations · Slogan · Spin · Weasel word

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Les Twins
Background information
Born	(1988-12-06) December 6, 1988 (age 23)
Origin	Sarcelles, Val d'Oise, France
Genres	New Style, Hip-hop dance
Associated acts	Cirque Du Soleil, Criminalz Crew, Veteranz Crew
Website	https://www.facebook.com/pages/Les-TWINS-Organization-Official/109855652372782?sk=info
Members
Laurent Nicolas Bourgeois Larry Nicolas Bourgeois

Larry and Laurent Bourgeois, popularly known as "Les Twins" or Larry " Ca Blaze " Bourgeois and Laurent " Lil Beast " Bourgeois, are a hip hop dance duo originating from Sarcelles, France. The twin brothers who are of Guadeloupean descent (Guadeloupe, F.W.I.), are known worldwide for their talents in New Style dancing. Although they can be seen dancing as a duet, they are also a part of a larger crew known as Criminalz Crew, a group with a variety of dancers that range from b-boys to other new style dancers such as themselves. Les Twins have appeared on the television show Incroyable Talent^[1] as well as the Ellen DeGeneres Show. Les Twins have competed in multiple dance competitions such as: World Of Dance, Battle Of The Stylez, Urban Dance Showcase and won the Juste Debout Dance Competition in the Hip-Hop New Style category in 2011. ^{[2][original research?]} They come from a very large family with 18 siblings, and only 9 of whom dance.

Les Twins have performed with Beyoncé Knowles^[3].^[4] They have also appeared in Jay-Z's That's Rocawear viral video^[5] and the music video for "La Gloria" by French-Argentine band Gotan Project. They were also traveling with Cirque du Soleil Michael Jackson Immortal World Tour as dancers with a newly formed crew especially for the tour, named Veteranz crew until sometime in 2012.

Les Twins are represented by Next Model Management.

Gallery[link]

• 

  Les Twins photo shoot with Shawn Welling

• 

  Les Twins in action

• 

  Les Twins mid-air during a shoot with Shawn Welling

References[link]

External links[link]

• Les Twins Official Contacts: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Les-TWINS-Organization-Official/109855652372782?sk=info

Adam Lambert
Adam Lambert at the 21st GLAAD Media Awards (2010)
Background information
Birth name	Adam Mitchel Lambert
Born	(1982-01-29) January 29, 1982 (age 30) Indianapolis, Indiana
Origin	Rancho Peñasquitos, San Diego
Genres	Pop,[1] pop rock[1]
Occupations	Musician, singer-songwriter, actor
Instruments	Vocals
Years active	2009–present
Labels	19, RCA
Associated acts	Queen
Website	adamofficial.com

Adam Mitchel Lambert (born January 29, 1982) is an American singer-songwriter and stage actor. Born in Indianapolis but raised in San Diego, Lambert had dreamed of becoming a performer after appearing in numerous amateur productions in his childhood and adolescence. His passion overtook him when deciding to drop out of college, pursue his career, and perform in various professional theatrical productions across the world.

Lambert came to prominence following his appearance on the eighth season of American Idol.^[2] Although he was runner-up, Lambert launched a music career with the release of his debut studio album For Your Entertainment (2009) after signing with 19 in a joint venture with RCA. Debuting at number three on the Billboard 200, selling 198,000 copies in the U.S. in its first week, and reaching the top 10 in several countries worldwide, the album subsequently achieved international success with its singles "For Your Entertainment", "Whataya Want from Me" and "If I Had You".^[3][4][5] Soon after, he embarked on his first headlining worldwide concert tour, Glam Nation, making him the only American Idol contestant to do so in the year following his Idol season. The tour was followed by two live releases: an extended play entitled Acoustic Live! (2010), and a live CD/DVD Glam Nation Live (2011), which debuted at number one on the SoundScan Music Video chart.^[6] Lambert took executive producer credit and was a principal writer on his second studio album, Trespassing, which was released to critical acclaim on May 15, 2012.^[7] Trespassing made its debut in the number one spot on the Billboard 200 album chart,^[8] also topping the Billboard Digital Albums Chart and Canada's Digital Albums Chart.^[9][10]With this accomplishment, Lambert makes music history as the first openly gay artist to achieve the top charting position.^[11][12][13]

Citing influence from various artists, Lambert has become recognized for his flamboyant, theatrical and androgynous performance style, and his powerful and technically skilled tenor voice with multi-octave range.^[14][15] He has accrued numerous awards and nominations, including a Grammy nomination for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance, and has sold nearly two million copies of his debut album worldwide as of April 2012^[16] and 4.2 million singles worldwide as of January 2011.^[17] The Times identified Lambert as the first openly gay mainstream pop artist to launch a career on a major label in the U.S., while The LA Times ranked him fifth in its list of the top 120 American Idol contestants.^[18][19]

Biography[link]

Early life (1982–2000)[link]

Adam Lambert was born in Indianapolis, Indiana, on January 29, 1982, to mother Leila (née Mitchel), an interior designer; and father Eber Lambert, a program manager for Novatel Wireless.^[20] He has a younger brother, Neil.^[20] His father is of mostly Norwegian descent and his mother is Jewish. Lambert was raised in his mother's religion^[21][22][23] and has since performed in Hebrew at Jewish events, singing songs such as "Shir LaShalom" at a 2005 tribute concert to assassinated Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin^[24] and performing at the San Diego Temple of the Arts multiple times, including at the Kol Nidre service on the Jewish holiday of Yom Kippur.^[25]

