- Order:
- Duration: 5:41
- Updated: 26 Feb 2013
- published: 26 Feb 2013
- views: 3236
This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (May 2012) |
Seoul (Korean pronunciation: [sʌ.ul] ( listen), English /soʊl/), officially the Seoul Special City, is the capital and largest metropolis of South Korea. A megacity with a population of over 10 million, it is the largest city proper in the OECD developed world.[5] The Seoul National Capital Area is the world's second largest metropolitan area with over 25 million[6] inhabitants, which includes the surrounding Incheon metropolis and Gyeonggi province. Almost a quarter of South Koreans live in Seoul, half of South Koreans live in the metropolitan area, along with over 275,000 international residents.[7]
Located in the Han River, Seoul has been a major settlement for over 2,000 years, with its foundation dating back to 18 B.C. when Baekje, one of the Three Kingdoms of Korea, established its capital in what is now south-east Seoul. It continued as the capital of Korea during the Joseon Dynasty and the Korean Empire. The Seoul National Capital Area is home to four UNESCO World Heritage Sites: Changdeokgung, Hwaseong Fortress, Jongmyo Shrine and the Royal Tombs of the Joseon Dynasty.[8]
Today, Seoul is considered to be a leading global city, ranking among eighth in the Global Cities Index of 2012[9] and seventh in the Global Power City Index of 2011. The metropolis is involved in many global affairs, exerting rising influence as the host of the fifth most international conferences worldwide in 2010.[10] It is one of the world's top ten financial and commercial centers,[11] home to major multinational conglomerates[12] such as Samsung, LG and Hyundai-Kia. In 2008, Seoul was named the world's sixth most economically powerful city by Forbes.[13] Seoul was voted the top travel destination by Chinese, Japanese and Thai tourists for a third consecutive year in 2011.[14]
Seoul has a highly technologically advanced infrastructure.[15][16] It was the world's first city to introduce mobile TV DMB and wireless broadband WiBro, both serviced in all subway lines and buses along with 4G LTE and WiFi. It has the world's fastest 100 Mbit/s broadband network, which at 34.4% has the highest penetration in the world.[17] Seoul Station is the main terminal of the KTX bullet train and the Seoul Subway is the world's second most highly used, featuring the longest circular line and second longest fully underground line in the world.[18] Seoul has a unified public transportation system with Incheon and Gyeonggi, allowing passengers to transfer freely from either subway or bus using the T-money smart card and is connected via AREX to Incheon International Airport, rated the best airport worldwide since 2005 by Airports Council International.
Seoul hosted the 1986 Asian Games, 1988 Summer Olympics, 2002 FIFA World Cup and the 2010 G-20 Seoul summit. The city was named the World Design Capital for 2010 by the International Council of Societies of Industrial Design.
Contents |
The city has been known in the past by the names Wirye-seong (위례성; 慰禮城, Baekje era), Hanju (한주; 漢州, Silla era), Namgyeong (남경; 南京, Goryeo era), Hanseong (한성; 漢城, Baekje and Joseon era), Hanyang (한양; 漢陽, Joseon era), Gyeongseong (경성; 京城, during colonial era).[19] Its current name originated from the Korean word meaning "capital city," which is believed to be derived from the word, Seorabeol (서라벌; 徐羅伐), which originally referred to Gyeongju, the capital of Silla.[20]
Unlike most place names in Korea, "Seoul" has no corresponding hanja (Chinese characters used in the Korean language). On January 18, 2005, Seoul government officially changed its official Chinese language name to Shou'er (simplified Chinese: 首尔; traditional Chinese: 首爾; pinyin: shǒu'ěr) from the historic Hanseong (simplified Chinese: 汉城; traditional Chinese: 漢城; pinyin: hànchéng), whose use is still common though.[21][22][23]
Settlement began in Baekje, Wirye-seong, in 17 BC. The location of that site is thought to be within the boundaries of modern day Seoul, and the remains may be at Pungnap Toseong or Mongchon Toseong. It became the capital of the Joseon Dynasty in 1394. There were some modernization efforts by the late 19th century and Seoul became the first city in East Asia to have electricity, trolley cars, water, telephone, and telegraph systems all at the same time.[24] During the Japanese colonial period in the early 20th century, the city was called Gyeongseong (경성, lit. "Capital City"; Japanese: Keijō (京城 )). After independence in 1945, Koreans renamed the city Seoul (which also means "Capital City" in Korean). In 1949, Seoul was separated from Gyeonggi Province and was granted status as "Seoul Special City". In 1950, during the Korean War, Seoul was occupied by North Korean troops and the city was almost entirely destroyed. The city was retaken by UN Forces on 14 March 1951. Since then, the city boundary has steadily grown into surrounding administrative divisions of Gimpo, Goyang, Gwangju, Shiheung, and Yangju counties. The current boundaries were established in 1995.
