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鈥淚鈥檝e always been somebody who likes to stand out from the crowd鈥攁nd it comes with its perils,鈥� says ADAM LAMBERT. The pop/rock superstar and Queen lead singer spoke with RICHIE BLACK about the joys and risks of living large in the spotlight; themes explored in his new solo EP, Velvet: Side A.听

This Adam Lambert guy, apparently he鈥檚 doing well.听

He鈥檚 happily in a new relationship (with model Javi Costa Polo). His latest solo EP is getting rave reviews. Oh and, you may have heard, he鈥檚 the lead singer of one of the biggest bands of all time, Queen.听And yet, he says, there鈥檚 still room in his life for a little doubt and insecurity.听

鈥淚鈥檓 only human,鈥� he explains. Well, sometimes we doubt that mate, but still.听

It鈥檚 something he addresses in his new EP Velvet: Side A, which stylishly yet unashamedly embraces his funk, disco, and glitter-rock influences in six tracks, each co-written by Lambert.听

The rock/funk bombast of 鈥楽tranger You Are鈥�, for example, represents a soulful challenge to a particularly reactionary type of 鈥渉ater鈥�.听

鈥淚 think that song鈥檚 kind of about being different,鈥� says Lambert, 鈥淲hen you鈥檙e daring to be different, you鈥檙e opening yourself to more criticism.鈥�听

And that, it seems, comes from a personal place.听

鈥淭rust me, I don鈥檛 have it all dialled in,鈥� he confesses. 鈥淚 have my moments where I get stuck in a negative way of thinking or a negative comment gets to me.鈥�听

In a similar vein, the opener 鈥楽uperpower鈥�, a catchy disco-infused dance track, defies those wishing to 鈥�put me in a box/make me something I鈥檓 not.鈥�听

Lambert sees this defiance as partly a reflection of the times we live in.

鈥淚 do think that I鈥檓 picking up on a general feeling; a collective energy. There鈥檚 a lot of frustrated people that feel disenfranchised and discriminated against or misunderstood.鈥�听

The desire to be different鈥�take risks鈥攚ill always be proudly part of Lambert鈥檚 M.O.听

Discussions with his co-writers in the studio were about 鈥渨anting to create something that would give somebody who felt that way a feeling of confidence and strength and empowerment鈥�.

鈥淎nd stand up and say, 鈥榊ou know what? That鈥檚 unacceptable and I鈥檓 going to take back my power.鈥欌��听

Of course, politics aside, his songs also speak to his personal musical influences: the piano-driven 鈥楥loser to You鈥� recalls Bowie and Elton, while 鈥極verglow鈥� features a slinky 鈥�80s-esque synth-bass hook.听

鈥淚 just love that time period,鈥� he tells the Star, partly as a result of: 鈥淕rowing up in a house that had a lot of that music playing. So I wanted to do something that was a part of my DNA naturally.鈥�听

An intrinsic influence, naturally, is that crazy little thing called Queen鈥攖he band he has fronted for the last eight years.听

Which sounds like a pretty good gig, right鈥攁nd a pathway to fulfilment? Well, yeah, it is. But that鈥檚 not to say it can鈥檛 be problematic鈥攆or the obvious reason that he happens to be stepping into the shoes of one of the most deified of rock gods.听

It鈥檚 something Lambert says still causes anxieties鈥攜ep, like those ones referenced on his EP.听

鈥淚n the beginning [when Queen] asked me to join them, I was like, 鈥極h God, can I pull this off?鈥� I mean, I wasn鈥檛 totally sure how it would be received by the public and by the band, and even to this day, it鈥檚 not like an easy win,鈥� he explains.

鈥淚 have a lot to prove each time I get out there. Because Freddie was obviously such a God: he wrote these songs, he sang the shit out of them and performed the shit out of them.

鈥淲hen people start comparing, which is inevitable, I get people saying, 鈥榃ell, I preferred Freddie鈥欌�攁nd I鈥檓 like, 鈥榃ell, of course, he鈥檚 the originator of this, I prefer Freddie!鈥欌�欌��

But then (funnily enough) if you do really want to compare, while history now rightly remembers ol鈥� Freddie as rock royalty, back in the day he was also a fairly polarising figure himself.听

Royally outrageous and camp鈥攄efiantly and unapologetically, at a time of sweaty Led Zep machismo and punk rock fury鈥攈e was never exactly a critical darling.听

And it seems like the same kind of mix of vulnerability and defiance that Lambert describes tapping into when tackling some of the most dynamic and demanding of Queen anthems.听

鈥淚 take a deep breath and try to ground myself,鈥� he says, with a chuckle.

 

鈥淧art of the beauty of live performing, is that it鈥檚 sort of trial by fire. You can鈥檛 be like, 鈥極h let me do that over, I need to get really comfortable.鈥� It doesn鈥檛 work that way … you have to throw yourself at it.鈥�听

That said, Lambert also grounds his role in Queen with a (somewhat un-Freddie-like) humility.听

鈥淚n a way,鈥� he explains, 鈥淚鈥檓 being of service to the band and the fans. [Realising] that made it all click for me.鈥�听

While performing with Queen has been about honouring a legacy, it鈥檚 been in the making of听Velvet Side A where he鈥檚 rediscovered a creative voice.听

鈥淔our years ago when I started [Velvet Side A], I felt a little bit fried,鈥� he says.听

鈥淚 didn鈥檛 feel like I was in the driver鈥檚 seat as much as I wanted to be. So I did some soul-searching and I had to insulate my creativity a bit鈥攃reate a space for it鈥攁nd a lot of that had to do with sort of starting this project more on my own. It鈥檚 been a more pure experience this time.鈥�听

Ultimately, Lambert has identified that risk. Being 鈥渟trange鈥� is actually part of this 鈥減ure鈥� creative experience; embracing the adrenaline and heart-flutters that are part of his freedom and strength.听

鈥淭hat type of sink or swim kind of mentality, it kind of helps me,鈥� he says.

鈥淚t鈥檚 like [if] there鈥檚 a whole audience out there鈥攎aybe there鈥檚 18,000 people out there 鈥� and we鈥檙e playing this live, there鈥檚 no click track, there鈥檚 no backing, no autotune, it鈥檚 like: 鈥�Here we go.鈥�听

鈥淎nd that can be a bit scary sometimes but that鈥檚 the very essence of making the magic happen.鈥�听

Adam Lambert鈥檚 new EP Velvet: Side A is out now, and available to buy/stream at .

Queen + Adam Lambert will be touring Australia in The Rhapsody Tour in February 2020. Visit for information and tickets.听