Shortly after Lambert's birth, his family moved to California when a job opportunity opened for his father in San Diego.^[26] At first, they lived in Rancho Bernardo but settled in Rancho Peñasquitos after his brother was born.^[26] Attending Deer Canyon Elementary School, Lambert began performing with Metropolitan Educational Theatre network from the age of nine and appeared in local productions of You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown and Fiddler on the Roof with the company.^[26][27] Around this age, he also received voice coaching and continued his passion for performing while he attended Mesa Verde Middle School.^[20]

While attending Mount Carmel High School (MCHS), he became heavily involved with theater and choir, frequently performed vocals with the school's jazz band, MC Jazz, and loyally competed in the local Air Bands competitions.^[26] Some of his memorable MCHS performances included Frederic in The Pirates of Penzance and "It's Only a Paper Moon" with MC Jazz.^[28] Still thrilled by the stage, Lambert auditioned for Starlight Theatre, a professional outdoor theater company in Balboa Park, where he performed in the ensemble for Hello, Dolly!, Camelot, The Music Man, Grease and as Captain Hook in Peter Pan.^[20][26] After graduating in 2000, he moved to Orange County to attend college. Shortly after enrollment, Lambert had a change of heart, pushed by his intense desire to perform. He left school after only five weeks and moved to Los Angeles. "I just decided that what I really wanted to do was try to work in the real entertainment world," he said. "Life is all about taking risks to get what you want."^[28]

Career beginnings (2001–2008)[link]

At 19, Lambert landed his first job, touring on a cruise ship with Anita Mann Productions for ten months.^[29] Afterwards, he began auditioning again and performed in light opera in Orange County, California.^[29] By 21, he was signed with a manager and cast in a European tour of Hair for six months.^[29] "That was a huge turning point for me personally, because I finally got comfortable in my own skin. I was discovering a lot about myself. Sex, drugs and rock 'n' roll, a lot of it."^[29] He dyed his hair black, and while in Germany, reportedly started smoking cannabis and tried ecstasy.^[30] In 2004, he appeared in the Theatre Under the Stars (TUTS) production of Brigadoon^[31] and a Pasadena Playhouse production of 110 in the Shade,^[32] before being cast in the role of Joshua in The Ten Commandments: The Musical at the Kodak Theatre alongside Val Kilmer. Lambert, still unknown, was one of the few facets of the production to garner a positive review.^[32][33] After coming to the attention of the casting director for the musical Wicked, he was hired as the understudy for the role of Fiyero in addition to being an ensemble member in the first national touring production of the musical from 2005, and the Los Angeles production from 2007. He finished performances with the musical in 2008.^[32] Beginning in 2004, he regularly performed at the Upright Cabaret and the Zodiac Show, which was co-created by Carmit Bachar of the Pussycat Dolls.

During this same period, Lambert briefly moonlighted as the front man for underground rock band The Citizen Vein with Steve Sidelnyk, Tommy Victor and Monte Pittman.^[34] He remembers, "We did three gigs and that was it and we recorded a couple things, like rough recordings, and I don't know, it didn't quite click."^[35] He also worked as a demo singer and a session musician; a compilation of his 2005 recordings were later released on the album Take One (2009)^[36] by Hi Fi Recordings and Wilshire Records. Upon their release, Lambert issued a statement: "Back in 2005 when I was a struggling artist, I was hired as a studio singer to lend my vocals to tracks written by someone else. I was broke at the time and this was my chance to make a few bucks, so I jumped at the opportunity to record for my first time in a professional studio. The work I did back then in no way reflects the music I am currently in the studio working on."^[37]

[edit] American Idol (2009)

Lambert singing the national anthem during his visit to MCAS Miramar (2009)

Lambert auditioned for the eighth season of American Idol in San Francisco, California. He recalls his decision to audition for the show came after a week at Burning Man where he experimented with "certain funguses." He went on to say that "I had a psychedelic experience where I looked up at the clouds and went, 'Oh!' I realized that we all have our own power, and that whatever I wanted to do, I had to make happen."^[38] During his initial audition, Lambert sang the songs "Crazy", "Rock With You" and "Bohemian Rhapsody".^[35] Although advancing to Hollywood week and performing "What's Up" and "Believe" as solos and "Some Kind of Wonderful" in the group performance,^[39] judges Simon Cowell and Kara DioGuardi feared he was too theatrical.^[35] Nonetheless, he advanced to the top 36 where contestants were split into three groups of 12. Lambert was in group 2 and performed "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction",^[39] after which, he was voted into the top 13, joining fellow group 2 performers Allison Iraheta and Kris Allen. Lambert and Allen became roommates in the Idol mansion.^[21]

The first week of live shows, Lambert sang Michael Jackson's "Black or White", leading to praiseful support from all four judges.^[40] The following week, Lambert sang a version of "Ring of Fire". While Randy Jackson, DioGuardi, and Paula Abdul all liked his performance, Cowell called it "indulgent rubbish".^[40] On Motown night, Lambert sang an acoustic version of The Miracles' "The Tracks of My Tears". The judges all liked it, and Smokey Robinson, the week's mentor and the original singer-songwriter, gave Lambert a standing ovation. When Lambert performed "Play That Funky Music", DioGuardi capped the judge's across-the-board positive reaction with: "Every week I cannot wait to get to the show and see what you’re going to do next."^[40] Advancing to the top 8, he sang the 2001 Michael Andrews and Gary Jules arrangement of "Mad World". Because the show had exceeded its time slot, only Cowell gave a critique, which he did by simply giving Lambert a standing ovation. During the results the next night, the other judges agreed that a standing ovation was the best critique of Lambert's performance.^[40] The next week, he performed "Born to Be Wild" to which Abdul responded, "You're one of the bravest contestants I've ever witnessed", but Cowell questioned the performance's overall likability factor in the general public.^[40]