Seoul is in the northwest of South Korea. Seoul proper comprises 605.25 km2,[2] with a radius of approximately 15 km, roughly bisected into northern and southern halves by the Han River. The Han River and its surrounding area played an important role in Korean history. The Three Kingdoms of Korea strove to take control of this land, where the river was used as a trade route to China (via the Yellow Sea). The river is no longer actively used for navigation, because its estuary is located at the borders of the two Koreas, with civilian entry barred. The city is bordered by eight mountains, as well as the more level lands of the Han River plain and western areas.
Seoul has a humid subtropical climate (Köppen climate classification Cwa), but it is close to a humid continental climate. Summers are generally hot and humid, with the East Asian monsoon taking place from June until July. August, the warmest month, has an average temperature of 22.4 to 29.6 °C (72 to 85 °F) with higher temperatures possible. Winters are often relatively cold with an average January temperature of -5.9 to 1.5 °C (21.4 to 34.7 °F) and are generally much drier than summers, with an average of 28 days of snow annually.
Climate data for Seoul (1981−2010) | |||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
Average high °C (°F) | 1.5 (34.7) |
4.7 (40.5) |
10.4 (50.7) |
17.8 (64.0) |
23.0 (73.4) |
27.1 (80.8) |
28.6 (83.5) |
29.6 (85.3) |
25.8 (78.4) |
19.8 (67.6) |
11.6 (52.9) |
4.3 (39.7) |
17.0 (62.6) |
Daily mean °C (°F) | −2.4 (27.7) |
0.4 (32.7) |
5.7 (42.3) |
12.5 (54.5) |
17.8 (64.0) |
22.2 (72.0) |
24.9 (76.8) |
25.7 (78.3) |
21.2 (70.2) |
14.8 (58.6) |
7.2 (45.0) |
0.4 (32.7) |
12.5 (54.5) |
Average low °C (°F) | −5.9 (21.4) |
−3.4 (25.9) |
1.6 (34.9) |
7.8 (46.0) |
13.2 (55.8) |
18.2 (64.8) |
21.9 (71.4) |
22.4 (72.3) |
17.2 (63.0) |
10.3 (50.5) |
3.2 (37.8) |
−3.2 (26.2) |
8.6 (47.5) |
Precipitation mm (inches) | 20.8 (0.819) |
25.0 (0.984) |
47.2 (1.858) |
64.5 (2.539) |
105.9 (4.169) |
133.2 (5.244) |
394.7 (15.539) |
364.2 (14.339) |
169.3 (6.665) |
51.8 (2.039) |
52.5 (2.067) |
21.5 (0.846) |
1,450.5 (57.106) |
% humidity | 59.8 | 57.9 | 57.8 | 56.2 | 62.7 | 68.1 | 78.3 | 75.6 | 69.2 | 64.0 | 62.0 | 60.6 | 64.4 |
Avg. precipitation days (≥ 0.1 mm) | 6.5 | 5.8 | 7.4 | 7.8 | 9.0 | 9.9 | 16.3 | 14.6 | 9.1 | 6.3 | 8.7 | 7.4 | 108.8 |
Mean monthly sunshine hours | 160.3 | 163.3 | 189.0 | 205.0 | 213.0 | 182.0 | 120.0 | 152.5 | 176.2 | 198.8 | 153.2 | 152.6 | 2,066.0 |
Source: Korea Meteorological Administration [25] |
Seoul is divided into 25 gu (구; 區) (district).[26] The gu vary greatly in area (from 10 to 47 km2) and population (from less than 140,000 to 630,000). Songpa has the most people, while Seocho, the largest area. The government of each gu handles many of the functions that are handled by city governments in other jurisdictions. Each gu is divided into "dong" (동; 洞) or neighbourhoods. Some gu have only a few dong while others like Jongno-gu have a very large number of distinct neighborhoods. Gu of Seoul consist of 522 administrative dongs (행정동) in total.[26] Dong are also sub-divided into 13,787 tong (통; 統), which are further divided into 102,796 ban in total.