Photos of Lambert romantically kissing another man surfaced in the midst of the American Idol competition. Highlighted as controversial, they were presented and discussed by conservative commentators on The O'Reilly Factor, who called them "embarrassing", but did not agree that the images would impact the competition.^[41] Lambert confirmed that the photos were of him, stating he had nothing to hide and has always been open about his life.^[42] Mainstream media speculation centered on Lambert's sexuality; presuming he was gay, he would be the first gay American Idol.^{[43][note 1]} Much of the media focus regarded the readiness of American Idol voters for an openly gay winner.^[43] Asked by Rolling Stone whether the speculation surrounding his sexual orientation impacted the final vote, Lambert laughed and said "probably".^[44] He confirmed that he was gay in a Rolling Stone cover story interview shortly after he was named the American Idol runner-up.^[30]

For his second top 7 performance, Lambert sang "If I Can't Have You", delivering what DioGuardi described as his "most memorable performance", while Cowell described his vocals as "immaculate" and Abdul was reduced to tears.^[40] A week later, he returned with "Feeling Good" which received mixed reception from the judges who felt his edgy and dramatic theatrical performance was "a little too Broadway." For the first and only time, he ended up in the bottom two after the public vote, but received enough votes to remain in the competition.^[40] Down to the top 4, Lambert was the first to perform and sang "Whole Lotta Love". Cowell commented, "that was one of my favorite performances" admitting that "nobody can top that now", while Abdul described Lambert's performance as "a whole lotta perfect." He followed it by "nailing" his duet of "Slow Ride" with fellow competitor Allison Iraheta later in the night.^[40] For the top 3 show, he performed "One" before Cowell declared, "If you are not in the final next week, it will be one of the biggest upsets", and followed it with "Cryin' before Abdul affirmed, "we'll be seeing you next week and many years after that."^[40] He also visited his hometown and reprised his earlier successes of "Black or White" and "Mad World" at his alma mater, Mount Carmel High School.^[45] Afterwards, San Diego mayor Jerry Sanders declared May 8, 2009, "Adam Lambert Day."^[46]

Friends from the start, Lambert and Kris Allen were safe, and into the final. Lambert performed three solo songs in the final, reprising "Mad World" as his choice. He followed this by the 1960s civil rights anthem "A Change Is Gonna Come", picked by producer Simon Fuller, to a tremendously positive judge reaction. "That was the best I've EVER heard you sing, EVER EVER EVER EVER EVER!" cooed Abdul. "Whatever happens with this Idol journey, I know you're going to be iconic."^[40] The mandatory winner's single, "No Boundaries", was then performed by both Lambert and Allen. After the performance, Cowell summed up Lambert's journey, "Over the entire season, you've been one of the best, most original contestants we've ever had on the show. The hope and whole idea of a show like this is to find a worldwide star, and I truly believe we've found that in you."^[40] Alongside the usual solo performances, Lambert also performed a medley of "Beth", "Detroit Rock City", and "Rock and Roll All Nite" with rock band Kiss and joined with Kris Allen, Brian May and Roger Taylor (of Queen) to perform the anthem "We Are the Champions" during the final episode before the results were announced.^[47] Lambert was announced as the runner-up for the eighth season of American Idol but, upon winning, Kris Allen stated, "Adam deserved this." Explaining this remark later, Allen said that he thought Lambert deserved to win as much as he did, and that Lambert "was the most consistent person all year. He was seriously one of the most gifted performers that I've ever met."^[48] Lambert's version of the winner's single was released alongside Allen's version. The LA Times later ranked Lambert 5th in its list of the top 120 American Idol contestants, selected from seasons 1 to 9 of the show, above Allen.^[49]

[edit] American Idol season 8 performances and results

• ^ Note A: Due to the judges using their one save to save Matt Giraud, the Top 7 remained intact for an additional week.
• ^ Note B: It was only announced that Allison Iraheta received the lowest number of votes this week. The other member(s) of the bottom two or three were never revealed, and the safe contestants were announced in random order.

Fresh from the competition, Lambert participated in the American Idols LIVE! Tour 2009 with his fellow top 10 contestants which visited 50 cities in the United States and Canada from July 5 to September 15, 2009 and was the recipient of two 2009 awards: the Young Hollywood Award for Artist of the Year and the Teen Choice Award for Male Reality/Variety Star.^[50][51] He reteamed with fellow American Idol contestants Kris Allen and Allison Iraheta for a special Idols Rock My Town concert in February which was held at the Highline Ballroom in New York City.^[52] When Lambert appeared a guest on Larry King Live (guest-hosted by Ryan Seacrest) along with Kris Allen, judge Paula Abdul, and the rest of the top ten finalists, he stated that he planned to create a pop rock, multi-genre album fused with electronic production.^[53] Lambert stuck to those intentions; the album he subsequently released conformed highly to his description of the album he planned to make.^[54]

[edit] For Your Entertainment and touring (2009–2011)

Lambert at the 16th Screen Actors Guild Awards (2010)

For Your Entertainment, Lambert's debut studio album, was released in 2009. Number three on the Billboard 200^[55] and selling 198,000 copies in the United States in its first week,^[5] the album sees Lambert in collaboration with a number of producers, majorly Rob Cavallo, and a string of writers that includes Matthew Bellamy, Ryan Tedder, Rivers Cuomo, Justin Hawkins, P!nk, Linda Perry and Lady Gaga.^[56] At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received an average score of 71, which indicates "generally favorable reviews" with Entertainment Weekly writing, "he's still the belle of what turns out to be one heck of a glitter-pop ball," and All Music Guide stating, "there's a lot of pure pop pleasure here, more than any immediate post-Idol album has ever delivered." But Rolling Stone gave it a more mixed review: "The songs sound great but feel strangely stuffy--[it] seems like a disc that was overthought."^[57] Its Claude Kelly and Dr. Luke-produced lead single "For Your Entertainment" preceded the album's release but was not as successful as its second single "Whataya Want from Me" which impacted on charts worldwide, became his highest-peaking single (at number 10) on the Billboard Hot 100, and was nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance at the 53rd awards ceremony. Another notable single included on the album was "Time for Miracles", which was originally intended as only the ending theme for the disaster movie 2012; Queen guitarist Brian May lauded the "truly sensational" song, admitting that he was "completely blown away" upon hearing the track.^[58] Since its release, For Your Entertainment has sold nearly 2 million copies worldwide ^[59] and was certified gold in the US.^[3][60][54]