|
|
Seoul proper is noted for its population density, which is almost twice that of New York and eight times greater than Rome, though slightly less than Paris. Its metropolitan area is the densest in the OECD.[27] Nearly all of Seoul's residents are Korean, with some small Chinese and Japanese minorities. As of 2009, the city’s population is 10,208,302.[28] The number of foreigners living in Seoul is 255,501 in 2010 according to Seoul officials.[29] As of the end of June 2011, 10.29 million Republic of Korea citizens lived in the city. This was a .24% decrease from the end of 2010. As of June 2011, 281,780 foreigners were located in Seoul. Of them, 186,631 foreigners (66%) were Chinese citizens of Korean nationality. This was a 8.84% increase from the end of 2010 and a 12.85% increase from June 2010. The next largest group was Chinese citizens who are not of Korean nationality; 29,901 of them resided in Seoul. The next highest group consisted of the 9,999 United States citizens who were not of Korean nationality. The next highest group were the Republic of China (Taiwan) citizens, at 8,717.[30]
The two major religions in Seoul are Christianity and Buddhism. Other religions include Shamanism and Confucianism, the latter seen more as a pervasive social philosophy rather than a religion.
As the headquarters for Samsung, LG, Hyundai, Kia and SK, Seoul has become a major business hub. Although it accounts for only 0.6 percent of South Korea's land area, Seoul generates 21 percent of the country's GDP.[31]
A large concentration of international companies are headquartered in Seoul.[32] International banks with branches in Seoul include Citigroup, Deutsche Bank, HSBC, Goldman Sachs, JPMorgan Chase, Barclays, Grupo Santander, UBS, Credit Suisse, UniCredit, Société Générale, Calyon, BBVA, Macquarie Group, ING Bank, State Street and Standard Chartered. The Korea Exchange Bank is also headquartered in the city.
The largest market in South Korea, the Dongdaemun Market, is located in Seoul. Myeongdong is a shopping and entertainment area in downtown Seoul with mid- to high-end stores, fashion boutiques and international brand outlets. The nearby Namdaemun Market, named after the Namdaemun Gate, is the oldest continually running market in Seoul. Sinchon is a shopping area that caters mainly to a younger and university student crowd.
Insadong is the cultural art market of Seoul, where traditional and modern Korean artworks, such as paintings, sculptures and calligraphy are sold. Hwanghak-dong Flea Market and Janganpyeong Antique Market also offer antique products. Some shops for local designers have opened in Samcheong-dong, where numerous small art galleries are located. Itaewon caters mainly to foreign tourists and American soldiers based in the city. The Gangnam district is one of the most affluent areas in Seoul and is noted for the fashionable and upscale Apgujeong-dong and Cheongdam-dong areas and the COEX Mall. Wholesale markets include Noryangjin Fisheries Wholesale Market and Garak Market. The Yongsan Electronics Market is the largest electronics market in Asia. The Gasan Digital Complex also has an extensive variety of electronic products.
Seoul provides free wifi access in outdoor spaces. This 47.7 billion won ($44 million) project will give residents and visitors Internet access at 10,430 parks, streets and other public places by 2015.[33]
The traditional heart of Seoul is the old Joseon Dynasty city, now the downtown area, where most palaces, government offices, corporate headquarters, hotels, and traditional markets are located. Cheonggyecheon, a stream that runs from west to east through the valley before emptying into the Han River, was for many years covered with concrete, but was recently restored through an urban revival project in 2005. The most historically significant street in Seoul is Jongno, meaning "Bell Street," on which one can find Bosingak, a pavilion containing a large bell. The bell signaled the different times of the day and therefore controlled the four major gates to the city. The only time it is usually rung now is at midnight on New Year's Eve, when it is rung thirty-three times. It was, however, rung on the day that President Kim Dae-jung took office. To the north of downtown is Bukhan Mountain, and to the south is the smaller Namsan. Further south are the old suburbs of Yongsan-gu and Mapo-gu. Across the Han River are the newer and wealthier areas of Gangnam-gu, Seocho-gu and surrounding neighborhoods.
Seoul has many historical and cultural landmarks. In Amsa-dong Preshistoric Settlement Site, Gangdong-gu, neolithic remains were excavated and accidentally discovered by a flood in 1925.
Urban and civil planning was a key concept when Seoul was first designed to serve as a capital in the late 14th century. The Joseon Dynasty built "Five Grand Palaces" in Seoul: Changdeokgung, Changgyeonggung, Deoksugung, Gyeongbokgung and Gyeonghuigung, all of which are located in the district of Jongno-gu and Jung-gu. Among them, Changdeokgung was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1997 as an "outstanding example of Far Eastern palace architecture and garden design". The main palace, Gyeongbokgung. is currently being restored to its original form. The palaces are considered exemplary architecture of the Joseon period. Beside the palaces, Unhyeongung is known for being the royal residence of Regent Daewongun, the father of Emperor Gojong at the end of the Joseon Dynasty.
Seoul has been surrounded by walls that were built to regulate visitors from other regions and protect the city in case of invasion. Pungnap Toseong is a flat earthen wall built at the edge of the Han River which is widely believed to be the site of Wiryeseong. Mongchon Toseong (몽촌토성; 蒙村土城) is another earthen wall built during the Baekje period which is now located inside the Olympic Park. The Castle Walls of Seoul (서울성곽; 서울城郭) are the remaining walls of Seoul from the Joseon Dynasty.
Although many walls and fortresses were demolished, some palace and fortress gates have played a role in the city's heart such as Sungnyemun and Heunginjimun. The gates are more commonly known as Namdaemun (South Great Gate) and Dongdaemun (East Great Gate). Namdaemun was the oldest wooden gate until a 2008 arson attack, and is currently undergoing reconstruction. Situated near the gates are the traditional markets and largest shopping center, Namdaemun Market and Dongdaemun Market.
There are also many buildings constructed with international styles in the late-19th and early-20th centuries. The Independence Gate was built in 1897 to inspire an independent spirit. Seoul Station was opened in 1900 as Gyeongseong Station.
Major modern landmarks in Seoul include the Korea Finance Building, N Seoul Tower, the World Trade Center and the seven-skyscraper residence Tower Palace. These and various high-rise office buildings, like the Gangnam Finance Center and Jongno Tower, dominate the city's skyline. Due to its high density, Seoul has a vast array of skyscrapers; the city council is now planning a series of new highrises, including a 640-meter business center in Sangam Digital Media City district and the 523-meter Lotte World 2 Tower in the Jamsil (pronounced "Jam-shil") district of Songpa-gu and Gangdong-gu.
The World Trade Center of Korea, located in Gangnam-gu, hosts various expositions and conferences. Also in Gangnam-gu is the COEX Mall, a large indoor shopping and entertainment complex. Downstream from Gangnam-gu is Yeouido, a island that is home to the National Assembly, major broadcasting studios, and a number of large office buildings, as well as the Korea Finance Building and the world's largest Pentecostal church. The Olympic Stadium, Olympic Park, and Lotte World are located in Songpa-gu, on the south side of the Han River, upstream from Gangnam-gu.
In recognition of all the notable recent buildings erected in the city, in 2010 Seoul was designated the World Design Capital for the year. As of 2011, the Dongdaemun Design Plaza & Park, designed by Zaha Hadid, is still under construction as is the new wave-shaped City Hall.