On November 22, Lambert performed "For Your Entertainment" at the American Music Awards of 2009. The controversial performance, which was the night's finale, showed Lambert kissing a male bassist, grinding a dancer's head against his pelvis, and grabbing the crotch of another.^[61] In response, the Parents Television Council, a conservative decency campaigning group,^[62] urged viewers to complain to the FCC,^[63] despite the fact that the performance occurred "outside the FCC's usual 6am-10pm time frame prohibiting the broadcast of indecent material".^[64] ABC received about 1,500 telephoned complaints and cancelled Lambert's scheduled November 25 performance on Good Morning America.^[65][66] Consequently, CBS invited Lambert to perform on The Early Show instead, on the same date, in New York City.^[67] When discussing the incident in a backstage Rolling Stone interview after the performance, Lambert stated: "Female performers have been doing this for years—pushing the envelope about sexuality—and the minute a man does it, everybody freaks out. We're in 2009—it's time to take risks, be a little more brave, time to open people's eyes and if it offends them, then maybe I'm not for them. My goal was not to piss people off, it was to promote freedom of expression and artistic freedom."^[61] Lambert returned to the AMA's two years later as a presenter, and was warmly received.^[68]

In the months surrounding his album release, Lambert appeared on the cover of a number of high-profile magazines including Entertainment Weekly in May 2009,^[69] Rolling Stone in June 2009^[70] and Details in November 2009.^[71] In his Details shoot he was photographed with a nude woman, sparking controversy.^[72] His Rolling Stone cover story became the magazine's best selling issue of the year.^[73] He appeared on the cover of Out magazine in their "Out 100" issue (11/09),^[74] again sparking controversy when Out's publisher issued him an open letter questioning the "gayness" of his image.^[75] The Canadian website and magazine Rockstar Weekly published an Adam Lambert fan magazine in February 2010 featuring fun and inspirational stories from Lambert fans around the world. The issue sold out quickly in its limited first run and was re-issued in October 2010 with extra pages.^[76] In April it was revealed that Lambert had been chosen one of People Magazine's Most Beautiful People 2010.^[77] He appeared on the cover of Japan's May 2010 issue of Rolling Stone magazine, after his single "For Your Entertainment" reached its fifth consecutive number-one spot on their radio airplay charts.^[78] In November 2011, Lambert appeared on the cover of The Advocate, which included an in-depth interview about his upcoming album and other topics.^[79] The issue immediately became a sought-after item, since the magazine is available by subscription only.^[80]

In support of the album, Lambert performed at various events since its release, both in the US and internationally. These included radio-sponsored events, live concerts, and televised events. In December 2009, he hosted and performed at a number of radio-sponsored Jingle Balls, in New York, Miami, and Tampa, Florida.^[81] And, to ring in the New Year, he headlined the Gridlock New Year's Eve 2010 festival at Paramount Studios in Los Angeles, CA. The event, hosted by Pamela Anderson, benefited the American Red Cross.^[82] In February 2010, AOL Music unleashed a special, intimate, five-song mini-concert on AOL Sessions where Lambert performed "Whataya Want from Me", the Lady Gaga-written "Fever", "Strut", "If I Had You" and "Soaked".^[83] The same month, he performed another intimate acoustic concert for IHeartRadio where he stopped the performance of "Whataya Want from Me" to ask an audience member to stop talking on her cell phone.^[84] Later that month, Lambert performed his first official solo concert, held at Fantasy Springs Resort Casino in Indio, California,^[85] where played to a sold-out audience of 3,500 fans, some of whom came from as far away as Thailand and Australia to attend the concert.^[86] On March 31, 2010, Lambert performed  a set in Berns, Stockholm, Sweden.^[87] In April 2010, he performed two concerts in British Columbia, Canada; the first on April 8 in Coquitlam, BC, and another concert at the River Rock Casino Resort in Richmond B.C. the following night.^[88] A year later in May 2011, Lambert performed at the Maxidrom Festival in Moscow, Russia, to an estimated crowd of 50,000 people^[89] while July saw him at the Ste Agathe en Feux Festival in Quebec, Canada.

At the start of June 2010, Lambert embarked on his debut headlining concert tour Glam Nation, playing throughout the United States with Allison Iraheta and Orianthi before performing throughout Europe and Asia. His concert in Malaysia on October 10, 2010, went ahead as planned, despite protests from an Islamist political party.^[90] Lambert performed a total of 113 shows; nearly all of them sold out.^[91] The concert performed at Indianapolis was filmed for Lambert's first video release Glam Nation Live, a package included a 13-track CD with a DVD which featured the concert and behind-the-scenes footage.^[92] The concert, which MTV called "out of this world", and his subsequent video release, were well-received, with Entertainment Weekly saying that it "sizzles" with the energy that Lambert's vocals bring in a live concert setting.^[93] Glam Nation Live debuted at number one on the SoundScan Music Video chart^[94] and landed in the number-12 spot on Billboard's 2011 year-end chart for music video sales.^[95] This followed the release of his first extended play (EP), titled Acoustic Live!, which included acoustic versions of his songs recorded live in various countries. The EP garnered excellent reviews and was called "electrifying" by the New York Daily News.^[96][97][98]