Seoul is home to over 100 museums, including three national and nine official municipal museums. The National Museum of Korea is the most representative of museums in not only Seoul but all of South Korea. Since its establishment in 1945, the museum has built a collection of 150,000 artifacts. In October 2005, the museum moved to a new building in Yongsan Family Park. The National Folk Museum is situated on the grounds of the Gyeongbokgung Palace in the district of Jongno-gu and uses replicas of historical objects to illustrate the folk history of the Korean people. Bukchon Hanok Village and Namsangol Hanok Village are old residential districts consisting of hanok Korean traditional houses, parks, and museums that allows visitors to experience traditional Korean culture. The War Memorial, one of nine municipal museums in Seoul, offers visitors an educational and emotional experience of various wars in which Korea was involved, including Korean War themes. The Seodaemun Prison is a former prison built during the Japanese occupation, and is currently used as a history museum.
The Seoul Museum of Art and Ilmin Museum of Art have preserved the appearance of the old building that is visually unique from the neighboring tall, modern buildings. The former is operated by Seoul City Council and sits adjacent to Gyeonghuigung Palace, a Joseon dynasty royal palace. For many Korean film lovers from all over the world, the Korean Film Archive is running the Korean Film Museum and Cinematheque KOFA in its main center located in Digital Media City(DMC), Sangam-dong. The Tteok & Kitchen Utensil Museum and Kimchi Field Museum provide information regarding Korean culinary history.
There are also religious buildings that take important roles in Korean society and politics. The Wongudan altar was a sacrificial place where Korean rulers held heavenly rituals since the Three Kingdoms period. Since the Joseon Dynasty adopted Confucianism as its national ideology in the 14th century, the state built many Confucian shrines. The descendants of the Joseon royal family still continue to hold ceremonies to commemorate ancestors at Jongmyo. It is the oldest royal Confucian shrine preserved and the ritual ceremonies continue a tradition established in the 14th century. Munmyo and Dongmyo were built during the same period. Although Buddhism was suppressed by the Joseon state, it has continued its existence. Jogyesa is the headquarters of the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism. Hwagyesa and Bongeunsa are also major Buddhist temples in Seoul.
The Myeongdong Cathedral is a landmark of the Myeongdong district and the biggest Catholic church established in Korea. It is a symbol of Christianity in Korea. It was also a focus for political dissent in the late-20th century. The Roman Catholic Church in South Korea has a very strong influence in Korean society, in fact the Korean Catholic Church has made a bid to host the World Youth Day but was not chosen at the moment.
There are many Protestant churches in Seoul. The largest number are Presbyterian, but there are also Methodist, Baptist, and Lutheran churches.
Hi! Seoul Festival is a seasonal cultural festival held four times a year every spring, summer, autumn, and winter in Seoul, South Korea since 2003. It is based on the "Seoul Citizens' Day" held on every October since 1994 to commemorate the 600 years history of Seoul as the capital of the country. The festival is arranged under the Seoul Metropolitan Government.
Namsan Park offers hiking, recreation and views of the downtown Seoul skyline. The N Seoul Tower is located here. Seoul Olympic Park is located in Songpa-gu and was built to host the 1988 Summer Olympics. The Wongaksa Pagoda 10 tier pagoda is situated In Tapgol Park, a small public park with an area of 19,599 m2 (210,962 sq ft). Areas around streams serve as public places for relaxation and recreation. Tancheon stream and the nearby area serve as a large park with paths for both walkers and cyclists. Cheonggyecheon, a stream that runs nearly 6 km through downtown Seoul, is popular among both Seoul residents and tourists. The Seoul metropolitan area accommodates six major parks, including the Seoul Forest, which opened in mid-2005. The Seoul National Capital Area also contains a green belt aimed at preventing the city from sprawling out into neighboring Gyeonggi Province. These areas are frequently sought after by people looking to escape from urban life on weekends and during vacations.
Seoul is also home to the world's largest indoor amusement park, Lotte World. Other recreation centers include the former Olympic and World Cup stadiums and the City Hall public lawn.
Seoul hosted the 1986 Asian Games commonly known as Asiad, 1988 Olympic Games and Paralympic Games. It also served as one of the host cities of the 2002 FIFA World Cup. Seoul World Cup Stadium hosted the opening ceremony and first game of the tournament.
Taekwondo is Korea's national sport and Seoul is the location of the Kukkiwon, the world headquarters of taekwondo, as well as the World Taekwondo Federation (WTF).
Tier | League | Club | Home Stadium |
---|---|---|---|
Top | K-League | FC Seoul | Seoul World Cup Stadium |
2nd | National League | N/A | N/A |
3rd | Challengers League | Seoul United | Madeul Stadium |
Seoul FC Martyrs | Gangbuk Public Stadium |
Tier | League | Club | Home Stadium |
---|---|---|---|
Top | WK-League | Seoul City Women's FC | To be determined |
Seoul has three professional baseball teams under the KBO: One of oldest clubs, Doosan Bears, LG Twins and Nexen Heroes.
Seoul is the world hub for E-Sports, this competitive sport gained mainstream popularity in Korea with the help of superstars such as Lim Yo-Hwan.
Games like Starcraft are played like a sport and are aired on TV on stations such as GOMTV and MBC.
Seoul is also home to two basketball clubs in the KBL: Seoul Samsung Thunders and Seoul SK Knights.
Seoul's professional volleyball club, Seoul Woori Capital Dream Six, debuted in the 2009–2010 season.
Seoul features one of the world's most advanced transportation infrastructures that is constantly under expansion. Its system dates back to the era of the Korean Empire, when the first streetcar lines were laid and a railroad linking Seoul and Incheon was completed. Seoul's most important streetcar line ran along Jongno until it was replaced by Line 1 of the subway system in the early 1970s. Other notable streets in downtown Seoul include Euljiro, Teheranno, Sejongno, Chungmuro, Yulgongno, and Toegyero. There are nine major subway lines stretching for more than 250 kilometers, with one additional line planned.
Seoul's bus system is operated by the Seoul Metropolitan Government, with four primary bus configurations available servicing most of the city. Seoul has many large intercity/express bus terminals. These buses connect Seoul with cities throughout South Korea. The Seoul Express Bus Terminal, Central City Terminal and Seoul Nambu Terminal are located in the district of Seocho-gu. In addition, East Seoul Bus Terminal in Gwangjin-gu and Sangbong Terminal in Jungnang-gu operate in the east of the city. To reduce air pollution in the metropolitan area, the municipal government is planning to convert over seven thousand of Seoul's diesel engine buses to natural gas by 2010.[34]
Seoul has a comprehensive subway network that interconnects every district of the city and the surrounding areas. With more than 8 million passengers per day, Seoul has one of the busiest subway systems in the world. The Seoul Metropolitan Subway has 12 lines which serve Seoul, Incheon, Gyeonggi province, western Gangwon province, and northern Chungnam province. In addition, in order to cope with the various modes of transport, Seoul's metropolitan government employs several mathematicians to coordinate the subway, bus, and traffic schedules into one timetable. The various lines are run by Korail, Seoul Metro, Seoul Metropolitan Rapid Transit Corporation, AREX and Metro 9
Seoul is connected to every major city in Korea by rail. Seoul is also linked to most major Korean cities by the KTX high-speed train, which has a normal operation speed of more than 300 km/h (186 mph). Major railroad stations include:
Two international airports serve Seoul. Gimpo International Airport, formerly in Gimpo but annexed to Seoul in 1963, was for many years (since its original construction during the Korean War) the only international airport serving Seoul. Other domestic airports were also built around the time of the war, including Yeouido.
When it opened in March 2001, Incheon International Airport on Yeongjong island in Incheon changed the role of Gimpo Airport significantly. Incheon is now responsible for almost all international flights and some domestic flights, while Gimpo serves only domestic flights with the exception of flights to Tokyo International Airport (Haneda) in Tokyo, Osaka Kansai International Airport, Hongqiao Airport in Shanghai, and Beijing Capital International Airport in Beijing. This has led to a significant drop in flights from Gimpo Airport.