On November 6, 2011, Lambert joined the legendary band Queen as lead singer for a special performance at the MTV Europe Music Awards held in Belfast, Northern Ireland, where the band was honored with the Global Icon Award. In a "spectacular" performance that closed the show, Lambert and Queen presented a medley of the classic hits “The Show Must Go On”, "We Will Rock You", and "We Are the Champions".^[99] On December 9, Roger Taylor was quoted as saying they are in talks with Lambert about fronting some more live shows for Queen, calling the artist "a really great performer with an astonishing voice."^[100]

[edit] Trespassing (2012–present)

After changing management from 19 Entertainment to Direct Management Group in August 2011,^[101] Lambert announced that his second studio album, Trespassing, would be released on March 20, 2012; and that he would serve as executive producer.^[102] In mid-February, he reported that the release had been delayed to "Mapril", citing last minute additions of new songs and collaborations.^[103] After unveiling snippets of four more album tracks, Lambert announced in late March that the album would drop on May 15, 2012.^[104][105] Anticipation for the release has been building and is considerable.^{[106][107][108]} The title track was co-written with Grammy Award winning Pharrell Williams,^[109] while the album's lead single, "Better Than I Know Myself", a collaboration with Dr. Luke and Claude Kelly,^[110] was released on December 20, 2011 to all digital retailers.^[102] His debut live performance of the single on January 17, 2012, on the The Tonight Show with Jay Leno received overwhelmingly positive reviews, focusing on Lambert's soaring and impeccable vocals on this melodically challenging song, as well as his more stripped down and sophisticated look.^{[111][112][113][114]} Its reprise on the The Ellen DeGeneres Show two days later, brought equally favorable reviews as well as an interview.^[115][116] The commanding album cover art by Lambert's friend and Art Director/Photographer for Trespassing, Lee Cherry, was revealed on January 24. The image is a dramatic departure from Lambert's depiction on the 2009 cover of For Your Entertainment, signaling a new era in his career.^[117][118]

On January 29, Lambert's 30th birthday, he was the first American artist to play the Q-Snowcase in Zell Am See, Austria. In a five-song acoustic set, he performed three songs from the new album—including a debut unplugged version of the title track "Trespassing," described as "fierce and funky" in this rendition.^[119]

Lambert premiered his provocative and "stunningly art-directed" video of "Better Than I Know Myself" on his Vevo channel on February 3, 2012.^[120] Directed by Ray Kay, the video provides the viewer with split screen and split personality entree into an interpretative world where dark and light collide and coalesce. The multiple meanings attached to the work serve as the introduction to the theme of the album Trespassing, which Lambert says reflects the dark and light sides of himself through song.^[121][122]

It was announced in February that Lambert would take the stage with Queen to headline the U.K.'s Sonisphere Festival on July 7, 2012. The performance was to have particular significance as its location at Knebworth Park marks the site of Freddie Mercury's final performance with the band in August 1986. In announcing the lineup, Sonisphere cited the "potent chemistry" between Lambert and Queen at the EMAs, as well as the event's historic significance.^[123][124] Discussing the date, Brian May remarked that he expected Lambert to be a "great interpreter" of Mercury's songs: “It will be challenging – my God, it will be challenging," said May.^[125] Queen announced an additional appearance with Lambert in Moscow's Olympic Stadium, on June 30, 2012.^[126][127] Subsequently, the Sonisphere Knebworth festival was cancelled due to logistics and "circumstances,"^[128] with both Queen and Lambert expressing disappointment and sadness respectively, but also hope for "redress" in the future.^[129][130] Days later, Roger Taylor announced that Queen and Lambert would perform three summer dates in addition to their Moscow show: two in London in early July and one in Kiev that would also feature Elton John as a headliner.^[131][132] In late April, another concert was added in Wrocław, Poland, for July 7, where Queen and Lambert will headline a new rock festival.^[133] Queen announced that a third London show would be added on July 14, as a result of the instantaneous sell-out of the earlier two London dates.^[134][135]

Lambert performed "Trespassing" on April 9, 2012, at the Logo channel's fifth annual NewNowNext Awards, where he closed the show with a "rousing" and "in-your-face" performance.^[136][137] On April 11, he announced via twitter, that the album's next single would be Never Close Our Eyes, written by Bruno Mars and produced by Dr. Luke.^[138][139] Reviews for the song, which was released digitally on April 17,^[140] have been overwhelmingly positive.^[141][142] "Never Close Our Eyes" debuted on national television on Jimmy Kimmel Live! on April 27, 2012, when Lambert performed for their concert series, again garnering positive reviews.^[143][144] He appeared on Good Morning America -- the show from which he was cut following his controversial American Music Awards of 2009 performance—on May 14, to sing "Never Close Our Eyes" and co-host the Pop News segment.^[145] He announced via Twitter that he would return to the American Idol stage for his third consecutive year to perform "Never Close Our Eyes" on the results show that precedes Idol's final week.^[146] The May 17 performance was touted for its vibrant energy and dazzle, as well as for the powerhouse vocals that have become Lambert's signature.^{[147][148][149]}

Trespassing was released on May 15, 2012, following more than a week of major news stories and a preponderance of positive reviews.^{[150][151][152][153]} Lambert tweeted his excitement at finding that the album had spent its first day at the top of the U.S. iTunes album chart.^[154][155]On May 23, the album debuted in the number one position on the Billboard 200 chart, selling upwards of 77,000 copies.^[156][157]Lambert again took to twitter, referencing the historic significance of being the first openly gay artist to reach this pinnacle, and as usual, acknowledging the help of his fans.^[158]

The video for "Never Close Our Eyes," released on May 29, flipped the song's more personal, manifest content on its head, as Lambert had done with "Trespassing"'s first video release, "Better Than I Know Myself." Directed by Dori Oskowitz, it depicts a a drab, futuristic, Orwellian-type landscape which becomes transformed through rebellion, visually represented by dazzling neon color and celebratory dance. The latter signify the return (and triumph) of individual expression, advancing the album's themes of dark vs. light, and suppression vs. self-affirmation.^{[159][160][161]}

Television (2009–2011)[link]

Lambert has made numerous television appearances since leaving the American Idol stage.

In May 2009, he performed outdoors at the Fifth Avenue studios of CBS' The Early Show with his rendition of "Mad World".^[162] The following morning, he was interviewed on Live with Regis and Kelly, and again performed “Mad World.”^[163]

He was interviewed for a segment of the ABC News magazine show 20/20 in June 2009, which was promoted as the first televised discussion by Lambert of his sexuality. The interview reviewed much of his musical career, leading into the up-coming 2009 Idol Tour.^[164]

In August 2009, he appeared with fellow Idols David Cook and Kris Allen on the Good Morning America televised concert series held in Central Park, New York City. He sang a nearly acoustic version of Muse’s “Starlight,” which had become part of his set list for the American Idols LIVE! Tour 2009, then running concurrently.^[165][166]

On November 25, 2009, Lambert performed his single "Whataya Want from Me" on The Late Show with David Letterman. Earlier that day, he had debuted the song live on The Early Show, where he also sang "Music Again" from the newly released For Your Entertainment album. The appearances provided a segue from his controversial American Music Awards performance that had occurred only days earlier.^[167]

Lambert began December 2009 with an appearance on The Ellen DeGeneres Show. The interview segment covered his AMA performance as well as the newly released For Your Entertainment. Lambert later performed his new single "Whataya Want from Me",^[168] which he reprised in an acoustic version on Ellen’s February 10, 2011 show, soon after being nominated for a Grammy Award for his vocal performance of the song.^[169] In May 2010, he returned to perform a new single, "If I Had You".^[170]

Lambert was chosen for Barbara Walters' 10 Most Fascinating People of 2009, and appeared on the December 10 show to be interviewed by Walters.^[171] That same morning, he appeared on The View, another interview format which also included a performance of "Whataya Want from Me".^[172] Both the Barbara Walters special and The View are ABC shows: the same network which had reacted by banning Lambert after receiving complaints following his November American Music Awards appearance. As a result, the performance on The View was pre-recorded.

Lambert appeared on The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien on December 14, 2009, and performed his single.^[173] He provided another live performance two days later on the season finale of So You Think You Can Dance. Appearing with other superstar artists, Lambert's "Whataya Want from Me" stole the show, according to an MTV review. Earlier that day, he appeared on Chelsea Lately, with host Chelsea Handler.^[174]

Lambert appeared for the first time on The Jay Leno Show on December 21, 2009, giving a lengthy interview and performing "Whataya Want from Me".^[175] He was invited back in March 2010 to close the second episode of The Tonight Show featuring Jay Leno, with a performance of the song "Sleepwalker" from his debut album.^[176] Lambert performed his newly released single "If I Had You" on Leno's May 21, 2010, show.^[177]

Lambert began 2010 with a January interview and performance of "If I Had You" on The Oprah Winfrey Show.^[178] A few days prior, he was interviewed for the Fuse TV "On the Record" segment.^[179] In February, he could be seen as Grammy correspondent on the Red Carpet for Entertainment Tonight.^[180] In March, as part of his swing through Australia to promote his album, he performed on "So You Think You Can Dance", as well as the popular morning show "Sunrise".^[181] Lambert also did a series of television appearances in Japan,^[182] as part of his Asian and European promotional tour.

In the same month, Lambert was selected to inaugurate the newly resurrected award-winning VH1 Unplugged concert series, for which he interviewed as well as performed stripped-down versions of five songs from For Your Entertainment.^[183] March 2010 also saw him as a featured artist on the ABC News Nightline "Playlist" segment, in which he discussed his musical influences and favorite tracks.^[184]

In April 2010, Lambert returned to American Idol as the first former contestant to mentor during an Elvis Presley themed week, followed by a performance of "Whataya Want from Me".^[185] His contributions drew praise, including from then Idol musical director Rickey Minor.^[186] In May, continuing his swing though Europe, he gave a guest interview for Finland X Factor 's the "Chaos Tube," also performing "Whataya Want from Me" on the show.^[187]

Lambert appeared on Canada's MuchMusic Video Awards on June 20, 2010, picking up the UR Fav International Video award for "Whataya Want from Me" which he also performed.^[188] On November 11, 2010 he was the subject of his own E! True Hollywood Story, which included in-depth interviews with family members, friends, music journalists and others.^[189] In December, Lambert was the subject of another in-depth interview for CNN Talk Asia, which he recorded while on the international leg of his tour.^[190]

Lambert walked the 2011 Grammy Awards red carpet on February 13, 2011, in honor of his nomination in the Best Male Pop Vocal category for "Whataya Want from Me". He was also one of five participants in the Grammy Social Media Rock Stars Summit, which kicked off a three-day online Grammy event preceding the show. Other participants included senior executives from Facebook, Pandora and Foursquare, and Grammy award winner Chamillionaire. The summit focused on issues relevant to music and its interface with social and new media platforms.^[191][192]

In the February 19, 2011, episode of MTV’s “10 0n Top”, Lambert was interviewed during a limo ride to the Grammy Award event, where he discussed his nomination, fashion and favorites for the evening. The show focusses on the ten “most texted and talked about young celebs at the moment.”^[193][194]