Meanwhile, Incheon International Airport has become, along with Hong Kong, a major transportation center for East Asia.
Incheon and Gimpo are linked to Seoul by highways, and to each other by the Incheon International Airport Railroad, which is also linked to Incheon line #1. Gimpo is also linked by subway (line No. 5 and #9). The Incheon International Airport Railroad, connecting the airport directly to Seoul Station in central Seoul, was recently opened. Shuttle buses also transfer passengers between Incheon and Gimpo airports.
File:Hanyang.jpgFile:Sogang.jpg
Seoul is home to the majority of South Korea's most prestigious universities, including Ewha Womans University, Hankuk University of Foreign Studies, Hanyang University, Korea National University of Arts, Korea University, Kookmin University, Seoul National University, Seoul National University of Education, Seoul National University of Science and Technology, Sogang University, Sungkyunkwan University, Kyung Hee University, DongGuk University and Yonsei University.
Education from grades 1–10 are compulsory. Students spend six years in elementary school, three years in middle school, and three years in high school. Secondary schools generally require that the students wear uniforms. There is no exit exam for graduating from high school, but many students proceeding to the university level are required to take the Korean SAT exam that is held every November.
Seoul is home to various specialized high schools, including three science high schools (Hansung Science High School, Sejong Science High School and Seoul Science High School), and six foreign language high schools (Daewon Foreign Language High School, Daeil Foreign Language High School, Ewha Foreign Language High School, Hanyoung Foreign Language High School, Myungdeok Foreign Language High School and Seoul Foreign Language High School). Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education comprises 235 college-preparatory high schools, 80 vocational schools, 377 middle schools, and 33 special education schools as of 2009.
Look up Seoul in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. |
Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Seoul |
Preceded by |
Capital of Baekje 18 BC–475 AD |
Succeeded by Ungjin |
Preceded by Gaegyeong |
Capital of Korea | Succeeded by |
Preceded by |
Capital of South Korea 1948– |
Succeeded by (incumbent) |
|
Adam Lambert | |
---|---|
Adam Lambert at the 21st GLAAD Media Awards (2010) |
|
Background information | |
Birth name | Adam Mitchel Lambert |
Born | Indianapolis, Indiana |
January 29, 1982
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]
Contents |
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]
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]
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]
Week # | Theme | Song choice | Original artist | Order # | Result |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Audition | Auditioner's Choice | "Rock with You" "Bohemian Rhapsody" |
Michael Jackson Queen |
N/A | Advanced |
Hollywood | First Solo | "What's Up" | 4 Non Blondes | N/A | Advanced |
Hollywood | Group Performance | "Some Kind of Wonderful" | Soul Brothers Six | N/A | Advanced |
Hollywood | Second Solo | "Believe" | Cher | N/A | Advanced |
Top 36/Semi-Final 2 | Billboard Hot 100 Hits to Date | "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" | The Rolling Stones | 12 | Advanced |
Top 13 | Michael Jackson | "Black or White" | Michael Jackson | 11 | Safe |
Top 11 | Grand Ole Opry | "Ring of Fire" | Anita Carter | 5 | Safe |
Top 10 | Motown | "The Tracks of My Tears" | The Miracles | 8 | Safe |
Top 9 | Top Downloads | "Play That Funky Music" | Wild Cherry | 8 | Safe |
Top 8 | Year They Were Born (1982) | "Mad World" | Tears for Fears | 8 | Safe |
Top 7 | Songs from the Cinema | "Born to Be Wild" – Easy Rider | Steppenwolf | 3 | Safe |
Top 7A | Disco | "If I Can't Have You" | Yvonne Elliman | 5 | Safe |
Top 5 | Rat Pack Standards | "Feeling Good" | Cy Grant | 5 | Bottom 2 |