Lambert returned to the American Idol stage for the March 10, 2011, results show, singing an acoustic version of his song "Aftermath", accompanied only by guitar. The track appears in its original form on his debut album For Your Entertainment. After the performance, a dance remix version was made available for purchase, with proceeds benefitting The Trevor Project.^[195]

Lambert was profiled in an episode of VH1's celebrated Behind the Music series, which premiered on August 7, 2011. The hour-long documentary featured never-before-seen home video, as well as interviews with friends, family, and music industry experts. Lambert revealed details about a broad range of topics, including early struggles with his sexuality, his experience in the theater, the circumstances that led to his American Idol audition, and the events surrounding the release of his debut album For Your Entertainment.^[196]

MTV's "Talk@Playground" presented Lambert with an opportunity to fuse two of his passions, fashion and music. In a piece that aired internationally in September 2011, Lambert was paired with friend and founder of Skingraft Designs, Jonny Cota, to discuss their growth as artists as well as what inspires them creatively. Lambert had worn Skingraft designs on American Idol and his Glam Nation Tour.^[197][198]

On September 22, 2011, Lambert again put his flair for fashion and music to work as guest judge on Project Runway. Contestants were charged with designing attire for the Rolling Stone cover shoot of emerging rock band The Sheepdogs. Lambert offered constructive critique that was well received by both contestants and judges.^[199]

Lambert donned his mentor cap on November 13, 2011, when he appeared as a "Major" in an episode of The Hub TV Network's Majors & Minors. As they rehearsed and performed his platinum hit "Whataya Want from Me", the young singing contestants were provided with expertise focused on the importance of stage presence and emotional engagement with the audience.^[200]

On November 20, 2011, after a two-year absence, Lambert returned to the American Music Awards, introducing a performance by the group OneRepublic. Rejecting claims that the singer was banned from the show in 2009, Executive Producer Larry Klein said that he's anticipating future Lambert performances: “Adam Lambert is a friend of ours, he's talented and I like everything about him."^[201]

Lambert made his third fashion-related television appearance of Fall 2011 when he appeared on the Sundance Channel program All on the Line with Joe Zee on December 9. Fast becoming a fashion icon himself, Lambert was chosen as the subject around which the show's young designers created a suitably modern look, which was then critiqued by Lambert and the hosts.^[202][203]

Artistry[link]

Voice[link]

Critics, celebrities and colleagues have been outspoken in their praise for Lambert’s vocal abilities. In a 2009 Associated Press interview, Wicked casting director Bernard Telsey, who recalled Lambert's audition and his amazing voice, said: "I literally remember saying, 'Oh my God, this guy has the highest range’.”^[204] Record producer Rob Cavallo once described Lambert as having an unlimited range, as well as being able to sing every note on a guitar from the lowest to the highest.^[205][206] David Stroud, a Los Angeles based vocal teacher, coached Lambert for his 2010 international Glam Nation Tour, in which he performed 113 shows without vocal rest.^[207] Stroud described Lambert as being able to "do extreme things with his voice that most singers will probably never be able to do.” ^[208] In a March 2012 interview, rock legend Meat Loaf rated Lambert's voice in the company of only two others, Whitney Houston and Aretha Franklin, based on "that jet pack quality to their voice that just lets it take off."^[209]

In 2011, when he took the stage at the MTV Europe Music Awards alongside honoree Queen, it was a fitting match for Lambert, whose theatrical style and vocals have often been compared with Freddie Mercury's.^[210] Brian May, legendary guitarist for Queen, noted that Lambert’s voice has “sensitivity, depth, maturity, and awesome range and power which will make jaws drop”;^[211] while Roger Taylor added that Lambert had "the best range I've ever heard" in a BBC interview in 2012.^[212] Pharrell Williams, after collaborating with Lambert on his Trespassing album, commented, “This kid has a voice like a siren – there’s no guys singing in that Steve Winwood-Peter Cetera range.”^[213]

Style and Image[link]

Lambert is best known for his theatrical performance style, which draws upon his personal eye for presentation and extensive stage experience. Kathie Bretches-Urban, co-founder of the Metropolitan Educational Theatre (now MET2) where Lambert performed as a youth, said Lambert “has invested his entire life in music and performing. He worked, much like an athlete would do, on his singing with voice lessons for his entire life.” ^[204] Lambert honed his theatrical style and stage swagger further, experimenting with outrageous makeup, hair, costumes, jewelry and fingernail polish when he became a regular featured performer in the L.A. glam-rock stage spectacle The Zodiac Show.^[204] While a contestant on Idol, Lambert's meticulous and varied stagings of himself in each of his performances, kept audiences and judges glued as much to his presence and stylings as to his powerful voice.^[214]

Influences[link]

Lambert was inspired when his father gave him access to his large record collection of 70’s music. He quickly gravitated towards theatrical rock from artists such as Madonna, David Bowie, Michael Jackson, Queen, Aerosmith, and Led Zeppelin.^[215][216] Lambert has recognized Michael Jackson and Madonna as musically influential for him, saying they were the “King and Queen” because they both creatively merged their music with makeup, outfits and theatrical music videos.^[217] He has often cited that many of his strongest influences have been British singers, such as Freddie Mercury, David Bowie and Robert Plant. He told the Daily Star, “Those are the people I really gravitate towards.” ^[218] When asked who his favorite performer of the glam rock era is, Lambert answered David Bowie: “he took costumes and story concepts for his Ziggy Stardust character to the next level. His music is amazing, and his lyrics are really intelligent.”^[219] In an interview with NPR, Lambert said he spent hours upon hours listening to Queen, trying to figure out how Freddie Mercury did what he did with his voice. “His voice has so much texture to it, he kind of grabs at everything and squeezes it.” Lambert says that Mercury was “completely over the top in the best possible way” and as an openly gay performer, "he owes a debt to Mercury's flamboyance decades ago."^[220]