Top 4 | Rock and Roll Solo Duet |
"Whole Lotta Love" "Slow Ride" with Allison Iraheta |
Led Zeppelin Foghat |
1 6 |
SafeB |
Top 3 | Judge's Choice (Simon Cowell) Contestant's Choice |
"One" "Cryin'" |
U2 Aerosmith |
3 6 |
Safe |
Top 2 | Contestant's Choice Simon Fuller's Choice Coronation Song |
"Mad World" "A Change Is Gonna Come" "No Boundaries" |
Tears for Fears Sam Cooke Kris Allen/Adam Lambert |
1 3 5 |
Runner-up |
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]
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]
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]
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]
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]
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]
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]
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]
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]
Lambert is currently in a relationship with Finnish reality TV personality Sauli Koskinen.[239]
Year | Nominated work | Award | Result |
---|---|---|---|
2009 | Adam Lambert | Top Artist | Nominated |
For Your Entertainment | Top 200 Album | Nominated | |
"Whataya Want from Me" | Top Hot 100 Song | Nominated | |
Top Radio Song | Nominated | ||
Top Digital Song | Nominated | ||
Top Adult Contemporary Song | Nominated | ||
Top Canadian Hot 100 Song | Nominated |
Year | Nominated work | Award | Result |
---|---|---|---|
2010 | Adam Lambert | Top Pop Artist | Nominated |
Year | Nominated work | Award | Result |
---|---|---|---|
2011 | "Whataya Want from Me" | Award-Winning Songs | Won |
Year | Nominated work | Award | Result |
---|---|---|---|
2011 | Adam Lambert | Best International Artist | Nominated |
Year | Nominated work | Award | Result |
---|---|---|---|
2010 | Adam Lambert | Best International Male Singer | Won |
"Whataya Want from Me" | Best International Single | Won |
Year | Nominated work | Award | Result |
---|---|---|---|
2010 | Adam Lambert | People's Choice | Nominated |
Year | Nominated work | Award | Result |
---|---|---|---|
2010 | Adam Lambert | Entertainer of the Year | Won |
Sexiest Male Celebrity | Won | ||
2011 | Male Musician of the Year | Won | |
Male Fashion Icon of the Year | Won | ||
Male Twitterer Icon of the Year | Won | ||
Good News of the Year | Won | ||
Male Star of the Year | Won |
Year | Nominated work | Award | Result |
---|---|---|---|
2011 | For Your Entertainment | International Modern Pop/Rock Album of the Year | Won |
Year | Nominated work | Award | Result |
---|---|---|---|
2010 | Adam Lambert | Outstanding Music Artist | Nominated |
Year | Nominated work | Award | Result |
---|---|---|---|
2010 | "Whataya Want from Me" | Best Male Pop Vocal Performance | Nominated |
Year | Nominated work | Award | Result |
---|---|---|---|
2011 | Adam Lambert | Must-Follow Musician on Social Media | Nominated |
Year | Nominated work | Award | Result |
---|---|---|---|
2011 | Adam Lambert | Must Follow Artist on Twitter | Won |
Adam Lambert | Fan Army FTW | Nominated | |
2012 | Adam Lambert | Fan Army FTW | Pending |
Year | Nominated work | Award | Result |
---|---|---|---|
2010 | "Whataya Want from Me" | UR Fave International Video | Won |
Adam Lambert | International Video of the Year – Artist | Nominated |
Year | Nominated work | Award | Result |
---|---|---|---|
2010 | Adam Lambert | Break-Out Musical Artist | Nominated |
Year | Nominated work | Award | Result |
---|---|---|---|
2009 | Adam Lambert | Choice Male Reality/Variety Star | Won |
American Idols LIVE! Tour 2009 | Choice Summer Tour (shared with American Idol top 10) | Nominated | |
Adam Lambert | Choice Red Carpet Icon – Male | Nominated | |
2010 | Adam Lambert | Choice Music: Male Artist | Nominated |
Year | Nominated work | Award | Result |
---|---|---|---|
2011 | Adam Lambert | Do Something Music Artist | Nominated |
Year | Nominated work | Award | Result |
---|---|---|---|
2009 | Adam Lambert | Artist of the Year | Won |
Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Adam Lambert |
|
|
|