Lambert’s own music has been influenced by numerous genres including classic rock, pop, and electronic music. His theatrical performance style draws heavily from his stage experience.^[221] The type of artist Lambert sees himself as being is “one that creates from the ground up, not only an amazing song, but one with a beat, and a story, and a look, and a theme.”^[217] For his sophomore album, he used inspiration from classic disco, 90’s electronica, funk and dubstep music.^[213]

Philanthropy[link]

Since his appearance on American Idol, Lambert has supported various charitable organizations and raises money through donations by fans. As of October 2011, these donations reached $1,000,000.^[222] In January 2009, Lambert asked fans to donate in his name to DonorsChoose.org, an online education charity that allows the public to directly donate to school projects instead of giving him gifts for his 28th birthday. 2,435 fans showed their support, donating $322,700, which provided resources and supplies to nearly 332,527 students.^[223] In June 2010, Lambert again teamed up with charity and asked fans to join his "Glam A Classroom" campaign to support music and arts programs in high-need public schools. By the end of the campaign, 3,020 fans had donated $208,590, reaching 284,672 students,^[224] and bringing total contributions for DonorsChoose to $531,290. In October 2010, Lambert collaborated a second Signature Collection design with The Pennyroyal Studio, the Infinity pendant, which raised an additional $43,092 for the DonorsChoose charity. The pendant design was retired in October 2010.^[225]

Lambert has also contributed to the MusiCares charity when he and The Pennyroyal Studio collaborated the design of an Eye of Horus pendant. The sale of this Eye of Horus pendant raised $32,000 in 7 days. The pendant design was retired in August 2009.^[226] In January 2011, he started a campaign to raise $29,000 for charity: water to commemorate his 29th birthday. Funds raised by charity: water go towards bringing clean and safe drinking water to people in developing nations. Fans surpassed the goal set by Lambert in less than five hours, and donations reached $60,000 by the end of the next 24 hours. On Lambert's birthday, more than $115,000 in donations came in. According to the charity, that amount broke the record for most donations in a single day, and crashed their servers. By the end of the campaign, Lambert's fans had raised $323,803, which helped 16,190 people receive clean water.^[227]He continued his efforts for his 30th birthday, at the end of January 2012, this time asking fans to "give up" their birthdays in an ongoing fundraiser that had raised 82,000 by May 2012.^[228]

Lambert is one of several artists to perform at Royal Albert Hall on June 7, 2012 in a concert benefiting the Rays Of Sunshine Children's Charity. The charity grants wishes to seriously ill children.^[229]

LGBT advocacy[link]

Lambert at the 21st GLAAD Media Awards (2010)

Lambert, himself openly gay, has contributed to the advancement of social acceptance towards LGBT people. He was presented the "Equality Idol Award" by Sam Sparro at the Equality California Los Angeles annual Equality Awards in August 2011 for being an exemplary role model for the LGBT community.^[230] He was honored with his mother the following month at the PFLAG National Los Angeles event for his "authentic" voice.^[231] He and his mother were presented awards which together interlocked to compose the PFLAG logo, symbolizing support by and for families and friends of LGBT individuals.^[232] Lambert received a GLAAD Media Award nomination for Outstanding Music Artist in 2010. The same year, he lent his voice to a one-and-a-half minute video message on YouTube for the It Gets Better campaign – a project created by columnist Dan Savage in response to school bullying and a rash of suicides among young LGBT people aiming to "provide hope to youth struggling with their identity." Recorded while he was touring, the clip shows Lambert encouraging viewers to take pride in themselves, and not allow bullies to prevail.^[233]

The following March, he released a Billboard remix version of his For Your Entertainment song "Aftermath" with a portion of the proceeds going to support The Trevor Project, the leading national organization providing crisis intervention and suicide prevention services to LGBT youth.^[234] He raised an additional $43,500 for The Trevor Project after collaborating with The Pennyroyal Studio to make his own Peace pendant.^[235] In October 2011, he raised another $2,100 from donations given on behalf of the Adam Lambert Glambert Fan Army for the MTV Dance Party Marathon. This raised funds to combat bullying in honor of National Bullying Prevention Month and was split between the LGBT charities GLSEN, It Gets Better Project, GSA, HRC, The Trevor Project and GLAAD.^[236][237]

In January 2012, in an exclusive interview with UK music news magazine Pressparty, Lambert recognised that despite the social progress made in the United States, there is still a long way to go, particularly in the music industry. “I still long for the LGBT community's diversity to be more broadly represented in the entertainment industry. I think larger strides have been made in film and TV but we still are just at the beginning with mainstream music. I consider myself a post-gay man working in a pre-gay industry”, he said.^[238]

Personal life[link]

Lambert is currently in a relationship with Finnish reality TV personality Sauli Koskinen.^[239]

Discography[link]

• For Your Entertainment (2009)
• Trespassing (2012)

Concert tours[link]

• American Idols LIVE! Tour 2009 (2009)
• Glam Nation Tour (2010)

Awards and nominations[link]

Billboard Year-End Chart Awards

Billboard Japan Music Awards

BMI Pop Music Award

Bravo Otto Awards

CMA Wild and Young Awards

EMMA Award Finland

Flecking Records

Fonogram – Hungarian Music Awards

GLAAD Media Awards

Grammy Awards

Mashable Awards

MTV O Music Awards

MuchMusic Video Awards

People's Choice Awards

Teen Choice Awards

VH1's Do Something Awards

Young Hollywood Awards

Notes[link]

References[link]